This is everything Elon Musk and Tesla have revealed about the Roadster and what isn't confirmed so far
Published on Oct 21, 2026 at 5:49 AM (UTC-4)
by Alessandro Renesis
Last updated on Oct 21, 2026 at 5:49 AM (UTC-4)
Edited by
Mason Jones
It’s been a few days, but people are still talking about the Tesla Roadster, and it’s easy to see why, considering both Tesla and Elon Musk have been quite cryptic.
There’s so much to unpack, and so much we still don’t know.
Elon Musk has added a few details since the unveil, including something that answers – in part – one of the big questions people have been asking.
But there’s still something else that hasn’t been addressed yet.
Here’s what we learned after the demo
Following the wild Tesla demonstration where an unmanned Roadster performed ramps, flips, and jumps using cold-gas thrusters, Elon Musk took to X to claim the upcoming Roadster will be more than autonomous.
Apparently, it’ll be ‘sentient’ – this was the exact word he used.
Musk stated that owners will simply be able to ask the Roadster to perform complex tricks (like ramps, flips, and jumps) on its own, without driver input.
That sounds great, but Tesla hasn’t explained how autonomous software would handle ramp tracking, trajectory calculation, or landing zones safely.
Musk also announced plans for a massive and ‘crazier than Hot Wheels’ looping test track at Tesla’s Austin headquarters, where owners can test-drive the Roadster.
This addresses one of the main questions people have been asking: where exactly can this be used?
However, it’s also a bit confusing because it kind of sounds like that would perhaps be the only place where owners can drive this.
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Elon Musk didn’t hold back
Even though he didn’t really answer all of the questions we had, Elon Musk has indeed gave us a few headline-worthy quotes and details.
For starters, he confirmed that yep, this is a real production car, and not just a concept, and it’ll be built at Gigafactory Texas.
“This will be the actual car that’s on the roads,” Musk said, before adding that it’ll ‘crush every track record that ever existed.’
Tesla lists a top speed of 230MPH, but Musk said the aim is ‘to crack halfway to the speed of sound’.
But the biggest piece of news is that this’ll be the last ‘driveable’ Tesla.
“[This will be the last] manually driven car that Tesla makes,” the CEO confirmed.
Although, interestingly, this will not be equipped with FSD.
Musk also admitted that ‘success is not guaranteed’ and that more importantly this is not necessarily a ‘safety-optimized’ vehicle.
Lastly, Musk explained why the Roadster looks so different when you compare it to the original concept.
The styling draws on the SR-71 Blackbird and F-35, but, crucially, it’s also an obvious nod to the cyberpunk-inspired design of both the Cybertruck and Cybercab.
There are still so many questions about the new Tesla Roadster
The initial demo was one of the biggest product launches of all time – as promised.
But people are now wondering where exactly this is heading.
While the standard Tesla Roadster Performance seems like a ‘normal’ hypercar, the Rocket variant, for now, looks like a marketing stunt.
Critical details like regulatory approval, liability, and safety protocols for autonomous stunt-driving remain entirely unaddressed.
We also don’t know anything about the MSRP.
The Performance variant requires a $50,000 deposit, while the Thrust requires a $250,000 deposit, but Tesla hasn’t actually mentioned an MSRP for either.
And let’s not get started on the Rocket variant, which is invite-only and even the deposit required wasn’t disclosed.
There’s a silver lining
The silver lining is that, if everything goes to plan, we’re likely getting the ‘normal’ Performance variant in 2028.
It’ll be one of the fastest cars in the world, and arguably the most exciting Tesla ever.
We don’t know how much it’ll cost, but then again, this is no ordinary car.
The original Roadster was expensive, but attainable.
This is on a different level.
And most people who were ready to fork out $50,000 years ago on a car that had no ETA are probably not too worried about the MSRP.
Mostly because they can probably afford it.
Alessandro is an automotive journalist with 10 years of experience covering supercars, automotive history, emerging vehicle technology, and luxury transportation. He wrote the first article published on SupercarBlondie.com when the website launched in 2022 and has since built a reputation for insightful reporting across the automotive and transportation industries. His expertise is grounded in hands-on experience. Alessandro has driven every Tesla model ever produced, from the original Roadster to the Cybertruck, and regularly covers the latest developments in electric vehicles and automotive innovation. His passion for transportation extends beyond cars, he has even flown a Boeing 787 Dreamliner simulator in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. His reporting spans everything from classic American muscle cars and rare automotive discoveries to luxury yachts, private aircraft, high-end watches, and cutting-edge vehicle technology. Known for his deep knowledge of automotive history and ability to uncover the stories behind iconic vehicles, Alessandro brings readers a blend of historical context, technical expertise, and first-hand experience.
