AI-rewritten: This is a summary of an article from The Verge, rewritten by AI (Qwen, running locally) to make it easier to read. The facts come from the original article – read it for the full story.

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Tesla demonstrated its next-generation Roadster in Waco, Texas, where the electric vehicle drove upside down and accelerated from 0 to 60 mph in under a second. Elon Musk stated the car reached this speed in 0.81 seconds during the event, though he noted production models may improve on this result. The demonstration included driving up a tall ramp using downforce, flipping back down with cold-gas thrusters, and flying over other Tesla vehicles like the Model 3 and Cybertruck. Musk described these maneuvers as rocket-like capabilities involving attitude-control and main rear thrusters.

The vehicle uses two ultra-high pressure air tanks containing approximately 250 kilograms of air to generate thrust via ten nozzles. It can recharge its own tank without specialized chemical propellants. While Musk claimed the car would be road-legal, Tesla later admitted it would not meet regulatory requirements from agencies like the Federal Aviation Administration or the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. The company promised production in 2028, but the event focused on performance rather than price or release dates.

The Roadster features steer-by-wire technology and seats molded into the chassis. Musk called it "the last best driver’s car," while engineering VP Lars Moravy noted inspiration from aerospace designs like the SR-71 reconnaissance aircraft. The prototype was originally announced in 2017 with a starting price of $200,000 and deliveries expected in 2020. Early adopters paid deposits to fund development, but production deadlines slipped as Tesla prioritized other models. Musk downplayed the project’s financial impact, framing it as an engineering collaboration between Tesla and SpaceX rather than a major revenue driver.