Elon Musk unveiled a redesigned Tesla Roadster on Thursday at a SpaceX test facility in Texas, describing the electric sports car as capable of flying, performing aerial maneuvers and driving upside down using thrusters developed with his rocket company, SpaceX.
The demonstration, livestreamed from the test facility, showed the vehicle launching over a lineup of parked Teslas, executing what Fox News described as a "kickflip" through the air, and returning to the pavement. According to CBS News, Musk claimed the car can accelerate from zero to sixty miles per hour in less than a second and reach speeds of 230 miles per hour. ABC News reported that the vehicle was shown driving upside down on a ramp using a suction system and turning in the air before landing with the aid of built-in thrusters.
Musk said the Roadster has "altitude control thrusters and main thrusters in the rear, so it can basically fly like a rocket," according to Euronews. The Washington Times reported that Musk described the car as "flying" during the livestreamed event.
The unveiling drew immediate reaction from conservative commentators and political figures. Florida Governor Ron DeSantis posted footage of the airborne stunt on X with the message "Tesla Roadster = Wow!" according to RedState, which reported that the governor shared video of the vehicle launching itself over other Teslas and performing aerial maneuvers. RedState characterized the governor's post as a "savage joke" about the new Roadster.
Alex Jones, who has 4.4 million followers on X, posted about the event early Thursday morning, writing: "This is NOT AI. HISTORY JUST HAPPENED: Elon Musk Just Launched The Tesla Roadster By Literally launching It AS A Flying Car! THE WHOLE WORLD IS A STAGE AND ELON MUSK DOMINATES It!!"
Fox News, which has 29.4 million followers on the platform, shared coverage of the demonstration, noting that Musk showcased a Roadster "kickflip" through the air over other vehicles in Texas and teased a not-so-distant future where cars could do more than just drive.
The Washington Times, with 490,000 followers, reported that Musk unveiled the new Roadster sports car during the Thursday event at the SpaceX test facility.
RedState, which has 370,000 followers, carried coverage of DeSantis's reaction. The outlet's report noted that the vehicle used a combination of high-powered fans and SpaceX-derived cold-gas thrusters to launch itself over a lineup of Tesla vehicles, perform aerial maneuvers, and return safely to the pavement. The report also referenced The Villages, the Central Florida retirement community where golf carts are a primary mode of transportation, drawing a contrast between the humble golf cart and the rocket-assisted sports car.
According to RedState's reporting, the redesigned Roadster is expected to come in three versions. The two-seat Performance model is described as "road ready" and features advanced aerodynamics and a suction system designed to improve handling. The Thrust model adds rear-mounted cold-gas thrusters for extraordinary acceleration, while the single-seat Rocket version incorporates ten thrusters capable of producing the airborne maneuvers demonstrated Thursday.
The report noted that federal motor vehicle safety standards were not written with rocket-assisted sports cars in mind, and that state registration requirements present additional bureaucratic obstacles. If the vehicle's airborne capabilities amount to controlled flight, aviation regulations could also become relevant, according to RedState.
The Roadster reportedly has a projected top speed of around 230 miles per hour, with production targeted for 2028. Tesla is accepting reservations, though final pricing and the legal status of the more exotic configurations remain unsettled.
The Guardian described the event as Musk revealing the "world's first flying car," noting that the Tesla Roadster 2 drove up a curved ramp before using SpaceX rocket thrusters to fly, flip and land. Business Insider noted that the revised Roadster has been a long time coming, with Musk first showing off an earlier version in November 2017. Euronews quoted Musk saying "Well, it worked" after the demonstration.
Coverage of the event spread across multiple outlets and platforms, with the demonstration drawing attention from technology, automotive and political commentators alike. The spectacle of a vehicle launching itself into the air and performing maneuvers typically associated with aircraft rather than automobiles generated widespread discussion online.
Next News Network could not independently verify the claims made about the vehicle's capabilities.
Our Take
Elon Musk has spent years promising that the next-generation Tesla Roadster would be unlike anything else on the road. After Thursday's demonstration, it appears the phrase "on the road" may need some reconsideration. The vehicle's airborne capabilities, if they prove viable in production models, represent a genuine leap in automotive engineering — one that combines Musk's two most ambitious ventures, Tesla and SpaceX, into a single machine.
But the reaction from conservatives like Ron DeSantis and Alex Jones tells a larger story. While the legacy media struggles to categorize what they witnessed — is it a car? An aircraft? A publicity stunt? — conservatives are celebrating it as a triumph of American innovation and showmanship. DeSantis's quip about The Villages, the Florida retirement community where golf carts reign supreme, was more than a joke. It was a recognition that Musk has once again done what he does best: make the impossible seem inevitable.
The regulatory hurdles remain significant. Federal motor vehicle safety standards were not designed for rocket-assisted sports cars, and aviation regulations could complicate matters further if the vehicle's flight capabilities cross certain thresholds. But those are problems for another day. For now, the image of a Tesla launching itself over a row of parked cars, flipping through the air and landing safely on the pavement is one that will not soon be forgotten.
Conservatives understand something the mainstream media often misses: Musk is not just building cars. He is building a vision of the future that refuses to accept limits. Whether that vision includes a flying Roadster in every driveway by 2028 remains to be seen. But as Alex Jones put it, history just happened — and the whole world was watching.
