Heading toward the new Tesla Roadster. We're in McGregor, Texas, on our way to the SpaceX facility. But something completely secret seems to be going on here, because we were asked to put on a blindfold when entering so we wouldn't see what's happening there. Well, let's go. Let's go take a look at the Tesla Roadster.
Wow. Very unusual. Very, very different from the previous Roadster. Holy cow. What is this? What are those four things in the back? That will be my first question. Gosh, I have a ton of questions.
So, we're here in McGregor, Texas, at the SpaceX facility. We were brought here blindfolded. They just unveiled the Tesla Roadster again. I'm stunned. I just saw it. I literally just walked around it. I have no idea what's going on. Now we'll bring in an expert to discuss what this car is, what it means for the brand. Let's bring in a friend of MotorTrend, my friend Franz von Holzhausen, Chief Designer. Great to see you. Great to see you. Welcome. Congratulations.
Yes, thank you. I'm amazed. This is, uh, this is not at all what I expected. This doesn't look like anything you've shown before.
I think we're good at that. Really? Yes. You're very good at surprising people.
Tell me, what is this? What are we looking at?
It's the new Roadster. Okay. And it will be available in various configurations. So I can tell you what versions there are. We have the Roadster, which is kind of the base model. Right. And there will also be a Performance R, which is gradually being supplemented with new elements.
Okay. And besides that, we have a thrust version. We can go into the details of what that means and how we achieved it. And we also have a rocket version, but I think you can see right away that we evolved the design, yes, and we continued our idea of clean, simple, elegant lines and smooth surfaces. There's so much power in this car, but we hid it, so the car morphs, transforms, and we can discuss how it works and what it means.
Okay, let's do that. Alright, that's already a lot, so let's start with the base. Let's start with the Roadster. Okay.
This is the Roadster and all its other versions, Thrust and Rocket. They originate here and develop further. Understand? What we're looking at now is the Thrust version. When we get to the rear, we'll understand why. We'll understand why. But the base Roadster and Thrust are absolutely brand new. Clean-sheet construction.
Yes, understood. Yes, no carryover from the previous concepts you've shown.
Yes, it's a new dedicated battery pack, 115 kWh. Got it. Rear-wheel drive. We wanted this to be the last, best driver's car, so we were kind of aiming for the stars and thinking about what exactly creates a great driving experience. So in the Roadster you have rear-wheel drive, two motors, and the same 115 kWh battery pack. Okay. And as it evolves into the Performance version, we add a fan-driven air intake system. Got it. We're trying to reach the limit of physics. Grip, because the tires give up at some point. Got it. We have an adjustable system. Basically, it tunes at speed to create downforce and improve acceleration, and then on top of that, for the Thrust version, you add the CAPS.
A high-pressure carbon-fiber tank. A carbon-fiber CAPS tank. Got it.
It's a cold-gas thruster system. Got it. It's 200 liters of compressed air at 10,000 psi in the rear. Okay. Exiting through four nozzles. Got it. And this improves acceleration. You can use it as continuous thrust or as a burst.
The final version is when you add another 400-liter CAPS in the passenger's place, and you get the Rocket. Literally, you add another six additional nozzles. So now you can challenge gravity.
Yes, and it's all based at the Roadster level. The last, best driver's car. And what are you trying to achieve with the Rocket version?
I think we're trying to achieve something no one has ever done before. Create a flying car. People said it was impossible. We've done a lot of impossible things at Tesla. You know, people said semi-trucks couldn't exist, that Autopilot was impossible. And I think, from the Roadster's perspective, the original Roadster was a real proof of concept. It proved that electric cars could be fun, viable, cover long distances, and deliver joy from driving, right? And we just keep developing that direction. And we want the Roadster to remain a kind of testbed for making the impossible happen. And we wanted to create, as I said, the best-handling car we possibly could.
So, it's going to fly? Is that what you're saying? It's going to fly, right? So, explain, how high above the ground? What are we even talking about?
I think you'll see tomorrow. I suppose, let's go. I'd save that for... Alright. A sports car with character.
[shout][cheering] Wow! I mean, I've seen a lot, but I've never seen anything like this.
