Musk unveils Tesla Roadster he calls the world's first flying car

Elon Musk has unveiled a version of Tesla's long-awaited Roadster sports car that he says is the world's first flying car, using thrusters from his rocket company SpaceX to "basically fly like a rocket".

At a demonstration at SpaceX's rocket development and test site in Texas on Thursday, the Roadster 2 drove up a curved ramp, gripping upside down using suction, before firing thrusters to flip, fly and land. Later it used its jets to leap over a line of other Tesla cars.

"Takes the fun meter to 11"

Musk said the car, which was controlled remotely "to make sure we don't kill anyone", could accelerate from 0 to 60mph in under a second.

"Flying cars are real. It's got altitude controls, thrusters and main thrusters in the rear. So it can basically fly like a rocket, it can do rolls, crazy gymnastics," he said. "I'm not sure it's necessarily legal in all jurisdictions."

He admitted the prototype was "not necessarily a safety optimised car, but it takes the fun meter to 11". "Turns out the future does have flying cars," he posted on X.

Prices and versions

The Roadster 2 was first announced in 2017 and is due to go into production in 2028, priced at more than $200,000 (about £150,000). After the event, Tesla's reservation website listed a "performance" version requiring a £50,000 deposit and a "thrust" version requiring a $250,000 deposit.

A one-seater "rocket" version with a "full flight system" was listed as available by invitation only. Tesla said flying it was not permitted on public roads.

A change of heart

In 2014, Musk said he was sceptical about a future of flying cars. Three years later he announced the Roadster 2, promising an electric sports car to give "a hardcore smackdown to gasoline cars". Its launch has been repeatedly delayed.

Will it ever fly in Britain?

Any vehicle that leaves the ground would face strict rules. In the UK, aircraft must be certified and flown by licensed pilots under Civil Aviation Authority rules, while cars must meet road vehicle standards. A machine that does both would need approval under both systems, which is one reason true flying cars have remained rare despite decades of prototypes.

Several companies are developing electric air taxis, which take off and land vertically like helicopters, and some hope to start passenger services in the next few years. But a road car that can jump, flip and fly is a very different proposition, and Musk's demonstration was as much spectacle as a product launch.

Tesla's car sales have come under pressure from Chinese rivals in recent years, and Musk has increasingly focused on robotaxis, robots and other new ventures.