Tesla Shows Redesigned Roadster Using SpaceX-Built Cold-Gas Thrusters in Aerial Demo

Tesla (TSLA) has unveiled a new look at its long-delayed Roadster, presenting the redesigned sports car carrying out aerial stunts in a dramatic demonstration. Wire reports describe the vehicle as using rocket-inspired cold-gas thrusters, which were developed with help from engineers at SpaceX.

The showing marks a notable moment for a model that has been in the making for a very long time. Coverage of the event notes that nine years have passed since the first customer deposits were collected, and that Tesla has only now put a flying-capable version of the sports car in front of the public.

The link to SpaceX is central to the story. Elon Musk, who leads both companies, is described in the reporting as doubling down on the Roadster project by bringing in rocket technology from his space business. The thrusters are of the cold-gas type, a design that relies on pressurized gas expelled to create thrust rather than on combustion, and the sources characterize them as inspired by rocket systems.

The reporting also carries a skeptical undertone about the long wait. One account says the arithmetic of the delay stings for those who put money down at the outset, a reference to the years that elapsed between the first deposits and this demonstration. The supplied material does not provide further detail on deposit amounts, pricing, production timing or delivery dates, and none are stated here.

For the stock market, the supplied material offers no information on how Tesla shares moved in response to the demonstration, and no analyst assessments are included. What the coverage does establish is that the Roadster remains a live project, now paired with SpaceX-derived engineering, and that the company has chosen to publicize it through a staged aerial display rather than a conventional specification release.

The sources do not describe technical performance figures for the thrusters, the height or duration of the stunts, or whether the feature will be offered on cars sold to customers. Those questions remain unaddressed in the reporting reviewed by FXMARE.