I saw four nozzles for the CAPS. You have another six, where four will point down behind the wheels. Got it. And two for yaw control at the front, working in cycles, firing sideways, plus the four at the back. What's at the back? Yaw control will be on the left, center of the car, or right here. And how long? Okay. This is still... this is still mind-blowing. Right. When we talk about thrust, this is for pure straight-line acceleration, right? 0-60, quarter-mile. It's also for top speed. Maybe for acceleration too. Yes, for acceleration. Okay, good. So what are the claimed figures for the Roadster, for, excuse me, the thrust version? What's the 0-60 time? We're aiming for... we're targeting and we're seeing about 0.8, less than 1 second. Less than [coughs] 1 second, so confidently. Less than 1 second to 60 mph. Yes, good. Quarter-mile? Quarter-mile plans... let's leave that to the experts. Okay. Off camera we'll show a data sheet, but it will be a record. Got it. So, some kind of record-setting quarter-mile run. Are there claimed figures for top speed? Yes. Can you... 330 mph. 330 mph. Okay. Which, we think, no one has reached yet. Got it. On a production car, and you'll need... you'll need the CAPS to reach it. Yes, good. Sorry, I'm going backwards. Base model Roadster, 0-60, what are we expecting? A little over a second. A little over a second, which would still be a record. Yes, good. Quarter-mile, it'll probably get, uh, top speed, uh, it'll be around 220-something. Range around 220. Okay. Are there any other high-performance claims, for example, handling or...?
I think when we get to performance, that's where handling really comes in. The base version will get active aerodynamics, and in the performance version we'll add a fan for suction, which will take the lateral component to an even higher level. Got it.
[laughs] My head is spinning with questions I want to ask you. This thrust version, how does the cold gas work? So many questions, right? How do these gas thrusters work?
This system is based on SpaceX developments. We hired many SpaceX engineers who built this system for the Starship rockets. Basically, it's essentially compressed nitrogen that is then released. We have a tank that holds up to 10,000 psi, which is just crazy. There are two release valves so we can dynamically control thrust if needed. And it can be refilled anywhere. It can't be refilled anywhere. We're working on a system that will allow it to be refilled. Obviously, this is only for off-road or track, and it's about several seconds of engine operation. Got it.
And are those carbon-fiber tanks or something like that?
Yes, we can show you. Okay. Alright. Well, actually, let's, let's open up the car. Let's start. Yes, let's walk around and maybe you can show me something at the front. I mean, let's just talk about the front. First of all, the styling is... simply delicious. Thank you. What are those headlights? They rise. They extend. What magic are we about to see? Okay. Let's see how they... Ah, got it. Very cool. On the Cybertruck we had incredibly thin headlights, and we fit the entire system — lighting, low beam, high beam — into this thin element. The idea for the front was to keep the car incredibly clean. We didn't want to add extra elements to create performance. The performance is hidden under the skin, essentially developing. The same goes for the lighting system. You saw the front graphic? It's very clean, right? Then we lower the headlight covers. And this light strip essentially serves as the daytime running lights. Yes, got it. And those are your legally required ones, right? Uh, the turn signal lights at the front too, they're integrated here. And the side repeaters are on the... Got it. Now, when we look inside, there's active aerodynamics. We have wings that extend, and we can show all the active aerodynamics right now, because it completely transforms the car. Okay.
Yes, I see there are active aerodynamic elements that are about to deploy. So, you'll notice that we're opening a path for airflow over the body. This is also useful for cooling. Radiators at the front. There are wings down here that extend. We have deflectors on the sides. The wings open. It's subtle, but it helps evacuate air from the wheel arches at high speed, reducing pressure. And there's another big, cool one. The rear wing. A big, cool rear wing that, you know, when it's stowed, it's just part of the car. Right. It's not some fancy huge wing, but the downforce it provides is just crazy. And this is the braking and cornering mode. And we also have a speed mode where the wing goes flat. Okay. All of this can work automatically or be adjusted by you while driving. We'll show that. We'll look back at the line. Okay.
I was just about to ask, what is that panel? Is that a front trunk or is there none? No front trunk. No trunk. Got it. So, this opens. It allows air to pass through. And the entire nose essentially becomes a wing. Yes, good. For downforce. And we have this small removable panel. Here is your quick-release windshield wiper. It's not installed right now, but... Okay. How does it come off? You remove this. You attach the wiper, but we wanted to make it quick so it could be removed if not needed. Ah, interesting. Got it. So... Yes, where there's no rain, you don't need it. Okay. Got it. Wow.
