Elon Musk has given the next-generation Tesla Roadster a clear label, “the best of the last of the human-driven cars” in a recent discussion.
He also took an unusually direct line on safety. Musk said Tesla will “aspire not to kill anyone in this car,” and he added that safety is not the main goal for this model. He compared the Roadster to brands such as Ferrari, saying that if safety is a buyer’s top priority, that person should choose a different Tesla instead.
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Elon Musk in new interview on the upcoming next-generation @Tesla Roadster:
— Sawyer Merritt (@SawyerMerritt) January 6, 2026
“It will be a cool demo. If safety is your #1 goal, don’t buy the Roadster. We’ll aspire not to kill anyone in this car. It’ll be the best of the last of the human driven cars.” pic.twitter.com/vhXbL9ucqL
The Roadster already has a special place in Tesla’s history, since the original Roadster launched in 2008 and helped the company prove that electric cars could be quick and desirable. Now Musk is positioning the new version as a closing chapter for high-performance cars built for human drivers.
At the same time, Tesla is putting serious resources into vehicles that will not have a steering wheel or pedals at all. The Cybercab robotaxi platform is planned as a purpose-built autonomous vehicle, with production now targeted to start around April 2026.
Performance targets and SpaceX package
For years, Tesla has attached bold numbers to the Roadster. The car is aimed at a 0-60 mph time of 1.9 seconds in standard form, with a potential figure under one second when equipped with an optional SpaceX package. Reported top speed is more than 250 mph, and range is targeted around 620 miles from a 200 kWh battery.
The SpaceX package is one of the most unusual elements. Musk has said this package could use roughly 10 cold gas thrusters, powered by ultra-high-pressure air stored in a Composite Overwrapped Pressure Vessel at around 10,000 psi. Musk has even talked about brief hovering, though he has stopped short of laying out firm production plans and has joked that some aspects are “classified.”
Pricing and market slot
The new Roadster first appeared in 2017, with Tesla taking early reservations soon after. Buyers could place a deposit of about $50,000 for the regular version and $250,000 for the Founders Series, which is limited to 1,000 units.
Initial production targets around 2020 slipped as Tesla focused on higher-volume cars, the Cybertruck rollout and Full Self-Driving development. The company now points to an April 1, 2026 Roadster event, with low-volume production projected to start 12 to 18 months after that.
At those prices and projected figures, the Roadster sits squarely in supercar and hypercar territory. It will line up against models from Ferrari, Lamborghini, McLaren and Porsche, though its electric layout and claimed acceleration targets give it a different profile. For example, the Ferrari SF90 Stradale plug-in hybrid reaches 62 mph in about 2.5 seconds and carries a much higher price in many markets, while the Roadster aims to beat that sprint at a lower base tag.
Musk has hinted that the April 2026 Roadster event could be “the most memorable product unveil ever.”
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