Tesla Roadster Event Liveblog: Tesla's Second-Gen Sports Car Makes Its Debut

Hey everyone! Welcome to our live coverage of the Tesla Roadster 2. We've dealt with years of delays, but now it looks like we'll finally be getting some new info on this long-awaited supercar.

We're less than 20 minutes away from the start of the event. The stream can be watched on Tesla's site: https://livestream.tesla.com

It can also be watched on X: https://x.com/i/broadcasts/1yKAPwNggRaxb

Looking forward to covering all the details alongside Jacob Siegal. Do you think we'll actually see levitation?

I have very little doubt that we're going to see something surprising. Whether or not that's because the stunts go according to plan is another question entirely.

I'm personally waiting for an update on that $200K asking price. It's also crazy to think you can already preorder the vehicle for $50K. 

It's a really interesting time to be releasing a multi-hundred thousand dollar electric sports car given Rivian and other competitors are trying to find ways to bring more budget-friendly cars to market.

For those unaware, the Roadster 2.0 is close to a decade in the making at this point. It was first announced in 2017, and some of the projected specs were pretty astonishing: 

• 0-60 mph in 1.9 seconds (or less)
• Top speed of 250mph
• Driving range of 620 miles

Production was slated to begin in 2020, but was pushed back a number of times. Also, this event was supposed to take place on October 1st, but Mother Nature had different plans.

We're just shy of 10 minutes away until showtime!

Here's hoping the weather is agreeable today...

Looks like it's sunny over in McGregor, TX this evening. There's a wind advisory, though; gusts could get up to 40-45mph.

And by sunny I mean the moon and stars are out. But no severe weather!

I'm very curious if this is going to be a multi-trim vehicle. There's a lot of speculation as to whether or not those SpaceX thrusters will be used for acceleration. And if that's not a base-trim feature, $200K could be a starting price!

As a sneak preview, here's an image from the event that has been making the rounds on social media (via @SawyerMerritt).

Would ya look at that! Am I mistaken? Is this a lighting rig?

Less than 4 minutes friends! 

One other thing I'm wondering before the event kicks off: How close to "done" are we? Are we walking away from this event with real dates, numbers, trims, etc., or just more projections?

We're right down to the wire. 1 minute and counting!

Tesla's earnings call is set for October 21, so it would certainly be a win for Tesla if it could get some hard dates and details out there today.

That's right!

Okay. Here we go!

"Webcast will start shortly."

Those of us watching over at X aren't live yet either.

At least we've got some rad tunes to chill to.

And we're live!

Two decades!

Really we're two decades-plus at this point.

Come on, Elon!

"You're gonna see some crazy stuff tonight."

Did ya hear that, Jacob?!

I knew it!

This is the face of someone ready to show us some crazy stuff.

"Better than any James Bond car."

"Success is not guaranteed. I mean that. It'll probably work. But if it doesn't work, we're at a safe distance."

So far, we've seen Tesla Chief Designer Franz von Holzhausen, VP of Vehicle Engineering Lars Moravy, and Tesla CEO Elon Musk on stage.

CGI for the win!

Oh. My. Goodness.

Our first look at the new Tesla Roadster.

Who needs gravity?

Wow.

Alright, I can't lie, watching that car flip upside-down was fairly incredible.

I just watched a car brilliantly descend via rocket thrusters.

Fan-suction system that can pull up to two 2G to get the car upside down. Plus SpaceX tech.

"The downforce of the car means you can corner incredibly well."

Starman?

Ah! There he is!

A lot of talk about the aerodynamic capabilities. 

"Takes the fun-meter to 11-out-of-10."

Another stunt I see?

Movie studios are going to like this car very, very much.

Geez. Jacob, are you seeing this?

We just watched a Tesla Roadster fly and flip over multiple other Tesla vehicles.

It uses an advanced, ultra-high-pressure air tank.

Sleek and classy to say the least.

Seats are molded into the chassis. Steer-by-wire system. 

Diffusing area with robust fans.

You can certainly see the Cybertruck inspiration, but like the Tesla Model Y refresh, it's less spiky and angular and seems to dial in this design language.

Two modes: high down-force, and a low drag.

Whoa.

We're gonna try and beat that 1-second time...

0 to 60mph in only... 0.81 seconds.

The Tesla Roadster achieved 0-60mph in 1 second in a previous test, and now we're waiting for the results of a live test...

The production car could be faster? Yikes.

"Don't detach the retina of the human in the car," says Musk. That sounds like a smart goal.

Over 230+ mph

Enter production in 2028.

One more demonstration! 

I can't get over the precision of these landings!

I dig these beats.

I dig this imagery. And I dig what this car can do!

A few closing shots after the live demos.

It looks like that's a wrap, unless I'm about to be surprised by another feature...

On one hand, that was a ridiculously cool live demonstration of an honest-to-goodness flying (falling with style?) car. On the other, we learned very little about when anyone is actually going to get their hands on one.

We learned SO little about how the consumer can consume this cool car, other than a 2028 start for production.

That said, it was remarkable to watch what this vehicle is going to be capable of.

No doubt about it, even though I'm unsure where almost any of this will be legal.

Haha! I know. The greater Blade Runner 2049 universe?

Jacob, do you think we'll learn a little more at the earnings call in a few days?

It does seem like Tesla accidentally took one of the cars out of Cyberpunk 2077, added thrusters to it, and forgot to check if that was allowed in real life.

Honestly, the lack of details here and the vague "2028" production date makes me think Tesla isn't ready to share much more, and likely won't be in six days either.

There will, of course, be plenty of questions about the Tesla Roadster, so I don't doubt that we'll learn a little bit more.

I hear ya. I wanted to leave this event with at least one or two solid answers to my questions. I'm glad to see that "2028" has at least been shared, but that could change, too.

Even this event was pushed back two weeks at the last second (after years of waiting), so I'm not putting much stock into that 2028 timeline quite yet either.

And what about the customers that reserved this vehicle years ago? I'm assuming Tesla hasn't forgotten these preorders, but when will these consumers hear something more than a 2028 projection? I definitely would want more than what I got tonight.

100% agreed.

At any rate, this was an incredible event to cover! We literally saw a flying car live, and it wasn't a disaster in any way, shape, or form! 

Thank you to our loyal audience for tuning in and spending time with me and Jacob to learn all this crazy stuff. Even if we're not walking away with all questions answered, we certainly witnessed something profound.

I'll never forget the metal ball shattering the window of the Cybertruck during its reveal in 2019. What a long way we've come that a car flying over an entire fleet of vehicles while spinning 360 degrees went off without a hitch. And yes, thanks for tuning in everyone!

And of course, stay tuned to BGR's coverage of all things Tesla Roadster 2.0. I'd be willing to bet we'll have something additional to share about the supercar in the near-foreseeable future.