Tesla's new Roadster has a $250,000 reservation option, but when will buyers get it?

• Tesla's reservation page lists a $250,000 payment for the Thrust version of the new Roadster.
• Production is targeted for 2028, nearly a decade after the car was first unveiled.
• Tesla demonstrated a prototype performing midair manoeuvres, but final specifications and retail prices remain uncertain.

Tesla's long-awaited Roadster has finally been unveiled, but buyers hoping to get behind the wheel of Elon Musk's futuristic electric sports car will have to wait longer. The company is targeting 2028 for production, nearly a decade after it first presented the vehicle in 2017.

The new Roadster made its debut at a livestreamed event in Texas on Thursday (15), where a prototype used compressed-gas thrusters developed with SpaceX to launch off a ramp, perform a midair flip and land. Tesla also demonstrated the car accelerating from 0 to 60mph in under a second, although the performance figures remain manufacturer claims rather than independently verified results from a production vehicle.

The price question is less straightforward. Tesla did not announce a definitive retail price at the event, but its reservation page listed a $50,000 payment for the Performance version and $250,000 for the Thrust version, which includes additional acceleration thrusters. These amounts are reservation payments, not confirmed final purchase prices.

The company has also outlined an invite-only Rocket variant, a single-seat model described as having a full flight system. Its final specifications, availability and suitability for public roads remain uncertain.

A costly wait for Tesla buyers

The second-generation Roadster was first unveiled in 2017, when Tesla said deliveries would begin in 2020. The timeline subsequently slipped as the company pursued other vehicles and technologies.

The latest unveiling gives prospective buyers a clearer picture of the different versions Tesla intends to offer, but it does not provide a firm delivery date. The 2028 production target is still a plan, and the company has not confirmed when customer deliveries will begin.

Tesla's original Roadster helped establish the company as an electric vehicle maker when it went on sale in 2008. The new model is intended to occupy a very different position: a high-end sports car designed to showcase extreme acceleration and technology developed with the aerospace company also led by Musk.

At the Texas event, Musk said certain versions could reach 60mph in less than a second and exceed 230mph. The demonstration featured the prototype travelling upside down along a curved ramp with the help of a fan-based suction system before using thrusters to launch into the air.

Tesla said the thruster system could generate four to five times the force available through tyre grip alone, helping improve acceleration. However, the company has not established that every version will offer the same capabilities, and the more experimental flying features should not be confused with the specifications of a conventional road-ready car.

Will the Roadster reach production as promised?

The latest announcement puts the Roadster back in the spotlight, but Tesla still has to turn the prototype into a vehicle that can be manufactured and delivered to customers.

The more advanced thruster technology also raises questions about safety and regulatory approval, particularly if Tesla intends to offer versions capable of leaving the ground. A controlled demonstration does not establish that such a vehicle can be approved for public roads.

The Roadster is expected to be a low-volume, high-priced model rather than a major contributor to Tesla's sales. Its broader value may lie in showcasing the company's engineering ambitions at a time when Musk is increasingly focused on autonomous driving, robotaxis and robotics.

For customers considering a reservation, the immediate questions remain the final purchase price, the production schedule and the features that will be available in each version. After years of delays, Tesla has finally shown what its next Roadster might look like. Buyers will now be watching to see whether the company can deliver it on time.