This, you know, when we thought about the car and its design, understanding that it has this flying component, incredible acceleration, and overall top-tier performance, we looked for inspiration in things that do something similar. The SR-71 came to mind. That's the most extreme aircraft. Well, you know, the F-35 with its hovering ability and amazing capabilities. Then we thought about the Lotus from the famous film, which also transforms and does something else. It flies, swims underwater. Well, you know, there's an aesthetic here of something that is truly beautiful and then transforms to suit its purpose, its performance requirements. So this, you know, led to the design language changing compared to what came before. And, you know, if you look at where we ended up with the Cybertruck and Cyber, and the clean palette we use in surface design — minimal lines, beautiful curved surfaces — and you can see this very expressive character line running from the front to the rear wing. It's a curved surface on top that leads you to the rear of the car. Uh, just a clean body form. I mean, this is in the best sense.
It... it... and I said when I first saw it, it doesn't look like anything else on the road, but the closest I would say is there's a bit of Lamborghini in the proportions, the forward-set cabin, the windshield, the certain triangular shape of the headlights, and very strongly in how this body line runs to the rear. But everything else, I think it's a great car for comparison, but of course all the active aerodynamics are phenomenal, right? No mirrors. You're not using any mirrors?
We have cameras on the side repeaters, and, you know, for regulatory compliance for the US market, we have a mirror. Got it.
So, uh, I noticed a camera in the nose. Yes, a camera. Typical camera setup. Super FSD? Will it be... will it be FSD? It will be a limited version of FSD. Got it. Why is that? Is it the cameras, they're not in the right places, or what's the difficulty?
The extreme windshield. And also, I think, the idea was simply to make a car for driving and performance. That's the character we wanted to emphasize. Got it.
Interesting. I think this will probably get the biggest reaction. They made a car without that signature technology. It's there. The camera and equipment are in place. Yes, wow. Okay. Well, uh, the main action seems to be at the back?
Yes, the rear is the most important part. Let's go look at the most important part of the car.
Well, first of all, I noticed a lot of carbon fiber under this wing. What is it made of?
Well, it's, you know, still a prototype. The body is made of carbon fiber. But we're still working on what materials will be used in each version of the car. They'll differ a bit as you move up the model range.
So the shape will probably stay the same, right? The shape is the same. And what about the Roadster? Mixed materials. Mixed. Okay. So the Roadster might be, say, carbon fiber? Possibly. And are you still working with stainless steel? Probably not. Stainless steel. Got it. Okay. So you're not ready to talk about the body yet, but let's move on to the most interesting part.
Um, again, yes, this is the car's diffuser. And this is where you can see the noticeable changes, without revealing the car's aerodynamic elements. The thrust version has four nozzles, plus the four fan suction system units that will be in the Performance version. Okay. Then you add four downward-facing nozzles behind the wheels and two swiveling thrusters for the rocket version. Got it?
So, once again, for those watching us at home who are barely following what's happening, just like me: the base configuration, Roadster, same body, everything the same, same aerodynamics. We'll break that down a bit later. Claimed acceleration: 0-60 in a little over 1 second, rear-wheel drive, two motors. Yes. And then the next level is Performance. And Performance means improved handling. Improved handling thanks to adding those fans. Exactly. You add fans to the lower diffuser, and you get an adjustable suction system with baffles on the left and right, as well as independent front and rear. So at high speeds we can raise the front and rear baffles, essentially creating a channel and using the fans to force air under the car's floor. Got it. The fans, I see them. The arrangement, they essentially pull the air. They pull the air in this direction. And you essentially have channels or baffles on the sides of the car. Okay, to help. It's like in racing, where you need to maximize the ground effect, and this allows you to create suction along the entire length of the car's chassis. Ah, essentially it's a suction system about the size of the battery pack. Got it. And they're obviously electric. So you can create downforce even at zero speed. Interesting. Then the active aerodynamics we're seeing really start working at 50, 60, 70 mph. That's enough for the car to cover a significant distance. Can it... can it drive upside down? Possibly, it can drive upside down. Okay. That brings me to the question, do you have approximate weight figures?
We're trying to stay under 1,700 kg. Under 1,700 kg. Got it. So under. And we're keeping an eye on that.
