Tesla’s new Roadster makes a flying debut, hitting 60 MPH in under a second
1 Like
I think it’s awesome. My concern would be the incidental g-forces if the vehicle begins to turn at speed.
Impressive, but…
- The Catch: The vehicle used in the stunt was a lightweight, custom-built shell/stunt rig rather than the actual consumer car you will be able to buy. [1]
- Production Timeline: Tesla claims the new Roadster will not enter actual production until 2028, leaving major questions about whether the flying and thruster features will make it to a street-legal version. [1]
Breaking the Laws of Tires
A standard street car cannot go 0–60 mph in under 1 second using wheels alone. Standard rubber tires are constrained by friction limits against asphalt (usually maxing out at roughly 1.1 to 1.4 Gs of force). Accelerating to 60 mph in 0.81 seconds requires an unimaginable 3.4 Gs of force, which would cause normal tires to spin out aimlessly. [1, 2, 3]
To bypass the limits of traditional physics, Tesla relies on two core systems:
- SpaceX Cold-Gas Thrusters: The car is fitted with a specialized array of four rear-facing nitrogen gas thrusters. Fed by ultra-high-pressure composite tanks (storing air up to 10,000 PSI) engineered by SpaceX, these thrusters shoot out massive bursts of compressed air to push the vehicle forward, operating more like a rocket than a car. [1, 2, 3]
- Active Ground Suction: Inspired by specialized track hypercars like the McMurtry Spéirling, the Roadster utilizes an onboard fan system beneath the floorboards. These fans violently suck air from under the vehicle and expel it out the back. By creating an instant artificial vacuum, the car is glued to the tarmac with immense downforce before it even starts moving, providing the raw tire grip needed to handle the electric torque. [1, 2]
Which Models Get It?
Tesla is planning three distinct performance tiers for the Roadster line:
| Variant | Target 0–60 MPH Time | Features | Availability |
|---|---|---|---|
| Performance | ~1.6 seconds | Standard tri-motor electric powertrain | Standard Consumer Car |
| Thrust | ~0.85 seconds | Equipped with rear cold-gas thrusters | Limited Release Variant |
| Rocket | ~0.55 seconds | Full flight thruster package & suction system | Track-Only / Inv |
Thanks for the physics/engineering information, much of it I didn’t know. It was fun to watch but I doubt that type vehicle would be available in any near decades on this planet anyway, hehe
It has to be self-driving, because most people would probably pass right out if they hit 0-60 that fast.
1 Like
The physics is interesting …and just for comparison the tesla with rockets is much faster than a Formula 1 race car !
A Formula 1 car typically accelerates from 0 to 60 mph in approximately 2.1 to 2.7 seconds. Under perfect conditions and optimal track grip, some setups can drop that time as low as 1.6 to 1.8 seconds . [1, 2]
I’d probably promptly kill myself if I tried to
drive one . I’ll pass and just read news about the guy that does
If I was 27 instead of 67, I’d be all over it.
Always wanted to drive a slot car. Never dreamed you could fly one.
This was a lot cooler than the Cyber Truck rollout with the broken windows and all
1 Like
I saw someone online saying (paraphrasing): “If you let Americans buy this product, it’s gonna turn out badly.”
I think we can all agree that Florida Man cannot be allowed to drive this flying car.
3 Likes
What we witnessed was pure history. For the first time we saw a technological breakthrough that will make a difference for everyone either in the near future or a few years down the road.
Remember just a few years ago nobody thought you could get your grocery with a drone. It is now common place.
This is science fiction turning into reality. Regardless of what you think of Elon Musk he is a combination of Da Vinci, Newton, Graham Bell, Faraday and many others geniuses.
1 Like
Come on sing along:
1 Like
Amazing technology and it’s only going to get better.
1 Like
It was a stunt, a cool looking sunny that went way better than the cyber truck.
But important notes that car didn’t have a real battery in it, it was a smaller battery to get it through the stunt. The preorders guarantee delivery, never.
1 Like
Why the negativity?
Just explain me why?
What we all witnessed was pure science fiction…that is actually real. Even if this was a concept that concept came to life. Just applaud an amazing accomplishment for what it is…an accomplishment. Why is it so hard to do that?
Why give any extra credit for what is a performance? It was an excellent, well executed performance, kudos for the performance. But acting like it was anything more than that is silly.
1 Like
Have you seen anything like this other than AI?
NO. Why diminish this? That makes no sense.
Could it be MDS
Or perhaps maybe folks are being a little muskasexual?
We’ve seen flying car demos for like 80 years, he makes it to production that’s truly revolutionary. Right now he put on a cool show. He doesn’t get an extra handie from me for what is for now an act.
1 Like
Bookmarked.