Tesla CEO Elon Musk says the upcoming Roadster will perform stunts autonomously

Elon Musk promised Tesla Roadster owners a car that performs its own stunts, according to Motor1.com. In a post on X on October 17, Musk said the Roadster will be sentient enough to repeat the tricks from its recent unveiling on command. The hypercar made its debut two days earlier at SpaceX's rocket testing facility in McGregor, Texas. During that event, an unmanned Roadster climbed a steep ramp using suction, drove upside down, flipped through the air and used thrusters to land upright. Tesla says the vehicle used 10 nozzles and ultra-high-pressure air tanks to pull off the maneuvers. Musk also teased a dedicated looping track at Tesla's Texas headquarters in Austin where owners can test those tricks themselves. That track is described as crazier even than Hot Wheels, though Tesla gave no size, cost, or opening date. The hardware behind the stunts relies on steer-by-wire paired with cold gas thrusters, the same system SpaceX uses for spacecraft control. Tesla claims that setup generates 4 to 5 times more force than tires alone, allowing the demo car to fly over a line of parked vehicles and a semi-truck. None of this explains how a sentient mode translates into a button an owner actually presses. The Roadster itself still remains far from a production vehicle, with manufacturing now targeted for the late 2020s around 2028 at Giga Texas. The version capable of the flying maneuvers, known as the Rocket package, is reportedly invite-only rather than something every buyer can order. The base Roadster is billed with a zero-to-60 mph time near 1.9 seconds, a top speed near 250 mph, and a range around 620 miles. The demo car in its current form is not approved for public-road use, and Tesla carries the full risk if an autonomous stunt mode goes wrong on a closed course.