After a decade in the making, Tesla recently unveiled its flying car prototype, but the reaction was hardly the rave response the company may have hoped for. To prove the Roadster was real, company officials invited 1,000 guests to watch the demonstration of the Ramp Roadsterin person. Even so, the live event didn’t silence skeptics. Some people online accused Tesla of using AI to create a fake flying car for a marketing stunt video, while others who either attended the event live or watched the video after the fact questioned whether the Roadster would ever be practical for the public because of its safety concerns. 

One journalist for CarsGuide wrote, “the Tesla Roadster is the most dangerous and illegal car ever made”. Regardless of the negative feedback, the demonstration was impressive. The Roadster is a futuristic-looking Tesla equipped with SpaceX thrusters designed to perform stunts and jumps – but no long-distance flying. Car and Driver explained, “The Tesla Roadster Flies, Flips, and Sucks” - as the vehicle can provide suction to hang upside down. 

Some claim Tesla’s live demo was a marketing stunt to boost stock prices. If that’s the case, it helped a little. But, if nothing else, the Roadster is now getting a lot of attention which could mean more reservations for the new Tesla set to be released in 2028. The road legal version of the Roadster requires a $5000 reservation fee. The version that features the SpaceX thrusters and is not road legal requires a $250,000 reservation fee. 

Now we’ll leave you with something to ponder. What type of person would pay a quarter of a million dollars for a car that isn’t legal for public roads and does stunts, flips, and hangs upside down? And where would they drive it if they couldn’t take it out on the open road?