Elon Musk says Tesla Roadster "can basically fly like a rocket"

Thursday at SpaceX’s McGregor, Texas, facility, Elon Musk unveiled a Tesla Roadster capable of airborne maneuvers, rolls, and driving upside down. Tesla livestreamed the driverless, remotely controlled car, which had steer-by-wire. Four cold-gas thrusters adapted from SpaceX enabled flight, while an underbody fan system helped the car drive inverted on a curved ramp. Tesla’s vice president of vehicle engineering, Lars Moravy, and chief designer Franz von Holzhausen took part. Musk presented the project as a Tesla-SpaceX collaboration and said in-person witnesses were needed to show it was not AI. The Roadster is slated for 2028 production, with a top speed of up to 230 mph and at least 300 miles of range; deposits are $50,000 for a grounded Performance version and $250,000 for a thruster-equipped Thrust version. Musk said he was unsure whether it would be legal everywhere.