So, this is the performance version. Improved handling by adding four electrically driven fans. Right. The next level is the thrust version. Here they are. You can touch them. Four nozzles. Yes, they're made of some exotic metal, Inconel, titanium, something like that. Some exotic metal.
Oh my God. Now you understand why there are no rear seats here. Yes, without this system, it's just a trunk. Holy cow. It's a 2-liter carbon-fiber tank, as I already said, with valves, actuators on both sides. So we have adjustable thrust. And, you know, we use parts from Optimus and the like for this.
Actuators... these are actuators repurposed from the Optimus robot. They look like suspension. It's not suspension. It's not suspension. So they mainly handle opening, right? They open the valve gate and release pressure backward. What pressure are we talking about in the system? Well, it's up to 10,000 psi. You can... 10,000 psi, which is extreme. Nitrogen? Yes, essentially it's cold gas. Got it. All of this exits backward for acceleration. I assume you have launch control, right? A system that coordinates the motors and thrust. It happens instantly. It's, well, you saw how fast the valve opens. So, yes, it's pretty much instant. Okay. And you have a few seconds of gas reserve to use for acceleration. Also in burst mode, right? Theoretically for passing, right? Or when pulling out directly, or... or for reaching top speed. Right. Yes, very cool. Can we look at the aerodynamics at the back?
Of course. That was the cold-gas acceleration for the thrust version of the Roadster. And if you turn on maximum track mode, all the aerodynamics will be deployed. Exactly. And if we look at the extending aerodynamic elements, this would be for cornering or aerodynamic braking, hard braking. And you can see the deflectors are open. And the front is working too. Combining this with the fan suction system, we're essentially at the limit of the tires' capabilities. Got it?
So this is hard braking entering a corner. This rear wing should rise like this. Rise automatically, and then in speed mode, at high speed it goes flat. Got it. That's your drag reduction system. Exactly. That's your DRS mode. Got it. And these are essentially the two main modes. Yes. And we continue working to refine this, but right now these are essentially the two modes needed. Got it.
Uh, and this, you know, it's not just the rear of the car. It's a big, dual-element wing. We channel air under the wing to get maximum efficiency from both sides. So a lot of thought went into this. A lot of innovation. Got it. But the beauty is that all of this retracts. Right. And you can drive to the store around the corner and not feel like an idiot in your...
Have you eaten french fries off it yet? Not yet, but that's a great idea. We should do that. Okay. Wait, we need to stop at a Tesla diner and get fries. Someday we'll definitely eat fries off this wing. That's amazing. What about other ground effects? Are they, well, single, like open and that's it? No intermediate positions?
I think we're looking at the possibility of adjusting the angle of attack of the wings in front of the front wheels.
But besides the fan shrouds, are there any other ground effects underneath? I assume it's flat.
No, it's flat. It's the battery pack. Flat battery. Nothing else. Battery pack. Yes, there are no big tunnels or anything like that. Hmm, got it.
And the light bar. Yes, the light bar. When you stand at the back, you see this very clean line across the entire width of the car. It looks very planted.
You know, I wanted to make sure we had a great, but proportional feel. The car looks low. Confidently planted on the road. You can see a bit of tire, but it's a single light strip that goes right to the corner. It creates the feeling of a wide spacecraft that just...
Is this glass? Can you see through it? You can see through it if you have the Roadster.
Yes, we were inspired by NASA and SpaceX helmets. And, you know, I think the effect itself... the glazing looks futuristic, but it's completely transparent. When we get in the car, you'll be able to see it. And there's no... no semi-glass barrier between you. No.
Okay. I have to ask. You have a 10,000 psi carbon-fiber tank behind you. And remember, in the rocket version we add another one next to you, in the passenger seat. So you become a real pilot of the same size. It's, uh, twice this size, right? So the rocket version becomes single-seat. Single-seat, right? You're a real pilot. Yes. 600 liters of compressed air. Have you already crash-tested this thing? We're worried about that. It's crash-tested. Yes, good. And I saw some struts running along it. Is that to somehow hold it, like keep everything... yes, keep everything in place. You know, it's... it's a significant volume. Uh, okay, I haven't tried it. You haven't? No. Okay, good. Not yet. I wanted to ask, what are the sensations? Okay. I mean, one more thing. Aesthetically, when such a wing extends... You know, we always have to think about how to charge the car. And so on the driver's side we have a charging port hidden behind the wing. So it's not an extra hole in the car's body. No, an extra cut line. Every cut line on the car is truly thought through and functional. Excuse me, where's the charging port? The charging port is right here. So you have to extend the wing to charge the car. But that means one less cutout in the car's body. What is this? What is this?
