Eight years after Tesla finally lifted the lid off its second-generation Roadster, the car is still carrying the weight of its unfulfilled promises. Then the delays started to roll in – first to 2021, and then the promised delivery dates just kept getting pushed further and further back, to 2023, 2024, and beyond. And now, with a fresh job posting looking for battery engineers at the Fremont factory, rumors of 2027 deliveries have resurfaced and the Roadster is back in the spotlight.
Tesla’s design chief, Franz von Holzhausen, recently confirmed that a demo is on the cards by the end of this year. Chatting to a podcast he explained that the process of getting a car from concept to showroom is moving faster than before – they’re hoping to do it in under two years, if all goes to plan. That timescale points pretty much straight to 2027 for customer deliveries – a date that feels both a long way off and, at the same time, long overdue. The job advert, spotted by eagle-eyed followers on X, is looking for experts to design a high-voltage battery setup from scratch. They might release the production cars in limited numbers, but the foundation is being laid.
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From the very start, the Roadster was designed to balance supercar thrills with everyday usability. The body sits low, with a wedge shape that slices through the air – the sharp nose at the front, those wide haunches over the rear wheels, and a roofline that dips just enough to suggest it’s still relatively open. The glass panels slide away to give you that convertible feel, the doors swing upwards like they’re ready to unfold. New colour options are being looked at too, promising some really vibrant shades that’ll pop against the carbon-fiber trim and alloy wheels. The weight’s coming in at around 4,000 pounds, which is light for its class thanks to a chassis that borrows from racing principles – but doesn’t come with the fragility.
Inside, you get a nice surprise in a car this size – space for four people doesn’t have to mean a cramped boot. Front seats hug the driver and passenger with deep bolsters, while the rear benches will take adults for shorter trips or provide full comfort for the kids. A massive screen dominates the dash – handling navigation, entertainment and vehicle controls with just the swipe of a finger.
Power comes from three electric motors – one up front, two at the back – for that all-wheel grip and smooth launch. The base setup does 60 miles per hour in 1.9 seconds – a time that already beats out most of its rivals. Quarter-mile runs clock in at 8.8 seconds and the top end stretches past 250 miles per hour when you’ve got an open stretch of road ahead of you. Braking comes from those same motors – with regenerative systems that recharge on the fly and traditional discs for those harder stops. Handling stays planted, all thanks to adaptive suspension that reads the road and adjusts in real time.
Range is the hero here: 620 miles on a single charge from a 200kWh pack that’s twice the size of the Model S. Charging speeds match Tesla’s network, 80% in under 30 minutes at a Supercharger. Aerodynamics tuned to a 0.25 drag coefficient, tires that balance speed with low rolling resistance. On highways or back roads the battery holds steady, long hauls become effortless cruises.
Elon has long teased a “SpaceX package” that takes it further. Cold-gas thrusters – small bursts of compressed air – would fire along the edges to sharpen turns, shorten stops and boost straight line pulls. With that option 0-60 in under a second, a feat that requires downforce from fans sucking air under the skirt, just like the patents Tesla filed earlier this year. Alloys from the Starship prototypes could lighten the frame, reinforced glass could withstand the g-forces. This turns the Roadster into a rocket on wheels, but real world limits like tire grip and road laws will temper the wild claims.
Reservations from the 2017 rush are still open with over 1,000 spots claimed and $50,000 deposits locked in for many. Pricing should come in at around $200,000 for the base model or $250,000 with the thruster upgrade. Tesla removed the configurator from years ago, but recent teases suggest new options like extended warranties and custom paints. For those still holding out, the wait builds equity in a car that’s evolved way beyond the original reveal. Deliveries will be slow, possibly 1,000 units in the first year, and then ramp as demand proves out.
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