Tesla has announced that it will reveal the final version of its long-promised Roadster supercar on 1 October - almost nine years since the prototype was unveiled, and six years after it was originally planned to go on sale.
The second-generation Roadster, the follow up to Tesla's first car, was originally planned to be a drop-top 2+2 with a 0-60mph time of 1.9 seconds, a top speed of more than 250mph and a a 620-mile range - figures which out punched all production EVs at its 2017 debut, and which would still outclass most today.
Since the concept's surprise debut at the launch event for the Tesla Semi HGV, it has been repeatedly delayed, with the original 2020 launch plans pushed back to 2022, then 2022, 2023 and 2024, before a long period of silence as the company shifted focus to other projects, including the self-driving Cybercab which is now in commercial service.
But now, it seems like the company is finally ready to show the Roadster in its final form, with a post on Elon Musk's X app announcing an event on 1 October, with the strapline 'go for launch'.
That slogan is possibly a reference to the optional rocket thrusters which Musk previously said would allow the Roadster to hit 60mph from rest in just 1.1secs - almost twice as quick as a Formula 1 car.
The teaser image published by Tesla gives little away beyond the exhaust plumes of the promised thrusters – claimed to have been developed by Musk-owned SpaceX – but visible details including a full-width rear light bar and huge wing look to depart dramatically from the concept, which was a subtle and minimalist coupé derived from the Model S saloon.
The reveal event will take place in Waco, Texas - home to the eponymous Lake Waco, which could serve as the venue for the Roadster's ability to hover or float across bodies of water. Musk originally planned for the Cybertruck to be able to "serve briefly as a boat", but this functionality was never fully realised.
Tesla has invited Roadster deposit holders to the event on a non-transferable basis, but it is unclear how many orders it has taken for the delayed supercar over the past nine years. Pricing was earlier put at around £150,000 for the standard car and £185,000 for the top-spec Founders Series variant.
Notably, if the 1 October event is indeed a full production-spec unveiling, it will see the Tesla Roadster break cover in the same week as the long-awaited Jaguar Type 01, making it a landmark few days for electric vehicle announcements.
Musk has been a vocal critic of Jaguar's relaunch, asking the British brand on X "do you sell cars?" in response to its 2024 'Copy Nothing' brand campaign. It is not clear whether the Roadster's debut date was intentionally planned to snatch the limelight from Jaguar, which confirmed its own timings earlier this summer.
