Tesla unveiled advanced performance at a next-generation Roadster demonstration, showing the vehicle driving upside down in mid-air, jumping over multiple vehicles and reaching 60 mph in less than 1 second.

The Verge, an IT media outlet, reported on Oct. 15 local time that the Tesla Roadster demonstration was held near Waco, Texas. Elon Musk (일론 머스크), Tesla's chief executive, said, "We will enter mass production in 2028" for the Roadster. The event had been scheduled for Oct. 1 but was postponed due to weather.

Tesla claimed in a live test that "the Roadster recorded 0.81 seconds to reach 60 mph." Tesla explained that its levitation thrusters operate on compressed air without fuel. Musk said the upside-down driving scene was possible because an active aerodynamic fan system sucked the body toward the road surface. He also said the car shown that day would be the model that drives on real roads.

The Roadster first appeared in 2017 as a final surprise announcement at the unveiling event for the Tesla Semi. At the time, Tesla pledged mass production in 2020, along with specifications of 1.9 seconds to reach 60 mph and a maximum range of 620 miles. The schedule was repeatedly pushed back as resources were allocated first to mass-market vehicles such as the Model Y and the Cybertruck. Electric vehicle outlet Electrek tallied that "there have been at least six production delays and seven changes to public unveiling schedules, and not a single vehicle has been delivered." It has been nearly 9 years since the first unveiling.

After postponing the mass-production timeline from November 2025 to 2027 to 2028, Tesla recently resumed reservations in the United States, Canada and China with a $50,000 deposit. Despite the delays, Musk raised performance promises instead. The peak is the SpaceX package, a configuration that adds cold gas thrusters to enhance levitation capability and targets acceleration to 60 mph in under 1 second.

In the meantime, competitors have moved ahead in the high-performance electric vehicle market. Rimac set new performance records with the Nevera, and Porsche refined electric vehicle performance with the Taycan. BYD is also releasing a track-focused supercar at a lower price point. As a result, the Roadster is no longer a shocking prototype and has been put in a position of chasing an industry that has released real products.