After years of hype and then a limitless wait, fans and reservation holders had lost hope for the launch of the next-gen Tesla Roadster. However, Tesla (TSLA) CEO Elon Musk has once again ignited the enthusiasm around this performance-focused electric supercar.
I’ve been covering the Tesla Roadster since its first reveal in 2017. The event was not the Roadster reveal; it was the Tesla Semi unveiling event. Musk and his team shocked the world when the next-gen Tesla Roadster prototype unloaded from a Tesla Semi trailer.
Yesterday, after 9 years, Musk opened up about the upcoming Tesla Roadster once again. On his social media platform X, Musk confirmed that the next-generation Tesla Roadster will be unveiled in late April.
It's coming, the hype is real. #TeslaRoadster pic.twitter.com/EWdgwhJG9C
— Tesla Oracle (@TeslaOracle_com) March 18, 2026
Tesla Roadster Unveiling – Once Again
“New Roadster unveil probably in late April,” Musk posted on X. He was responding to an X post that remembered the original Tesla Roadster that’s traveling the infinity of space.
In January, Elon Musk hinted that the new Tesla Roadster is still in development. “New Roadster will be incredible,” he responded to MKBHD, as the influencer criticized Tesla for its delays in the launch of the hyped Tesla supercar.
“The new Roadster is something special beyond a car,” he said in a previous post last year. Musk was commenting on the above fan-made video that was originally posted on Tesla’s official account on Weibo.
As we all know, Tesla’s CEO is generally over-optimistic in his project delivery timelines; the late April timeline of the unveiling might be pushed further. Delays caused by final design and engineering touches, expect the unveiling of the new Tesla Roadster in May or even at the start of June.
The major challenge that Tesla will face from unveiling to production will be handing over around 80 free Roadsters to the old Referral Program winners.
New Roadster Design-Refresh
As we’ve discussed above, it has been almost 9 years since Tesla unveiled the prototype of the new Tesla Roadster. Tesla Roadster’s design already appears outdated. It also does not complement the new cyber design language that’s visible in the Cybercab, Cybertruck, and the new Model Y Juniper.
After the Tesla Semi-truck design update, the new Tesla Roadster will be the second vehicle by the automaker that’s going to get a design-refresh in its prototype stage.
Tesla is going to give a major makeover to the next-gen Tesla Roadster. It will look considerably different compared to the current Roadster prototypes. Elon Musk has previously said that it will get ‘radical design changes’.
The front fascia and headlights of the Roadster prototype have already been transitioned to the new Tesla Model 3 Highland. Tesla is not going to repeat this front design on the Roadster.
This new design update is most probably going to be the best yet by Tesla’s Chief Designer, Franz von Holzhausen and his team at the Tesla Design Center in Hawthorne, California.
Performance, Engineering, Expected Specs
In the last decade, Tesla has made astonishing progress in the physical and software engineering of its vehicles. In addition to the design update that it will get, it will also boast a ton of subtle and noticeable technological upgrades.
According to Tesla’s claims, the current first-generation Roadster prototypes have a 200 kWh battery pack (Cybertruck has ~123 kWh for reference). It’s another debate about how Tesla managed to fit such a large battery.
Tesla is eyeing a 0-60 mph acceleration time of less than 1 second for the new Roadster. With advancements in battery tech, design, engineering, and software over the years, this looks much more possible compared to when it was first revealed in 2017.
A reasonable range number will suffice most customers if the Roadster delivers its performance in a straight line and on race tracks.
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Related Tesla Roadster News and Content
- Musk hints at new Tesla Roadster unveiling date, “It will be a banger next-level,” he says
- Tesla teases a big launch on Tuesday, 10/7 — is it the new Roadster?
- Tesla Roadster to get radical design changes, an even better 0-60 time, and shipped next year — Elon Musk
- Next-gen Tesla Roadster production to start next year, says Elon Musk
- Tesla’s Next-gen Roadster is on display at the Petersen Auto Museum (pics, video)
- Tesla Cybertruck, ATV, Roadster, Semi, and the big party (Battery Day Part 2)
 CEO Elon Musk gives a tentative timeline for the unveiling of the new Tesla Roadster electric supercar (history, design changes, and expected specs, more).){kind=link}