Tesla Roadster probably won't drive an earnings beat, but the big unveil did achieve 2 things Brian Sozzi · Executive Editor Fri, October 16, 2026 at 7:17 AM EDT 2 min read TSLA -1.29% SPCX -2.33% Explore stocks on Coinbase Trading disclosure Trading disclosure The above button links to Coinbase. Yahoo Finance is not a broker-dealer or investment adviser and does not offer securities or cryptocurrencies for sale or facilitate trading. Coinbase pays us for certain activity generated through this link. Prices displayed are informational.
The new Tesla (TSLA) Roadster probably won't be the deciding factor in the company beating on earnings when production possibly begins in 2028, but the high-profile reveal on Thursday night did achieve two things.
"Two takeaways from tonight's Roadster event. 1. It was an engineering flex with no commercial value beyond embarrassing traditional car makers. 2. Elon can't wait to bring $TSLA and $SPCX together," veteran tech analyst Gene Munster said in an X post.
Tesla unveiled its redesigned Roadster on Thursday night at SpaceX's (SPCX) rocket test site in McGregor, Texas. It came nearly nine years after Tesla and SpaceX CEO Elon Musk first showed his idea for the car in 2017.
Using cold-gas thrusters borrowed from SpaceX and a suction system, the car drove upside down on a curved ramp, vaulted off it and flipped in mid-air before landing. The car also jumped over a series of Tesla vehicles — not unlike the classic move of K.I.T.T. from the Knight Rider TV series.
Musk said it can reach 60 mph in under a second and top 230 mph, though it is unclear whether any of the stunt features would be legal on public roads.
Tesla says production will start in 2028. There is a $50,000 deposit on the Performance version and $250,000 on the Thrust version.
Tesla shares rose 5% in pre-market trading on Friday, while Spacex advanced 2%.
"Wait who the hell was driving the Tesla," Meta (META) AI chief Alexandr Wang said on X of the flying Roadster.
Brian Sozzi is Yahoo Finance's Executive Editor, host of the Sozzi Unleashed morning show, the 'Power Players With Brian Sozzi' podcast and a member of Yahoo Finance's editorial leadership team. Follow Sozzi on X @BrianSozzi, Instagram, and LinkedIn. Tips on stories? Email brian.sozzi@yahoofinance.com.
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