2028 Tesla Roadster flying car review: can it really fly, and is it coming to Australia?

Tesla's new Roadster "flew" on 15 October 2026 (US time). At a livestreamed event at a SpaceX test site in McGregor, Texas, the long awaited electric supercar drove up a curved ramp, hung upside down, fired a set of rocket style thrusters, flipped in midair and landed back on its wheels. In a second run it jumped a row of cars and a semi truck.

So is this really a flying car you can reserve? Can it actually fly? What will it cost, and can Australians buy one? Here is everything we know so far, in plain English.

Quick answer: The new Tesla Roadster is a two seat electric supercar with optional cold gas thrusters that let it jump, hop and flip for a few seconds. It does not fly like a plane or a drone. Tesla showed no sustained or long distance flight, and the demo runs were pre programmed with no driver. Tesla claims 0 to 60mph (97km/h) in 0.81 seconds and production in 2028. Australians can already reserve one (A$7,000 up front plus A$59,000 within 10 days), but there is no Australian price, Tesla Australia lists it as left hand drive only, and a local launch is not confirmed.

Quick verdict

An amazing stunt, but a long way from your driveway. The Roadster is the most outrageous thing Tesla has ever shown, and using thrusters on a car meant for sale is a genuine first. But it is a 2028 product from a company that first promised it for 2020, there is no price, and for now it is left hand drive only. It is well worth watching. It is not yet worth tying up A$66,000 for unless you can comfortably forget about that money for years.

Did the Tesla Roadster really fly?

Sort of. Here is what Tesla actually showed at the reveal:

• The ramp flip: The car drove up a steep curved half pipe. A fan suction system underneath held it to the ramp until it was fully upside down, then cold gas thrusters developed with SpaceX pushed it off, flipped it and set it down on its wheels.
• The jump: It cleared a row of parked cars and a semi truck, flipping in midair before landing on the other side.
• Lift off from standing: It also lifted off from a standstill using the thrusters.
• The sprint: Tesla timed 0 to 60mph (97km/h) in 0.81 seconds.

Each "flight" lasted only a few seconds. The runs were a pre programmed sequence with nobody at the wheel, and Tesla did not show any long distance or sustained flight. Elon Musk had admitted beforehand that success was not guaranteed, and after the first run his verdict was simply "Well, it worked."

Bottom line: think of it as a car that can jump and hop on thrusters, not a car that will fly you over the traffic on the way to work.

How does the flying Tesla work?

There are two separate systems, and they come on different versions of the car.

• Fan suction system: Fans under the car suck it down onto the road. Tesla's vice president of vehicle engineering, Lars Moravy, says it can pull up to 2g. That is what let the car drive upside down on the ramp, and it should also give huge cornering grip.
• Cold gas thrusters: Small rocket style nozzles under the car and in the rear bumper fire compressed air. Tesla says they make 4 to 5 times the force the tyres can, and uses them to launch the car, soften landings and add a kick of acceleration. Musk describes "altitude control thrusters and main thrusters in the rear".
• No fuel: Tesla says the air tanks are rechargeable and refill without any fuel. It has not said how many launches you get from a fill.

The row of round nozzles under the rear bumper above is the main thruster pack.

Tesla Roadster versions: Performance, Thrust and Rocket

Tesla's reservation page lists three versions. Final prices have not been announced for any of them. The US reservation amounts are:

• Performance: the road car with the fan suction system. US$50,000 reservation (US$5,000 up front plus US$45,000 within 10 days).
• Thrust: adds the cold gas thrusters for launches and extra acceleration. US$250,000 reservation (US$5,000 plus US$245,000 within 10 days).
• Rocket: an invite only, single seat version with the full flight system. No reservation amount is listed.

For context, back in 2017 Tesla quoted a US base price of US$200,000 plus on road costs for the Roadster. That figure is almost a decade old and was never an Australian price, so treat it as a rough guide only.

Tesla Roadster price and release date in Australia

This is the part Australian buyers need to read carefully.

