Tesla finally showed off its next-generation Roadster on Thursday night, and the demonstration was closer to a stunt show than a traditional car reveal. The car drove up a ramp, used SpaceX-i
Tesla finally showed off its next-generation Roadster on Thursday night, and the demonstration was closer to a stunt show than a traditional car reveal.
The car drove up a ramp, used SpaceX-inspired thrusters to flip through the air and cleared a line of Tesla vehicles that included a Model 3, Model Y, Cybertruck, Semi and Cybercab.
Turns out the future does have flying cars pic.twitter.com/6fexPp6SXI
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) October 16, 2026
Tesla also claimed the Roadster went from zero to 60 miles per hour in 0.81 seconds, though that figure has not been independently verified.
What Musk has called a “flying car” is really a vehicle that can make short airborne hops.
Tesla says the Rocket version uses 10 cold-gas thrusters connected to 600 liters of compressed air. It is not approved for public roads, and Musk said production is planned for 2028. Tesla has not announced a final purchase price.
That was enough to impress one of Musk’s longest-running rivals.
OpenAI CEO Sam Altman posted Friday: “Wow the new roadster looks quite amazing, good job @elonmusk.”
For once, there was no dig, a notable shift given the bad blood between the two executives.
It is also a reversal of sorts for Altman personally. In October 2025, he posted a “tale in three acts” showing his 2018 Roadster reservation and a later attempt to cancel it after years of delays.
“I really was excited for the car!” Altman wrote at the time. “But 7.5 years has felt like a long time to wait.”
Musk later claimed Altman received his refund within 24 hours.
Musk and Altman were among OpenAI’s co-founders in 2015, when the company launched as a nonprofit focused on ensuring advanced AI benefited humanity.
Musk left OpenAI’s board in 2018. Their relationship deteriorated further after OpenAI moved toward a for-profit structure and Musk launched rival AI company xAI in 2023.
Musk sued OpenAI in February 2024, dropped that case in June and filed a new one in August. The dispute centered on his claim that OpenAI had abandoned its original mission.
The feud moved beyond court filings in February 2025, when a Musk-led group offered $97.4 billion for OpenAI’s nonprofit assets. Altman responded publicly: “no thank you but we will buy twitter for $9.74 billion if you want.”
OpenAI’s board later rejected the bid.
OpenAI completed its restructuring into a public benefit corporation in October 2025, the same period in which Altman publicly complained about his long-delayed Roadster reservation.
Then, on May 18, 2026, a federal jury unanimously ruled against Musk in his lawsuit against OpenAI after less than two hours of deliberation, concluding that his claims were filed too late. Musk said he intended to appeal, but an appeal filing was not confirmed.
The pair were trading blows again as recently as July over Musk’s plans for space-based AI data centers and legal disputes involving OpenAI.
After nearly nine years of waiting for the Roadster and eventually canceling his reservation, Altman’s latest message was unexpectedly simple: he liked the car.
Related: Tesla investors hardly impressed with Elon Musk's 'flying car'
