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Tesla Roadster (second generation)

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1. What we know so far
2. On 16 November 2017, Tesla unveiled a second-generation Roadster prototype at the end of its Semi event near Los Angeles.
3. As of 20 October 2026, no production second-generation Roadster had been built or delivered.
4. On 15 October 2026, Tesla showed a redesigned two-seat Roadster at SpaceX's test site in McGregor, Texas, where it performed stunts with no one inside, using a suction system and thrusters.
5. On 15 October 2026, Elon Musk said production would begin in 2028.
6. Tesla did not announce a purchase price for the redesigned Roadster at the 15 October 2026 event.
7. Tesla's post-event reservation page listed Performance, Thrust and Rocket versions; Reuters reported a $50,000 deposit for the Performance and a $250,000 deposit for the Thrust, while Quartz reported a $5,000 payment at sign-up with a $45,000 balance due within 10 days.
8. On 15 October 2026, Tesla vehicle engineering chief Lars Moravy said the Roadster could accelerate from 0 to 60 mph in under one second and reach more than 230 mph.
9. On 15 October 2026, Tesla said the Roadster could travel more than 300 miles on a single charge, less than the 620 miles it claimed in 2017.
10. As of 15 October 2026, Tesla's reservation page listed the Rocket version as invitation-only and not approved for road use.
11. First shown: 16 November 2017, Hawthorne, California
12. Shown again: 15 October 2026, McGregor, Texas
13. Planned production start: 2028, as Elon Musk said on 15 October 2026
14. Base price (2017): From $200,000
15. Price (2026): Not announced
16. 0–60 mph claim (2017): 1.9 seconds (Tesla)
17. 0–60 mph claim (2026): 0.81 seconds (Tesla, not independently timed)
18. Versions listed (2026): Performance, Thrust, Rocket
19. Announcement in 2017
20. Tesla unveiled the second-generation Roadster prototype on 16 November 2017, at the end of its Semi event near Los Angeles. Tesla said the car could accelerate from 0 to 60 mph in 1.9 seconds, and Musk said it would have a top speed above 250 mph and a range of 620 miles. Reservations required an initial $5,000 deposit, with at least $50,000 due within 10 days.
21. Promised dates and delays
22. Tesla's original target, set in November 2017, was production in 2020, the first of several dates Musk would announce. In July 2020 he said production would come within the following 12 to 18 months, and in January 2021 that it would slip to 2022, then in September 2021 to 2023. In May 2023 he targeted 2024, and in February 2024 he said production would begin in 2025. In November 2025 he said Tesla planned a Roadster demonstration on 1 April 2026, with production about 12 to 18 months after that.
23. The demonstration itself kept moving. In March 2026 Musk posted that the unveiling would hopefully happen the following month, and on Tesla's 21 April 2026 earnings call he said the Roadster might debut in about a month, after further testing and validation. In June 2026, The Information reported that Tesla had delayed the demonstration to August or later. Tesla then scheduled an event for 1 October 2026 and canceled it on 28 September, citing the weather and the need for an outdoor show. When the Roadster was finally shown, on 15 October 2026, Musk said production would begin in 2028.
24. Musk on stage Musk speaking to the audience at the 15 October 2026 event.
25. The SpaceX package
26. In June 2018, Musk described a SpaceX option package for the Roadster that would place roughly ten small rocket thrusters around the car. Cold-gas thrusters featured in the 15 October 2026 demonstration in McGregor, where the Roadster, with no driver, used a suction system and the thrusters to drive upside down on a ramp, rotate and land. Reporters described the car briefly lifting off and jumping. After the event, Tesla's reservation page described a Rocket version as invitation-only and not approved for road use.
27. Launches upside down The Roadster climbs the curved ramp until it is upside down at the top.
28. Launches upside down, in slow motion The same climb, slowed down: the Roadster turns upside down at the top of the ramp.
29. A second slow-motion view Another slowed view of the Roadster turning upside down on the ramp.
30. The October 2026 reveal
31. On 15 October 2026, Tesla showed a redesigned two-seat Roadster at SpaceX's test site in McGregor, Texas. With no one inside, the car drove upside down on a ramp, rotated and landed, using a suction system and thrusters, and Quartz reported that it jumped five cars. Musk said the same day that production would begin in 2028, and called the Roadster Tesla's last model designed for human drivers.
32. Going vertical The Roadster goes vertical on the ramp during the demonstration.
33. Versions and specifications
34. Tesla listed three versions after the unveiling: Performance, Thrust and Rocket. During the demonstration Tesla said the car could accelerate from 0 to 60 mph in under one second, and Jalopnik reported Tesla's claim of 0.81 seconds, a time that was not independently measured. Lars Moravy, Tesla's vehicle engineering chief, said the Roadster could exceed 230 mph, while Musk set a higher target: half the speed of sound. Tesla put the range at more than 300 miles on a single charge, compared with the 620 miles it claimed in 2017.
35. Prices and reservations
36. Tesla did not announce a purchase price for the redesigned Roadster at the 15 October 2026 event. According to CNBC and Reuters, its post-event reservation page asked for a $50,000 deposit on the Performance version; Quartz described a $5,000 payment at sign-up and a $45,000 balance due within 10 days, and Reuters reported a $250,000 deposit for the Thrust version. Tesla's reservation page described the Rocket version as invitation-only and not approved for road use.
37. Reception
38. On stage, Musk declared that flying cars are real, The National News Desk reported, and Quartz described the Roadster jumping five cars with no one inside. CNBC presented the event as the unveiling of a long-delayed Roadster developed with SpaceX and reported that it fueled speculation about a merger of Tesla and SpaceX. Jalopnik's headline said the re-reveal promised a new design, flight and production in 2028. Electrek and Drive Tesla Canada had reported each delay to the demonstration between late 2025 and mid-2026.
39. What is not known
40. As of 21 October 2026, no production second-generation Roadster had been built or delivered. Tesla did not announce a purchase price at the 15 October 2026 event, and the demonstration included no independently timed 0 to 60 mph or quarter-mile run. Whether production will begin in 2028, as Musk said it would, remains unverified.
41. Timeline
42. 2017-11-16: Tesla unveils second-generation Roadster prototype near Los Angeles.
43. 2020-07: Musk says production will occur within 12 to 18 months.
44. 2021-01: Musk says production slips to 2022.
45. 2021-09: Musk says production slips to 2023.
46. 2023-05: According to Electrek, Musk targets 2024 production.
47. 2024-02: Musk says production will begin in 2025.
48. 2026-03: According to Drive Tesla Canada, Musk posts that the unveiling will hopefully occur the following month.
49. 2026-04-21: Musk says on the earnings call that the Roadster might debut in about a month.
50. 2026-06-05: The Information reports that the demonstration has slipped to August or later.
51. 2026-09-28: Tesla cancels its 1 October 2026 event, citing weather.
52. 2026-10-15: Tesla shows the redesigned Roadster in McGregor, Texas; Musk says production will begin in 2028.

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