Elon Musk presented this Thursday in Texas the new generation of the electric sports car from Tesla: the Roadster Cyberfie, a vehicle capable of flying short distances, driving completely inverted, and accelerating from zero to almost 100 kilometers per hour in less than a second, thanks to thrusters developed in collaboration with SpaceX.
The demonstration took place at SpaceX's rocket testing facilities in McGregor and lasted less than half an hour, resembling a show more than a conventional product presentation.
Before the car took the stage, Musk prepared the audience with a warning: “Tonight you’re going to see amazing things. We need an audience to attest that this is not artificial intelligence or a simulation. You won’t believe it.”
The Cyberfie Roadster ascended a multi-story ramp, adhering to the nearly vertical surface thanks to a system of fans, flipped upside down, and then flew over an entire row of Tesla vehicles — Model 3, Model Y, Cybertruck, Semi, and Cybercab — performing a complete rotation in the air that the vice president of engineering, Lars Moravy, dubbed kick flip.
All maneuvers were carried out autonomously, without a driver on board.
The technology behind the car
The Roadster Cyberfie combines two unprecedented systems in the automotive industry.
The first is a suction mechanism using fans at the bottom of the vehicle.
Musk described it this way: “This car really sucks. It can strip the chrome off a trailer hitch. It can stay glued to the ground even when upside down.”
The second are cold gas thrusters developed by engineers from Tesla and SpaceX, which use compressed air stored in two tanks with a combined capacity of 600 liters —approximately 250 kilograms of air— released through ten nozzles.
Unlike traditional rockets, the car can refill its own tank without special chemical fuel.
During the demonstration, the Roadster accelerated from zero to 60 mph in 0.81 seconds.
Musk assured that the production model will be even faster.
Three versions and reservation prices
Tesla confirmed three configurations of the Cyberfie Roadster.
The Performance version, road-approved and with two seats, includes the suction system but not the thrusters, accelerates from zero to 96 km/h in under 1.6 seconds, and requires a deposit of 50,000 dollars.
The Thrust version adds rear cold gas thrusters and reduces that time to under 0.9 seconds; its price is 250,000 dollars.
The Rocket version, a single-seater with distributed thrusters all around the perimeter, promises to accelerate from zero to 96 km/h in less than 0.59 seconds and exceed 370 km/h.
It will only be available by invitation and may not be approved in all regions.
Tesla warned that the use of flight capacity is not permitted on public roads.
The declared autonomy for all variants exceeds 480 kilometers.
Almost a decade of delays
The Roadster arrives nine years after Musk unveiled the original prototype in November 2017, when he promised production for 2020.
The project faced at least six delays as Tesla prioritized other models and its autonomous driving and robotics programs.
Musk himself downplayed the commercial aspect of the launch: "I have to say that this is not necessarily a car optimized for safety. But it does take the fun factor to eleven out of ten."
He also described it as "a small potato situation" that will not significantly impact the company's financial position.
Analysts at Barclays bank speculated—without official confirmation—that the presentation could be part of the preparation for a potential merger between Tesla and SpaceX ahead of the annual shareholders' meeting scheduled for December 2026.
The production of the Cyberfie Roadster is scheduled for 2028, with no final sale price or delivery date announced.
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