On October 16 (Beijing time), Tesla officially took the wraps off the second-generation Roadster sports car. The model showcased at the launch was a custom-built stunt unit not certified for road use; production variants, including a standard edition and a Founder’s Edition, are scheduled to roll off the line in 2028. Pre-orders are already live in China, but only for the performance trim with a reservation fee of 332,000 yuan — meaning customers will wait quite a while for delivery.

The biggest talking point is the cold gas thruster kit co-developed with SpaceX, which generates thrust via controlled injection of high-pressure inert gas. The system not only slashes 0–100 km/h acceleration to roughly 1.1 seconds, but also enables the car to briefly lift off the ground and perform mid-air rolls, as demonstrated at the event. It cannot sustain flight, however; the feature is designed purely to boost launch performance and cornering agility, serving as Tesla’s playful take on bringing aerospace tech to consumer vehicles.