Tesla (TSLA) has unveiled its next-generation Roadster electric vehicle nearly a decade after Elon Musk’s company started taking deposits from consumers.
Marketed as a fully electric sports car, the Roadster has been in development for years and delayed multiple times.
But Tesla has finally unveiled its newest vehicle at an event livestreamed from Texas and hosted by company CEO Elon Musk.
Tesla’s original Roadster design was based on a Lotus Elise sports car and was first delivered in 2008, selling for roughly $100,000 U.S. in small volumes until it was discontinued in 2012.
The new Roadster is a high-end sports car that uses technology from Musk’s other company SpaceX (SPCX) to enable it to hover off the ground for short period of time.
At the event, Musk showcased a white sports car that raced up a curved ramp, clung to it upside down and vaulted off it, flipping in mid-air and hovering slowly before landing on the ground.
The two-seater can go from zero to 60 miles per hour in under a second, according to Tesla’s timer, a feat demonstrated in front of a live audience.
Musk said the next-generation Roadster will enter production in 2028. The price wasn’t announced, and the company didn’t disclose specifications or variants for the vehicle.
Tesla has reopened reservations for the next-generation Roadster on its website, accepting $50,000 U.S. deposits from prospective buyers in America, Canada and China.
The prototype Roadster that Tesla unveiled is built to be as lightweight as possible with a steering yoke and an array of futuristic technologies that include thrusters and diffusers.
One feature Tesla left out of its Roadster unveil is the company’s “FSD” or full self-driving mode.
However, Musk said the new Roadster is the last vehicle Tesla plans to produce that will require a human driver at the controls.
Tesla is scheduled to report its third-quarter financial results on Oct. 21.
TSLA stock has declined 15% over the past 12 months to trade at $362.44 U.S. per share.
