Tesla Roadster Hype Returns as Musk Teases “Crazier Than Bond” Tech

Elon Musk is making promises about the Tesla Roadster again. The CEO told podcaster Joe Rogan that Tesla hopes to unveil the redesigned sports car before the end of 2025.

He’s been hyping a next-generation version since 2017. Production still hasn’t started.

Tesla shares bounced $14 from session lows after Musk’s comments. The stock closed up 3.47% at $456 on Friday. Investors are digesting both the year-end confirmation and hints about flight technology.

Musk described the upcoming Roadster as featuring crazy technology. He promised the unveiling would be unforgettable.

The CEO said, “It’s crazier than anything James Bond. If you took all the James Bond cars and combined them, it’s crazier than that. Very exciting”.

During the podcast, Musk noted that we still don’t have flying cars.

Rogan then asked, “So you’re actively considering making an electric flying car? Is this a real thing?” Musk replied, “We’ll have to see in the demo.”

He compared the vehicle to fictional spy gadgets while declining to share updated technical or design details. I can’t do the unveil before the unveil, Musk explained.

The new Roadster will differ significantly from previous prototypes Tesla has publicly displayed.

The timing is interesting. OpenAI CEO Sam Altman posted on social media Thursday that he tried to cancel his Roadster reservation from 2018 and get his deposit refunded.

His email to Tesla bounced back. I really was excited for the car, Altman wrote. I understand delays. But 7.5 years has felt like a long time to wait.

Many other customers also seem frustrated by the delays in getting their hands on the Tesla Roadster.

The Roadster is meant as a high-end, low-volume model. It would challenge vehicles like BYD’s YangWang U9 Xtreme, recently crowned the world’s fastest production car.

Originally scheduled to begin production in 2020, the sports car has faced multiple postponements as Tesla prioritized mass market vehicles and expanded manufacturing.

In February 2024, Musk wrote on X that Tesla had radically increased the design goals for the new Roadster. There will never be another car like this, if you could even call it a car.

He said production design would be complete and unveiled by the end of the year, with shipping aimed for the following year. That timeline didn’t materialize.

Tesla produced the original Roadster from 2008 to 2012 before discontinuing it to focus on the Model S sedan.

The first-generation Roadster was Tesla’s debut production vehicle. Eight years after promising a successor, customers are still waiting.

Musk faces a major shareholder vote next week on a pay package that would net him nearly $1 trillion (~1.53 trillion AUD) in Tesla stock.