I thought the most unbelievable part of the Tesla Roadster reveal had already happened, but I should have known I was wrong.<\/p>\n
After waiting over 10 years, Tesla finally gave enthusiasts the first-ever look at the second-generation Tesla Roadster on October 15. Instead of giving us something feasible, Elon Musk set up an elaborate marketing hoax<\/a> that fulfilled his longtime claim that the Roadster would fly. Fanboys were left blubbering that he was a marketing genius, while others truly believed that the Roadster was going to be able to do barrel rolls in the sky.<\/p>\n There was a lot of coping going around, especially when Musk admitted near the end that production wouldn’t start until 2028. That means production is two years away after waiting over 10 years.<\/p>\n Stocks plummeted.<\/p>\n Tesla fans and skeptics alike flooded the Tesla Roadster’s official sales page after the “demonstration,” only to notice that there were now three versions to pre-order.<\/p>\n The brokies who put down a mere $50,000 on a mystery vehicle<\/a> in the past 10 years will get the base Performance version, which won’t even have all the insane SpaceX tech shown during the demo anyway. You’ll need to pay more for the Thrust model, which includes a multi-mode suction system and acceleration thrusters. Alright, so now you can have enough downforce to (loudly) climb up a wall… The one that can do that stupid twirl in the air? That’s the Rocket model, which has the “full flight system.” This one, however, is for reservations only.<\/p>\n In other words, basically nobody will have it. That spares Tesla from having to figure out how to make the vehicle fly once it has all the extra weight of actual car components, unlike the empty shell used during the demo.<\/p>\n But even the Performance mode buyers may not even get the Tesla Roadster, apparently. After putting down up to $250,000, you could not end up with a vehicle at all.<\/p>\n In the fine print of the reservation agreement, Tesla states that it’s just a reservation, not a guarantee that you will get a vehicle. The reservation agreement also states that the price, features, hardware, and basically everything about the vehicle could change leading to the actual release.<\/p>\n As production nears, we will invite you to complete the configuration of your vehicle and enter into an Order Agreement (and its terms) to initiate the purchase,” the agreement reads<\/a>. “You will be issued an updated Order Agreement whenever you or we make changes to your configuration. Prior to delivery, you will enter into a final Purchase Agreement (and its terms), which will detail your final vehicle configuration and Purchase Price, as well as any applicable taxes, duties, transport and delivery charges, and any other applicable fees. If you proceed with the order, your Reservation Payment will be applied towards the Purchase Price of the vehicle.”<\/p>\n Naysayers may cancel their pre-order. But I guess what’s the difference? Some people gave $50,000 about 10 years ago, and we still don’t know basically anything real about the vehicle in 2026. Those guys will probably not mind waiting even longer. That money would have given them quite a bit in stocks at the time. Instead, they were waiting to watch a fake car do a barrel roll off a curved stunt ramp.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" I thought the most unbelievable part of the Tesla Roadster reveal had already happened, but I should have known I … <\/p>\nWhat you’re actually agreeing to<\/h2>\n