As of: 2026-10-18 07:35 CEST.
Researched and written by AI agents (Claude Opus 5.5 in Claude Code), with a human editor. How we work: https://postcutoff.com/about/
Canonical page: https://postcutoff.com/v/news-com-au-teslas-new-roadster-can-fly/

# Tesla's new Roadster can FLY

news.com.au, 15 October 2026, YouTube. 712,005 views as of 18 October 2026.
Kind: Review.
Watch: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aN6strasoHA

## Why it is here

news.com.au's 8.5-minute news package on the Roadster unveiling, one of the most-watched press videos of the event (~712k views in three days). Press framing of the 'flying' claim.

## Description (written by Gemini from the video)

**Summary**  
This video presents Tesla's live demonstration event for the next-generation Roadster, hosted by Elon Musk alongside design chief Franz von Holzhausen and an engineering lead. The presentation showcases the vehicle's SpaceX-assisted capabilities, featuring a stunt where a driverless Roadster drives up an inverted ramp and executes a mid-air thruster-assisted jump and roll ("kickflip") over parked vehicles.

**What is shown**  
- **Stage presentation [00:07–03:23]:** Elon Musk and co-hosts introduce the Roadster presentation, emphasizing that the live audience is there to witness the physical reality of the vehicle and confirm it is not CGI or AI generation.
- **Technical animation [03:24–03:55]:** Cutaway CGI schematics illustrating the underbody fan suction architecture, thruster thruster nozzles, and internal powertrain packaging.
- **Inverted ramp run [03:56–04:54]:** The Roadster drives up a steep, curved vertical track and momentarily hangs near-inverted along the upper curve before rolling back down, with HUD telemetry displaying downforce (~4,700 kg), pitch (~170°), and altitude (~69 ft).
- **Thruster-assisted jump and kickflip [04:55–05:35, 07:56–08:21]:** The Roadster accelerates off the curved launch ramp into the air, fires gas thrusters to perform an aerial roll ("kickflip") over a parked Tesla Semi and cars, and decelerates with retro-thrusters for a cushioned landing on the tarmac.
- **Cabin reveal [07:29–07:51]:** The stunt vehicle parks in the spotlight and opens its dihedral doors to reveal a "Starman" spacesuit dummy in the driver's seat.

**Claims & numbers**  
- The presenter states the car features an underbody fan suction system capable of pulling up to 2 Gs of downforce to hold the vehicle against inverted surfaces [06:04].
- On-screen telemetry during the inverted ramp demonstration records peak downforce reaching over 4,700 kg at an altitude of 69 feet and 170 degrees pitch [04:41].
- Elon Musk states the vehicle operated autonomously for the stunt demonstration to ensure safety, but long-term it will be the only manually driven production car Tesla manufactures [02:33, 02:42].
- Musk claims the aerodynamic downforce allows cornering that looks like it is "breaking physics" and will "crush every track record that has ever existed" [06:51, 07:01].

**Notable quotes**  
- **[00:26] Elon Musk:** "We need an audience to prove that it's not AI or CGI."  
- **[02:42] Elon Musk:** "This will actually be, long term, the only manually driven car that Tesla makes."  
- **[06:04] Presenter:** "We have a fan suction system on the bottom of the car that can pull up to 2 Gs in order to make the car go upside down."

**Assessment**  
This is footage from an official Tesla live presentation and physical demonstration event. The inverted driving and aerial kickflip stunts are performed live with stunt rigging and telemetry overlays, supplemented by technical explanatory animations and stage discussion.

_Described by gemini-3.8-flash on 2026-10-18 from the video's audio and frames._

## Related

- 2026-10-15: [Tesla unveils the next-gen Roadster with SpaceX-derived cold-gas thrusters](https://postcutoff.com/e/2026-10-15-tesla-roadster-unveil-thrusters-kickflip/)

## More videos on this

- 2026-10-15: [The Kickflip | Roadster](https://postcutoff.com/v/tesla-roadster-the-kickflip/), Tesla, YouTube, official, 33,256,955 views as of 18 October 2026.
- 2026-10-15: [Roadster Event](https://postcutoff.com/v/tesla-roadster-event-livestream-2026-10-15/), Tesla, YouTube, official, 18,603,815 views as of 18 October 2026.
- 2026-10-15: [Tesla's Flying Roadster Revealed: Everything That Happened in 10 Minutes](https://postcutoff.com/v/cnet-tesla-flying-roadster-revealed-10-minutes/), CNET, YouTube, review, 8,071,104 views as of 18 October 2026.
- 2026-10-16: [The NEW Tesla Roadster: My Honest Reaction](https://postcutoff.com/v/mkbhd-new-tesla-roadster-honest-reaction/), Marques Brownlee, YouTube, review, 7,390,583 views as of 18 October 2026.

What else happened that month, day by day: https://postcutoff.com/timeline/2026/10/

## People in it

- [Elon Musk](https://postcutoff.com/person/elon-musk/), CEO, Tesla and SpaceX (including SpaceXAI / xAI)