Tesla Roadster will perform stunts autonomously, Musk says
What's the story
Elon Musk has said that the new Tesla Roadster will be "sentient" and capable of performing autonomous stunts. In a post on X (formerly Twitter), Musk said the Roadster would be able to perform any of the tricks demonstrated during its unveiling autonomously. Along with the promise of a sentient Roadster, Musk also teased a dedicated track at Tesla's Texas headquarters. This would give owners an opportunity to test out the stunts their cars can perform.
Stunt performance
Roadster's wild stunts showcased at unveiling
The stunts Musk referred to were demonstrated at the October 15 unveiling of the Roadster.
An unmanned version of the car climbed a steep ramp using suction, drove upside down, flipped through the air, and used thrusters to land upright.
Tesla claims this was achieved using 10 nozzles and ultra-high-pressure air tanks as part of its steer-by-wire system with cold gas thrusters.
Unanswered questions
How sentience and stunts will work in practice?
Despite the impressive stunts, there are still many unanswered questions about how "sentient" will work in practice.
Tesla hasn't revealed the self-driving system that would have to identify a ramp, a flip trajectory, and a landing zone without human intervention.
As for the looping track Musk mentioned at Giga Texas (Tesla's Austin-area complex), no details have been provided about its size or layout.
Production details
When will the Tesla Roadster hit the roads?
The production of Tesla Roadster is targeted for 2028 at Giga Texas.
The base model is pitched as a performance flagship with a 0-97km/h time of around 1.9 seconds, top speed of some 402km/h, and range estimates of about 998km.
However, these specs are not linked to any confirmed stunt package as the demo car in its current form isn't approved for public-road use yet.