Actuators for the hinge. The trunk hinge, as well as actuators. Again, we're looking at using parts from Optimus, mainly from the shin and ankle area, for this wing. Okay. Want to see what's inside?
Yes. My head is still spinning. Let's... let's look inside. Oh my God, I can't believe you let me sit [laughs] in here. Okay. So, this is... this is incredible.
Yes, we focused on maximum simplification of the interior and tried to remove as much excess weight as possible. We removed the electric motors from the seats. The seats are essentially part of the cabin structure. The seatbacks can be adjusted for recline, but the seats themselves are static. The pedals and steering wheel move forward and back. So in that sense, they can be adjusted to fit you.
Uh, so the bottom part of the seat is fixed. Fixed. And it's on a hinge? Yes, the hip point is fixed and there's a hinge for your comfort. You want to lean forward for active driving or lean back. And is this electric, is it power-adjusted? No, no, no. It's... yes. Ah, it's like a rail? Something like that. Exactly, you can see it from the back. Got it. And all of this is for weight reduction. Yes.
And also steer-by-wire. Steering by wire. There are modules here. No connections to the front, so everything is right here. The dashboard is integrated incredibly. A very rigid system. Air is supplied through hidden vents, and of course there's phone charging. Got it.
Steering wheel adjustment is done the same as in Tesla, with scroll wheels. Yes, exactly. And what about the pedals? The pedals are a mechanical system. There's a lever. Pull it and the pedals slide forward. Got it. Very cool. And they mount from below, like in a race car, like in a real racing car. Exactly. And they slide along the floor. Two rails on the floor. Yes, good. Steering...
The steering yoke. A yoke, because with steer-by-wire and a variable ratio, we were able to focus on it so the feel is like a mix of a fighter jet and a race car. Good.
Turn signal on top and the DRS button. With DRS mode you can manually deploy the wing or switch into that mode. But we also have a Superboost mode that does everything for you.
Got it. Lets you feel like a hero.
And we also have a screen with all the different functions, music, climate control.
That's great. Can you show it again? Show us the car's modes.
Active, comfort, track. Climate.
So we're switching into track mode. Ah, it's all simple, everything adjusts. And I see the speedometer. Up to 220.
Yes. And right in front of our eyes is exactly as much information as you need when you're looking at the road. You don't need to look away. But the information is here if you need it.
Wow, I love the red color. Very cool. And what does 3.6 mean?
Those are just different modes for what's set on the scroll wheels.
And we also have a system for lowering the nose. It's voice controlled. Lights, headlights, high beams, or just flick the high beams. Yes, high beams. And the wipers, if you have them installed.
And also full-size perfume. These two panels above us on the doors can be removed without tools. They can be stored in the back. So if you lower the windows, you'll have open air practically from the center of the car to the beltline. The windows go all the way down. The windows come down, the top rail comes off, and you're essentially open.
Okay. Very cool. And this is all for the forward-facing cameras.
Cameras right here. And these two buttons, they're for the windows.
Got it. So there are no buttons on the door. Controls. I see. This is the emergency exit.
Okay. Full exit. Very cool. And you pull down on this side.
Uh-huh. That's amazing. The seating. You sit fairly close to the center. But there's a comfortable, firm place to rest your left foot. And there's enough room for shoulders. We're not sitting on each other's heads, right?
And you said this has steer-by-wire. Uh-huh. Throttle and brake too?
Brake-by-wire. Okay, sure, sure. Throttle-by-wire. So how many modes are we talking about, since I see there's a track mode?
Yes, I mean, we're still working through what all the different modes will be. How much vehicle performance information do we want to reveal? But yes, all of that is still in development as we continue working on it.
I assume there's some comfort setting for just driving around, where you drive calmly.
You still have the standard mode. Yes, the standard mode.
Okay, good. So it's a very comfortable car to drive that can also become extreme. Incredible. I still have a ton of questions. Why don't we get out, and I'll ask a few more.
Of course, but this is just fantastic.
