New Tesla Roadster: SpaceX Thrusters, 0.6sec 0-60mph & 330mph! | 4K

Summary
Top Gear’s Tom Ford visits Tesla for an exclusive first look at the production-spec Tesla Roadster alongside Tesla Chief Designer Franz von Holzhausen and VP of Vehicle Engineering Lars Moravy. The presenters reveal the newly overhauled vehicle design, detail its rear-wheel-drive dual-motor architecture and active aerodynamics, and demonstrate its SpaceX-derived cold-gas thruster and underbody fan ground-effect systems.

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What is shown

• Vehicle Unveiling [00:00–00:35]: Tom Ford is unblindfolded in a studio setting as the cover is pulled off a white Tesla Roadster prototype.
• Exterior & Lighting [07:40–08:35]: Franz demonstrates the ultra-slim “pop-down” headlights recessed into the angular front fascia.
• Chassis & Body Architecture [10:45–11:38]: The dihedral butterfly doors open, revealing wide sills with integrated entry pads and a removable T-top roof configuration.
• Battery & Motor Displays [11:45–12:35 / 16:55–17:08]: Standalone powertrain displays showing the structural high-voltage battery pack and dual-motor rear axle assembly.
• Underbody Vacuum Fans [17:20–19:35]: Tom inspects the rear diffuser nozzles and deployable ground skirts connected to high-power suction fans designed to generate ground-effect downforce.
• SpaceX Thruster System [20:30–23:30]: Opening the rear hatch reveals a 200-liter carbon overwrapped pressure vessel (COPV) tank rated at 10,000 psi, connected via Optimus robot actuators to four rear exhaust nozzles.
• Active Aero Transformation [28:45–32:45]: Demonstration of motorized body panels, including front chin spoiler vents, ducted front wheel arch vents, and an articulated rear biplane wing with integrated DRS and an airbrake function, which conceals the charging port [32:55].
• Interior & Cockpit [34:04–40:40]: Inspection of the minimalist cabin, manual lightweight seat recline controls, movable pedal box, yoke with steer-by-wire, and touchscreen UI displaying drive modes (Balance, Sport, Custom, Track) and 3D telemetry animations.
• Original Roadster Drive [40:40–47:55]: Cutaway segment where Tom drives an original 2008 Tesla Roadster (Lotus Elise-based) on public roads for historical context.

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Claims & numbers

• Production & Target Date: Planned to be manufactured in Texas, targeted for 2027/2028 (presenters state [03:47–03:52]).
• Weight & Dimensions: Base curb weight targeted below 1,700 kg (~1,600 kg target); wheelbase measures 2,825 mm; width is ~2 meters (Lars Moravy [05:40, 16:36, 34:54]).
• Powertrain: Rear-wheel drive only, powered by two rear-axle motors running on an 800V–1,000V architecture delivering over 1,000 kW (1,340 hp+ / 1,500 hp target) and over 960–1,032 lb-ft of torque [04:38, 06:29, 26:50].
• Model Hierarchy: Four variants planned: Base Roadster, Performance (adds suction fans), Thrust (adds 200L COPV tank with 4 rear cold-gas thrusters), and Rocket (adds 600L tank, 10 thrusters total, single-seat configuration, hover capability) [07:15–07:28, 27:03–27:24].
• Acceleration & Speed:
  • Thrust model: 0–60 mph in ~0.85–0.88 seconds [23:20, 27:10].
  • Rocket model: Tesla estimates 0–60 mph in <0.59s with rollout subtracted [27:19].
  • Top speed: Gearing-limited to 214 mph initially; a 330 mph version is planned via taller gearing [26:30–26:36].
• Battery & Range: Lithium-ion nickel chemistry cells; estimated real-world driving range of 310–320 miles; charges 15% to 85% in 10–15 minutes at charge rates exceeding 500 kW on Gen 4 Superchargers [13:28, 13:55, 14:24].
• Pneumatic Thruster Capacity: 200L tank at 10,000 psi in the Thrust package allows one single full-launch burst lasting roughly 5 seconds [23:07, 23:25].

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Notable quotes

• Tom Ford [00:23]: “Oh my word... That’s completely different to what we’ve already seen.”
• Lars Moravy [01:07]: “Thrust from zero to 60 in under a second.”
• Franz von Holzhausen [28:48]: “...the design of the car transforms into a passive aero package that looks like this.”

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Assessment
This is a real, high-production in-person studio review and interview by Top Gear featuring working mechanical and aerodynamic demonstrations on a physical Tesla Roadster prototype. The active aero, motorized panels, cabin hardware, and integrated COPV cold-gas plumbing are physically demonstrated, while performance claims regarding sub-second 0–60 mph acceleration and hovering capabilities remain stated engineering targets rather than live dynamic tests.

Described by gemini-3.8-flash on 2026-10-16 from the video’s audio and frames.