Tesla’s long-delayed next-generation Roadster is finally moving from spectacular promise toward production, but the version designed to deliver its most outrageous performance comes with an extraordinary entry fee: $250,000 just to reserve it. The company unveiled the redesigned electric sports car on October 15 and said production is planned for 2028, according to Reuters and Engadget’s initial report.
Tesla’s reservation page lists a standard “Performance” model requiring $50,000, while the limited-release “Thrust” version requires $250,000. The latter is described as a two-seat, race-ready Roadster with a multi-mode suction system and rear-mounted cold-gas thrusters intended to push its 0-to-60-mph time below one second. The Thrust reservation reportedly breaks down into $5,000 immediately and $245,000 due within 10 days. Reuters’ coverage also reports that Tesla is limiting customers to one Thrust order.
The thruster concept is the Roadster’s biggest departure from the usual electric-performance playbook. Rather than relying solely on battery output, motors, tires and aerodynamics, Tesla is pitching a system that uses compressed gas for additional acceleration—and, in higher-spec configurations, dramatic vehicle movement beyond ordinary road driving. The company’s range-topping “Rocket” variant is described as a one-seat, invitation-only model with multiple cold-gas thrusters positioned around the car. Early coverage says that version is not approved for public roads, making it more engineering spectacle than conventional showroom sports car. Yahoo Autos’ report details the proposed Performance, Thrust and Rocket lineup.
That ambition is rooted in the Roadster’s unusually long development history. Tesla first previewed a replacement for its original Lotus-based Roadster in 2017, promising performance figures that helped redefine expectations for electric cars. The follow-up has repeatedly slipped, however, as Tesla concentrated on higher-volume vehicles and other projects. The new 2028 target therefore matters almost as much as the headline-grabbing propulsion hardware: it is another attempt to turn a years-old promise into a deliverable product.
Buyers should also distinguish between a reservation and a final purchase price. Tesla has not announced a definitive MSRP for the redesigned Roadster, and reporting on the reservation terms indicates that the amounts currently shown are not necessarily a guarantee of the eventual vehicle’s configuration or price. As Business Insider’s review of the fine print notes, Tesla is still working through the car’s options, features and hardware. In other words, the $250,000 payment buys a place in line for an especially ambitious machine—not certainty that the finished “flying” Roadster will arrive exactly as advertised.
