Tesla boss Elon Musk has made the very bold claim that the forthcoming second-generation Tesla Roadster will, with an added SpaceX Rocket Thruster package, be able to accelerate from 0 to 60 MPH (96.5 km/hr) in just 1.1 seconds. The car, which was revealed back in 2017, will be able to do the same without the add-on thrusters in 1.9 seconds, which will still make it the quickest road vehicle ever made.
The Tesla Roadster won’t be delivered until at least 2022, but Tesla currently has a prototype sitting on display at the Petersen Automotive Museum in Los Angeles. The plaque that accompanies the car features the above claim of 1.9 seconds, and Musk has added fuel to that claim via Twitter over the past few days.
While being able to go very, very fast is a bit of a far cry from Musk’s initial claims that the Tesla Roadster would be able to hover off the ground, this new claim brings focus back to how substantial that SpaceX Rocket Thruster package for the the Tesla Roadster.
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Via Twitter, Musk has confirmed that the Telsa Roadster’s top speed will be safe but “very intense” and probably not suitable for anyone with pre-existing heart conditions. He even says the car could be able to “lift off” with the add-on thrusters, albeit “briefly”.
The SpaceX Rocket Thruster package for the Tesla Roadster will feature 10 small rocket thrusters arranged around the car. According to Musk, when the thruster package was announced in 2018, the cold gas thruster system will use ultra high-pressure air in a composite over-wrapped pressure vessel in place of the car’s 2 rear seats.
“These rocket engines dramatically improve acceleration, top speed, braking & cornering. Maybe they will even allow a Tesla to fly,” tweeted Musk in 2018.
Musk seemingly wants to give a “hardcore smackdown” to gasoline cars with the car + rockets combination, but even without the add-ons the Tesla Roadster is starting to sound like an impressive beast. Although there is no clear production timeframe, we do know that the second-generation Roadster will use the same tri-motor ‘Plaid’ powertrain featured in the forthcoming Model S sedan, with the motor set-up featuring one on the front axle and two on the rear.
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Aussie supercar fans hoping to get their hands on a Tesla Roadster when Elon Musk and his team (potentially) deliver it in 2022 are looking at AU$66,000 just to reserve a place in the queue. The total cost of the Tesla Roadster Gen-2 will be roughly AU$326,000 for the limited edition Founder Series. Although there’s no official word on how much the SpaceX Rocket Thruster add-on package will be priced at.
