Elon Musk unveiled the second-generation Tesla Roadster Thursday night, telling attendees at a SpaceX testing facility in Texas that it will be the last car the automaker ever builds for human drivers. The reveal was livestreamed starting at 8:55 p.m. ET, capping a rollout that began nearly a decade ago.
Every future Tesla model beyond the Roadster will be autonomous, making the sports car the sole exception in the lineup.
What Happened At The Elon Musk Tesla Roadster Reveal
“This will actually be long term the only manually driven car that Tesla makes,” Musk said at the event. “So if it’s going to be the only manually driven car, let’s take it to the limits and beyond the limits.”
Tesla says the Roadster will accelerate from zero to 60 miles per hour in under one second. The car includes a fan-based suction system mounted underneath the body that can generate up to 2 g of additional cornering force, drawing on technology associated with SpaceX, the rocket company Musk also leads.
Tesla is marketing the Roadster as its flagship performance vehicle, built around extreme acceleration, cornering grip and overall driving capability rather than everyday practicality.
What The Reveal Means For The Roadster’s Delayed Launch
Thursday’s event follows years of shifting timelines. Tesla first showed a Roadster 2.0 concept in 2017, nearly a decade before the production version reached a public stage.
Musk had said the car would be revealed on April Fool’s Day 2026, but that date passed without an event. Tesla then targeted Oct. 1 before severe weather pushed the reveal back to Oct. 15.
Musk had previously suggested a SpaceX-linked package involving rocket thrusters could help the Roadster achieve sub-one-second acceleration. The fan-based suction system represents Tesla’s confirmed approach; the company has not detailed range, battery capacity, top speed or pricing.
What’s Next
Tesla says Roadster production is scheduled to begin sometime in 2028. The company has not released additional specifications or pricing details beyond the acceleration and cornering figures shared at the reveal event.
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