Tesla's Cyber-Infused Roadster Debuts: Cold-Gas Thrusters, a Rocket Trim, and Still No Price

Tesla has finally pulled the wraps off a fresh iteration of its long-awaited next-generation Roadster, and the machine that emerged is a very different animal from the sleek prototype shown back in 2017. Revealed during a livestream packed with stunt footage, the car now wears Tesla’s angular “cyber” design language and — most strikingly — carries cold-gas thrusters that let it leap and rotate mid-air.

The broadcast leaned heavily on spectacle, and concrete specs were scarce during the stream itself. Tesla later pushed additional details out through its X account, yet buyers still have no sticker price and no firm build date.

• Three distinct trims: A road-legal Performance model (two seats, active aero, a multi-mode suction system, 0-60 mph in under 1.6 seconds) sits beneath a race-oriented Thrust version with rear-mounted thrusters (under 0.9 seconds) and an invite-only, single-seat Rocket that rings the car with thrusters for lift and rotation, quoting under 0.59 seconds to 60 mph and a top speed beyond 230 mph.
• Design cues: Hidden headlights, a full-width taillight bar and flush aero surfaces define the exterior, while the “Ano White” finish is said to draw on rocket-protective coatings and the tinted glass nods to a spacesuit’s gold visor.
• Interior approach: A yoke paired with steer-by-wire, a central touchscreen plus two smaller driver displays, and a fixed seating position with manual controls — magnesium, titanium and carbon fiber used throughout to trim mass.
• Thruster hardware: Carbon-fiber overwrapped pressure vessels are packed into every usable cavity to store compressed gas; Tesla claims the thrusters generate four to five times the force the tires can grip, sidestepping conventional traction limits.
• Reservations reopened: A $5,000 refundable deposit is due immediately, followed by $45,000 within ten days — the same $50,000 structure Tesla used in 2017.

Why It Matters

The gap between promise and delivery is impossible to overlook. Nine years ago Tesla pitched a 2+2 four-seater with roughly 620 miles of range and a top speed above 250 mph. The current figures read over 300 miles of range, two seats at most, and a 230-plus mph ceiling on the Rocket — a specification sheet that has shrunk considerably while acceleration claims have soared past rivals such as the Rimac Nevera.

Then there is the regulatory question. Tesla’s own Roadster page notes the Rocket is not approved for public roads, and the Thrust and Rocket packages are framed as add-ons to the Performance car. The physics-defying stunts driving headlines come from variants that are limited or invitation-only, which raises fair questions about real-world availability and warranty coverage. Musk’s only production guidance was a loose “2028, actually.” For customers who placed deposits on the original concept’s numbers, the wait continues — and the car they eventually receive may look nothing like the one they signed up for.