According to OFweek New Energy Vehicle, after a nine-year wait, the second-generation Roadster has finally transcended the realm of "coming next year" promises.

On October 15th (October 16th, Beijing Time), Tesla officially launched the second-generation Roadster at the SpaceX test base in Texas. Prior to the event, Musk boldly claimed that this would be "the greatest product demonstration in history."

The launch video showcased a breathtaking spectacle: a Roadster took off from flat ground, ascended a vertical ramp, hovered mid-air and at the summit for several seconds, then soared into the sky, executed a roll, decelerated using its underbody thrusters, and landed smoothly. In the second demonstration, the Roadster flew over a lineup of Cybercab, Cybertruck, Tesla Semi, Model Y, and Model 3, performed an aerial spin, and touched down gracefully.

The Roadster's flight capabilities are powered by the A71 Cold Gas Thruster System, a collaborative development between Tesla and SpaceX. The vehicle is outfitted with approximately 10 small thrusters and a 600-liter compressed air tank, generating thrust solely through the ejection of high-pressure gas without any combustion. Downward ejection enables brief hovering, backward ejection boosts acceleration, and lateral ejection aids in cornering and attitude control. In essence, Tesla has ingeniously integrated rocket attitude control technology into the Roadster.

Furthermore, Tesla has incorporated a fan suction system that creates negative pressure by drawing air from beneath the vehicle, firmly pressing it to the ground. This system allows for lateral acceleration during cornering of up to 2g. Officials claim that this system enables the vehicle to hang upside down on a ramp without falling.

The new car is available in three versions:

Performance: A road-legal, dual-seat version equipped with active aerodynamics and a multi-mode suction system, accelerating from 0-60 mph in under 1.6 seconds.

Thrust: A dual-seat version featuring rear-mounted cold gas thrusters, achieving 0-60 mph in under 0.9 seconds.

Rocket: A single-seat version boasting approximately 10 thrusters around the body and a 600-liter high-pressure compressed air tank, claiming 0-60 mph acceleration below 0.59 seconds, capable of flight, rolls, and inverted hanging. This is the version that was showcased this morning.

All three versions offer a range exceeding 300 miles and a top speed over 230 mph (for the Rocket version).

Reservations are now open on the Chinese official website, with a refundable deposit of RMB 332,000, but only for the Performance version.

The US official website offers reservations for all three versions: a $50,000 deposit for the Performance version, $250,000 for the Thrust version, and the flight-capable Rocket version is available by invitation only, not for public sale.

It's important to note that these are just deposits; the vehicle's price has not been announced yet, and mass production is scheduled for 2028. If, by 2028, Tesla delivers a legally road-registered Roadster capable of sub-2-second 0-60 mph acceleration and occasional closed-course flight, it would undoubtedly be Musk's most remarkable product to date.