Elon Musk has unveiled a new version of Tesla's Roadster electric sports car, which he says will be the world's first flying car.
The billionaire hosted a demonstration of the Tesla Roadster 2 at the SpaceX rocket development and testing facility in Texas on Friday (16 October).
A video of the event shows the car driving up a curved ramp using suction to grip upside down, before utilising thrusters to flip, fly and land.
Later at the event, the Roadster 2 was seen using the thrusters to fly over a line of Tesla's existing models.
The Tesla Roadster 2 is equipped with technology from Musk's aerospace company SpaceX and can go from 0 to 60mph in 0.81 seconds.
“Turns out the future does have flying cars,” Musk wrote in a post on his social media site, X, alongside a video from the event.
Speaking at the event, Musk said (via the Guardian): “Flying cars are real. It’s got altitude controls, thrusters and main thrusters in the rear. So it can basically fly like a rocket, it can do rolls, crazy gymnastics.”
Via the Independent, he said: “This will be an actual car that's on the roads. I'm not sure it's necessarily legal in all jurisdictions, but there will be such a car that someone can own. So, it's going to be pretty wild that you can have a rocket car."
The Roadster 2's unveiling raises questions about the future of the attractions industry, where cutting-edge technology is increasingly being used to push the boundaries of entertainment.
From theme park rides to immersive experiences, flying vehicle technology could inspire new ways for attraction developers to deliver more thrilling and innovative experiences.
