Tesla’s New Roadster Can Fly in Short Bursts. It Won’t Be Built Until 2028 Omor Ibne Ehsan Fri, October 16, 2026 at 7:45 AM EDT 5 min read TSLA -1.29% Trade Tesla 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.
TSLA trades at 377 times trailing earnings, and Musk admitted the Roadster won't meaningfully move Tesla's $20 billion quarterly revenue.
Tesla shares fell nearly 15% after its last earnings miss; October 21 results hinge on automotive gross margin and free cash flow recovering.
Thruster hardware shrinks the new Roadster's range from 620 to 300 miles versus 2017 promises, with $50,000 deposits due and no final price set.
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After the market closed on October 15, 2026, Tesla (NASDAQ:TSLA) drove its second-generation Roadster up an inverted ramp outside Waco, Texas, spun it in midair, and landed it. Thrusters then lifted the moving car over a Cybertruck, Semi, Model Y, and Model 3, and Tesla showed it reaching 60 mph in one second.
"Flying" here means short lifts and hops powered by thrusters. Production begins in 2028, and Tesla did not give a price.
Shares closed at $362.44 before the reveal, down 1.29% on the day and 19.41% for the year. Tesla reports third-quarter results after the close on October 21, 2026. Investors have to consider what a 2028 halo car (a low-volume flagship built to lift the brand) does for shareholders.
Tesla showed three versions. The two-seat Performance gets active aerodynamics and a "multi-mode suction system," and the limited-release Thrust adds rear cold-gas thrusters.
The one-seat Rocket is invite-only and claims a top speed of over 230 mph, but Tesla says it "isn't approved for public road use." Engineering VP Lars Moravy said 10 thrusters fed by 600 liters of compressed air lift and spin the car.
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Reservations cost $50,000 for the Performance and $250,000 for the Thrust. Tesla calls the first payment "fully refundable," and a $45,000 Performance balance is due within 10 days. Tesla also did not disclose a production volume or a factory.
The original Roadster, unveiled in November 2017, promised a 620-mile range, a top speed above 250 mph, four seats, a 1.9-second run to 60 mph, and production in 2020. The new car quotes a range of over 300 miles, and Tesla says the Performance version hits 60 mph in under 1.6 seconds.
Thrusters, air tanks, and suction hardware add weight and fill space that a bigger battery would need, so range likely paid for the stunts.
Elon Musk delayed the car in 2020, 2021, 2023, and 2024, and severe weather pushed back an October 1 reveal. The 2028 date deserves a discount, and anyone who places a deposit is tying up cash for a car that still has no price.
Musk said he's "not sure it moves the needle massively from a revenue standpoint." Automotive sales hit $20 billion in the second quarter alone.
Second-quarter non-GAAP EPS of $0.33 missed the $0.5367 consensus. Free cash flow was negative $1.092 billion, and management expects 2026 capital spending of "more than $25 billion."
Musk called the Roadster "the best of the last of the human-driven cars." That is an odd place to spend engineering time, because the company's valuation rests on Robotaxi in seven U.S. metros and 1.48 million active FSD subscriptions.
Tesla is worth $1.43 trillion and trades at 377 times trailing earnings. At that price, investors expect autonomy and robotics to work at scale. The shares sit between a 52-week low of $297.38 and a high of $498.83.
Watch automotive gross margin excluding regulatory credits, which fell to 16.3% in the second quarter. Energy margin, at 20.4%, and Cybercab timing matter too.
Tesla stock looks highly valued ahead of October 21. The Roadster does nothing to change a triple-digit earnings multiple that sits on negative free cash flow.
After the last earnings miss, shares fell 14.52% on the day of the report, and margins remain under pressure. Tesla's $43.52 billion in cash supports the balance sheet, so the concern is valuation.
This view is wrong if the October 21 report shows automotive margin excluding credits back above 16.3% and free cash flow positive again. A drop below the $297.38 52-week low would support it.
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