Flying new Tesla Roadster is here but you can’t have it until 2028

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After almost a decade, the Gen2 Tesla Roadster is here. As expected, there's a few catches, though...

GE

George East

16 October 2026 · 2 min read

Almost a decade after it was initially announced, the second-generation Tesla Roadster is finally here.

Reportedly inspired by the Lotus Esprit S1 Bond car from The Spy Who Loved Me, the angular new Roadster looks nothing like the swoopy concept car first revealed by Tesla in 2017.

With four SpaceX-developed cold gas thrusters standard on the entry-level ‘Performance’ model, the new tri-motor Tesla Roadster can hit 0-60mph in just 0.81 seconds, faster than a Bugatti Chiron and the Aston Martin Valkyrie. The claimed top speed is more than 230 mph.

While Tesla has not confirmed any performance figures, reports suggest the two-seater will deliver more than 1,500 bhp.

The wedgy, gullwing-doored new Tesla will also be offered in an invite-only ‘Rocket’ trim level. Demanding a £250,000 deposit, this range-topping version has additional thrusters placed around the car to, in Tesla’s words, “support forward and upward acceleration, as well as lateral rotational movement.”

Inside, the new Tesla Roadster is standard minimalist Tesla fare. A centrally-mounted touchscreen sits in the centre of the dashboard, and the seats are trimmed in what appears to be microfibre.

Leaning into the Elon Musk-owned firm’s tech-focused philosophy, the new Roadster packs drive-by-wire and brake-by-wire systems and a Model S-style steering yoke. It also has a McMurtry Speirling-esque “Multi-Mode Suction System” that offers 2G’s worth of downforce. A motorsport-inspired push-rod also appears to be standard fit.

Pricing has yet to be confirmed, but given the amount of R&D that’s gone into the new Roadster since it was announced in 2017, it’s almost certain to be a six-figure affair, or potentially more for the range-topping Rocket model.

The new Roadster’s launch event was held at the SpaceX Rocket Development and Test site in McGregor, Texas. Company CEO, Musk, says it will enter production in 2028 “for real”. Watch this space.