The Verge·4 min read

The incredible flying Tesla Roadster is just for show

A
Andrew J. Hawkins
The incredible flying Tesla Roadster is just for show
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Last night, Elon Musk gave the people what they want: a car driving vertically up a multi-story ramp, launching off the edge, executing a mid-air “kickflip” over a lineup of Teslas, and landing via cold-gas thrusters.

That’s what the people want, right? “We were promised flying cars,” sure, but isn’t the operative word in that statement “we”? Because as far as I can tell, everything we saw last night — while extremely cool and incredibly impressive — won’t result in a real, production-ready car you can park, or, I guess, land in your driveway.

Tesla’s late-night demonstration in Waco, Texas, certainly gave some corners of the internet what it wants. And the gushing praise and wide-eyed reactions on X, a platform already predisposed to absolving Musk of all his sins, were hard to avoid.

[Image: https://platform.theverge.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/10/HUuxZFhW8AAPuo5.jpeg?quality=90&strip=all]

[Image: https://platform.theverge.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/10/HUuxUyLWIAAq4gW.jpeg?quality=90&strip=all]

[Image: https://platform.theverge.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/10/HUuxFBiWUAItIYj.jpeg?quality=90&strip=all]

[Image: https://platform.theverge.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/10/HUuxassXMAAg79W.jpeg?quality=90&strip=all]

[Image: https://platform.theverge.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/10/HUuxdS8WAAAY3Pf.jpeg?quality=90&strip=all]

[Image: https://platform.theverge.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/10/HUuxI9gXoAAtrZC.jpeg?quality=90&strip=all]

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