Tesla is releasing three different versions of the Roadster and the cost to just reserve one is wild

The Tesla Roadster is here as the fastest-accelerating production car in the world and first ever rocket-assisted production road car.

It took a while, but it was worth the wait.

There are three different versions, including a ‘flying’ one.

But what’s truly incredible is the price.

How much it costs to reserve a Tesla Roadster

There are three trims: Performance, Thrust, and Rocket.

Performance is basically ‘just’ a high-performance supercar, and it costs $50,000 to reserve.

Thrust uses a suction system with actual propulsion hardware, and it’s equipped with SpaceX-developed rear-mounted cold-gas thrusters fed by onboard high-pressure air tanks.

And it does 0-60 in under one second.

This one costs $250,000 just to reserve one.

Then there’s Rocket, which is the version can literally fly using gas-cold thruster.

It will be available on an invite-only basis.

It’s converted into a single-seater configuration with a full flight system layout, featuring 10 cold-gas thrusters positioned across the entire perimeter of the vehicle.

And the MSRP? Well that hasn’t been communicated yet.

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Tesla has finally delivered

The elephant in the room is the wait.

Tesla often delivers on its promises, even if late.

But ultimately, it was probably worth the wait.

Based on what we’re saying here, a few things stand out.

For starters, it doesn’t look like the original prototype(s) we’d already seen, which presumably means Tesla must’ve changed direction at some point.

Design-wise, the original smooth silhouette is gone, replaced by more angular, sharp shapes.

We should also point out three stylistic choices.

First, there is the massive rear wing, which counts as a stylistic choice even though it clearly serves an aerodynamic purpose.

Second, it features concealed headlights, a full-length taillight, and flush-mounted surfaces.

Third, the white paint is a stylistic choice that also serves a functional purpose.

The white paint offers UV and cryogenic protection, electrostatic dissipation, and corrosion resistance.

The gold glazed tinted glass, by contrast, is simply designed to mimic the copper coating of spacesuit visors.

Some people – including Tesla exec – said that the one of the reasons it was taking longer than expected was the technical difficulty of integrating SpaceX technology.

The result explains why.

Tesla Roadster can literally fly

Tesla Roadster can fly, at least briefly.

People suspected SpaceX’s cold-gas thrusters would be used to hover, but the car actually flies.

It is capable of driving upside down and performing what you could reasonably call acrobatics.

The video is impressive.

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It is also arguably the fastest-accelerating production car in the world.

It does 0-60 in 0.81 seconds.

Let’s crunch some numbers

The Tesla Roadster uses a tri-motor electric powertrain paired with a 200 kWh battery pack.

While Tesla hasn’t released an official horsepower figure, the system generates a massive 10,000Nm of wheel torque, pushing it to a top speed of over 250MPH.

In terms of range, you’re looking at an estimated 620 miles, which is impressive considering what else it can do.

Then there’s the number people won’t want to hear: the price.

Final MSRPs haven’t been officially revealed yet, but you need $250,000 to reserve the high-end Thrust trim,

meaning the total sticker price will easily sit in hypercar territory.

How the cold-gas thrusters work

The biggest talking (and selling) point is obviously SpaceX technology.

There’s a multi-mode fan and a ground-sealing system that pulls air from beneath the vehicle, generating enough suction to hold it upside down while stationary, which was showcased during the unveil.

Then, there are advanced cold-gas thrusters with electric actuators capable of making micro adjustments within a fraction of a second to stabilize the vehicle in flight.

Again, it was clearly worth the wait.