We were utterly floored when Tesla dropped details on the forthcoming Roadster 2.0 back in 2017. While we have yet to see this thing outside the confines of a Tesla press release, the new Roadster promises a long list of amazing specs, from a 1.9-second 0-to-60 mph time to 620 miles of range per charge. Now, Musk is upping the insanity to all-new levels, with claims that the new Roadster will offer a SpaceX package that includes rocket thrusters.

This Thing Is A Rocket Ship… No, Seriously

First off, we gotta mention that although the calendar doesn’t currently say April 1st, we’re more than a little incredulous about this latest claim from the Tesla head honcho. That said, this isn’t the first time Musk has talked about this kinda thing. And then there are follow-up tweets like this…

Oh boy.

We already knew the Tesla Roadster 2.0 was quick, but accelerating “at the limit of human endurance”? Hmmm…

These latest rumors sprang from a tweet that showed a gif of the DeLorean from Back to the Future, and in a flurry of replies, Musk not only doubled down on the assertion that this wasn’t a joke but gave a number of details on how the system would actually work.

Back in June of 2018, the South African-born entrepreneur mentioned the possibility of a SpaceX Option Package for the Roadster at a shareholder meeting, following it up by saying the car would come with “~10 small rocket thrusters arranged seamlessly around .”

Basically, the extra motivation would come from compressed air drawn from composite tanks stored where the rear seat would normally go, which would then be refilled by the electric powertrain.

Now, there are a few different directions we could go with this. It all might just be vaporware, a way to drum up some hype for the brand during a lull. Or maybe, just maybe, Musk is really actually quite serious.

If it’s the latter rather than the former, and I know that’s what we’re all hoping for anyway, then we could be looking at an absolutely incredible new development in passenger vehicle technology. Not only would compressed air thrusters make the new Roadster an absolute monster in terms of performance, but it could even enable the car to take to the skies for brief periods of time.

Another possibility is that Musk is teasing something similar to what SpaceX did last February, when it launched a first-gen Roadster into space to test the new Falcon Heavy Rocket.

Think of it as a highly publicized demonstration that shows the Roadster float, accelerate at an insane rate of speed, and turn on a dime, but without actually offering any of the tech directly to the public.

To be honest, a lot of this comes down to imagination at this point. But hell, we don’t even really mind - it’s exciting stuff either way.

What do you think about the idea of a boosted Roadster 2.0? Let us know in the comments section below.

Tesla Roadster 2.0 Performance Numbers

0-to-60 mph

1.9 seconds

0-to-100 mph

4.2 seconds

Quarter mile

8.9 seconds

Top speed

250+ mph

Range per charge

620 miles

Battery pack

200 kWh

Electric motors

3 (one in front, two in rear)

Torque

10,000 Nm


Further Reading

Read our full review on the 2020 Tesla Roadster.

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