Tesla has demonstrated a Roadster that can drive upside down and briefly take to the air. In a showcase at SpaceX's Texas facility on October 15, 2026, the next-generation Roadster climbed a large curved ramp, flipped, and then performed a short airborne manoeuvre before landing safely.
Turns out the future does have flying cars https://t.co/6fexPp6SXI
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) October 16, 2026
The demonstration offered a clearer look at Elon Musk's long-running vision for the second-generation Roadster, first unveiled in November 2017. Tesla positioned the car as an electric performance flagship, and in 2018 Musk revealed plans for a SpaceX package using rocket-like thrusters.
Tesla Roadster Flying Video
The videos of the Roadster's stunt are gaining significant attention on social media and have become a talking point in different social circles. While the audience is in awe looking at the videos the car balancing itself after fall from a ramp or jumping over multiple roadsters, many are curious about the science behind it.
Real life, baby https://t.co/3QEqn18wig
— Tesla (@Tesla) October 16, 2026
How Did The Tesla Roadster Fly?
The Roadster began by accelerating towards and climbing a purpose-built curved ramp. As the curve continued overhead, the car remained attached to the surface even while fully inverted, travelling upside down along the ramp.
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Tesla vehicle engineering head Lars Moravy explained that the “flying” technology is enabled by SpaceX thrusters. As per TechCrunch's report, Moravy explained that the Roadster uses a set of 10 thrusters connected to 600 liters of compressed air to lift and spin the car in midair.
The airborne phase was enabled by SpaceX-developed cold-gas thrusters. Unlike conventional rocket combustion, the system uses pressurised gas released through thrusters to generate thrust, rather than relying on traditional rocket combustion. That force helped the Roadster perform its brief airborne manoeuvre before it came back down in a controlled landing. Simply, the flight time of Tesla Roadster is directly linked to the amount of gas onboard.
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SpaceX Connection
The SpaceX link has been part of the Roadster story for years. After the car's 2017 debut, Musk outlined a SpaceX package involving thruster technology, blending Tesla's electric performance approach with aerospace-inspired engineering.
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The latest demonstration brings that idea to life, combining Tesla's electric performance focus with SpaceX-derived thruster technology. The sequence, climbing the curved structure, travelling upside down, and becoming briefly airborne, was completed safely during the controlled showcase.
Tesla Roadster Price
Tesla Roadster is available for bookings. The Performance variant can be booked for a cost of 50,000 USD (around Rs 47.47 lakh). Meanwhile, the Thrust variant will cost 250,000 USD (around Rs 2.37 crore). The Rocket model is “invite only” and cannot be reserved.
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