Gotrade News - Tesla (TSLA) unveiled its next-generation Roadster on Thursday night at a SpaceX (SPCX) test site in McGregor, Texas, where the car drove upside down and flew using thrusters developed with SpaceX, and said production starts in 2028, roughly eight years past its original 2020 delivery target, as reported by Fox Business.
The evening reveal followed Thursday's TSLA session and lands days before Tesla reports third-quarter results on October 21, according to The Korea Times. Elon Musk described the car as the work of a "cutting-edge electric vehicle manufacturer" partnering with a leading rocket engine maker, per Seeking Alpha.
TSLA and SPCX Market Data
| Ticker | Close | Daily change | Market cap | 52-week range |
|---|
| TSLA | $362.44 | -1.29% | $1.43 trillion | $297.38 to $498.83 |
| SPCX | $148.62 | -2.33% | $2.02 trillion | $104.83 to $225.64 |
Regular-session close on October 15, 2026, New York time. Prices and changes: Yahoo Finance, cross-checked against Nasdaq's official close. Market cap: Nasdaq, as of October 16, 2026.
What Did Tesla Show at the Roadster Reveal?
Tesla showed a white two-seat Roadster climbing a curved ramp, holding on with a fan-based suction system until it was fully upside down, then launching off, flipping midair and landing, according to Fox Business. In a second demo, the car jumped over a lineup of cars and a semi-truck before landing on the other side.
Musk said certain versions can go from 0 to 60 mph in under one second and reach a top speed of more than 230 mph, as reported by Fox Business. Tesla said on X that the thruster system generates 4 to 5 times the force of the tires, framing it as an answer to the limit of "tire grip." Musk told the crowd, "Turns out the future does have flying cars," while Vice President of Vehicle Engineering Lars Moravy added, "Flying cars are real."
Range is the weaker spec. Per The Korea Times, the new Roadster offers over 300 miles (480 km) on one charge, less than half of what Musk promised in 2017. Whether the flight and thruster features can be used on public roads was not addressed.
Executives gave no target price at the event; nearly a decade ago Tesla quoted a $200,000 base price. The reservation tiers below come from Tesla's reservation page as reported by Fox Business and The Korea Times.
| Roadster version | Reservation deposit | Description |
|---|
| Performance | $50,000 | Base performance version |
| Thrust | $250,000 | Adds "acceleration thrusters" |
| Rocket | Invite only | Single-seat model with a "full flight system" |
Why Does the Roadster Timeline Matter for TSLA?
The Roadster is a reminder of how far Tesla's product dates can slip. The prototype was revealed in 2017 with deliveries promised for 2020, and production is now slated for 2028, according to Fox Business. Musk himself called the car a "small potato situation" in 2023 that would not "move the needle in a major way financially," per The Korea Times.
Analysts quoted by The Korea Times were split on its value. Gene Munster of Deepwater Asset Management called it "an engineering flex with no commercial value beyond embarrassing traditional car makers," while Morningstar's Seth Goldstein said "the Roadster will be Tesla's new halo car."
eToro's Josh Gilbert said "the margin and cash flow numbers will carry far more weight with investors than anything they saw at the reveal."
The same report noted that sales of Tesla's aging EV lineup have declined over the past two years, though high gas prices boosted third-quarter deliveries, and that Tesla stopped selling the Model S and X this year to make room for Optimus humanoid robot production.
Tesla Robotaxi Track Record: 300+ Cybercabs in Austin
Tesla's robotaxi program offers a more recent delivery record. Tesla's official Robotaxi account said on October 10 that it has "300+ Cybercabs serving Austin," calling it "an 8x increase in 30 days," according to Not a Tesla App.
The outlet estimates the fleet started at about 38 Cybercabs when public rides began in Austin last month, two years after the Cybercab debuted at Tesla's WeRobot event.
Austin is still the only city where riders can hail a Cybercab, though unsupervised Model Y robotaxis operate across a 246 square mile service area there, per Not a Tesla App. Dallas is one of Tesla's seven active Robotaxi markets, and Tesla VP of AI Ashok Elluswamy wrote "Dallas soon" for Cybercab rides without giving a launch date.
Regulators are still watching. NHTSA is investigating the Cybercab, and Tesla received a 30-day extension, until October 30, to answer 21 questions about how it certified the steering wheel-less vehicle and its plans to scale commercial operations, as reported by Not a Tesla App.
What Does SpaceX (SPCX) Bring to the Roadster?
SpaceX supplied both the venue and the thruster technology: Fox Business reported that the car uses integrated cold-gas thrusters developed in collaboration with SpaceX. Munster said "the Roadster event is the latest example of why Elon can't wait to bring (Tesla) and (SpaceX) together," according to The Korea Times.
This article is for education and information only and is not investment advice. Investment decisions are yours to make after your own research.
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