• Price: No Australian price has been announced. There is no list price plus on road costs and no drive away price yet.
• Reservation: Tesla Australia's reservation page asks for A$7,000 by credit card, then a further A$59,000 by bank transfer within 10 days, A$66,000 in total. A reservation only holds your approximate place in the queue. It is not an order, and it is not the price of the car.
• Left hand drive only: At the time of writing, Tesla Australia lists the Roadster as a left hand drive vehicle only. New left hand drive cars generally cannot be registered for Australian roads without special approval, so a local launch is not confirmed.
• Release date: Tesla says production starts in 2028. No Australian delivery date has been given.

Our advice: if you are tempted, read the reservation agreement in full, check exactly when and how the A$59,000 bank transfer can be refunded, and remember this car is already about six years late.

Design, inside and out

The production Roadster looks very different to the 2017 prototype. It is a two seat hard top coupe with sharp creases, scissor doors and a spoiler that rises at speed. Tesla's chief designer, Franz von Holzhausen, calls the look an "aerospace aesthetic".

From above, the tinted glass roof runs almost the full length of the cabin.

At the back, a full width light bar sits above the thruster nozzles, shown here with the spoiler raised.

Inside, the seats are moulded straight into the chassis, and you steer with a yoke style wheel. Steering and brakes are both by wire, so there is no mechanical link between the wheel and the front tyres.

Interestingly, Musk says the Roadster will be the only Tesla you drive yourself, at a time when the rest of the range is heading towards self driving.

Performance, range and charging

• 0 to 60mph (97km/h): 0.81 seconds, timed at the reveal. Tesla says that makes it the quickest production vehicle ever.
• Top speed: more than 230mph (about 370km/h) for the fastest version.
• Range: more than 300 miles (about 480km) was mentioned at the reveal, but Tesla has not published a full spec sheet. The 2017 prototype promised around 1,000km.
• Cornering: up to 2g with the fan suction system.
• Battery size, power and charging speed: not announced yet.

Is the flying Tesla legal on Australian roads?

Nobody knows yet, including Tesla. Musk said before the reveal that street legality of the flying features is uncertain, and joked that it is "not necessarily a safety optimised car". Our read: the Australian Design Rules were never written with thrusters in mind, so even if a right hand drive Roadster arrives, expect the thruster features to need approval before they can be used on public roads.

Should you reserve a Tesla Roadster? Go or no go

• Go if: you have A$66,000 you won't need for years, you love owning a world first, and you are happy to wait for a car that may never come in right hand drive.
• No go if: you want a fast electric car you can register and drive in Australia now. Tesla's current range is in showrooms today, see our Tesla Model Y review.

Tesla Roadster FAQ

Can the new Tesla Roadster fly?

It can hop and jump for a few seconds using cold gas thrusters, and it flipped in midair at its reveal. Tesla did not show sustained or long distance flight.

How much is the Tesla Roadster in Australia?

There is no Australian price yet. A reservation costs A$66,000 (A$7,000 by card plus A$59,000 by bank transfer within 10 days), which is a deposit, not the price of the car.

When is the Tesla Roadster coming out?

Tesla says production starts in 2028. There is no Australian delivery date.

How fast is the new Tesla Roadster?

Tesla timed 0 to 60mph (97km/h) in 0.81 seconds at the reveal and quotes a top speed of more than 230mph (about 370km/h) for the fastest version.

Will the Tesla Roadster come in right hand drive?

Not confirmed. Tesla Australia currently lists it as left hand drive only.

What is the Tesla Roadster Thrust?

Thrust is the version fitted with cold gas thrusters for launches, landings and extra acceleration. Its US reservation is US$250,000.

Can't wait until 2028? Tell us what you're after and we'll use our network to find the best deal anywhere in Australia on a new, demo, near new or used Tesla, or any fast EV. Get the best deal. Selling your current car first? We can help you sell your car or check what it's worth.

Details checked on 16 October 2026 from Tesla's reveal livestream and Tesla's Australian and US Roadster reservation pages. Specifications are Tesla's claims and may change before production. Images: Tesla.