Tesla's sports car can really fly!

After a 9-year delay, Musk’s “flying sports car” has finally made its debut.

This Thursday, at the SpaceX rocket test site in McGregor, Texas, amid heavy fog, red lasers, and a main stage surrounded by content creators, a grand event similar to an outdoor music festival took place—the long-awaited “rebirth” of Tesla’s second-generation Roadster.

As Musk said on site:

You won't believe your own eyes. This will be the result of collaboration between the world’s top car company and top rocket company.

Musk reiterated that this will be the only Tesla model retaining manual driving for the long term. According to current plans, mass production is scheduled for 2028, which represents a nine-year delay from the initial commitment in 2017 to start production in 2020, as bookings began that year.

For investors, the commercial value of this car cannot be overlooked. Independent research firm Battle Road Research estimated in a Thursday report that if the Roadster sells 7,000 units in its first production year, at an average price of $280,000, it would generate nearly $2 billion in annualized revenue for Tesla, raising market expectations for 2027 revenue by about 2%—"quite significant".

In the background of the event stood a massive, skateboard half-pipe shaped ramp. To the amazement of the crowd, the Roadster raced up the ramp, soared into the air, and then landed smoothly after flying.

According to Tesla Vice President of Engineering Lars Moravy, to achieve this feat, the new Roadster is equipped with a “fan suction system” at the bottom of the car to greatly increase grip and downforce.

Even more impressively, this car uses a pair of compressed air thrusters, enabling the Roadster to truly “fly” off the ramp and land smoothly.

The new car’s appearance is almost unrecognizable compared to the prototype unveiled in 2017. Whereas the previous design was dominated by streamlined curves, the new Roadster features sharply defined edges, resembling the controversial Cybertruck pickup truck.

Tesla first showcased the Roadster prototype in November 2017 and simultaneously opened pre-orders, with a reservation fee of $50,000 for the regular version and up to $250,000 for the limited “Founders Series,” limited to 1,000 units. At that time, the company promised mass production in 2020, but ultimately failed to deliver.

This launch means that those who paid significant deposits must wait several more years. The total amount of funds collected as pre-orders has not been disclosed, but based on deposit amounts, the funds involved could total several million dollars or even more.

The return of the Roadster is not only a “minor boost” to Tesla’s core car business—it marks the end of an era.

In recent years, Tesla’s strategic focus has shifted dramatically, pausing its traditional driver-operated car business to devote all efforts to autonomous vehicles and robotics.

One of the clearest signals: Tesla recently stopped production of its high-end Model S and Model X, and is repurposing factory space to manufacture the Optimus humanoid robot.

At Thursday’s launch, Musk confirmed a historic decision again: In the long run, the new Roadster will be the last manually driven vehicle produced by Tesla.

In terms of absolute sales, it’s clear this will not be the main force driving Tesla’s overall vehicle sales. But, just as with traditional high-end sports cars, the real ace up the Roadster’s sleeve is its exceptionally high profit margin.

As the successor to Tesla’s very first model in 2008 (the original Roadster, based on a heavily modified Lotus sports car), the new Roadster completes the historical circle. Back then, it proved to the world that electric vehicles could also be thrilling to drive.

Now, it will serve as the “swan song” for the joy of human driving, marking the end of Tesla’s era of manual driving.