Tesla Roadster owners get autonomous stunts, Musk says
Elon Musk says owners of the new Tesla Roadster will be able to ask the car to perform unveiling stunts autonomously. He also promised a looping track at…
Tesla Roadster owners get a promised way to command the car’s unveiling stunts without driving them, according to Elon Musk, who also said Tesla plans a looping track at its Texas headquarters.
Musk made the comments Saturday in a reply on X to tech blogger Robert Scoble. The feature has no announced arrival date, and Musk did not explain how it would work or what he meant when he described the car as “sentient.”
There are significant limits to what Tesla has disclosed. The company says the Roadster is not approved for public road use, while production is planned for Giga Texas in 2027 or 2028.
What Tesla Roadster owners get to command
Scoble had questioned whether the person inside the Roadster would be driving in the conventional sense. He described the driver as operating a computer that instructs another computer, with steering, braking and acceleration handled by wire.
Musk replied: “You will be able to ask the Roadster to perform any of the tricks shown autonomously, as it will be sentient. Also, we will have a wild looping track (crazier even than Hot Wheels) at our Texas HQ where you can test out your Roadster.”
The promise builds on Tesla’s October 15 event outside Waco, where the car performed a series of dramatic maneuvers. It drove up a curved ramp until it was upside down, flew off using cold gas thrusters, flipped and landed. The car also hovered over a Cybercab, Cybertruck, Semi, Model Y and Model 3 while moving.
At the event, Musk said the car “literally is just going to puff itself up” to carry out the maneuvers when an owner wants. His later reply added that the Roadster would perform them autonomously, according to Teslarati’s report.
Hardware, road-use limits and unanswered questions
Tesla has described hardware tied to the stunts. The Roadster uses steer by wire with a yoke, while electric actuators make small adjustments to its cold gas thrusters in flight. Tesla says a fan system under the car creates enough suction to hold it upside down.
But the practical details remain unclear. Musk did not specify when an autonomous stunt feature might arrive, how owners would activate it or what safeguards would govern its use. He also gave no size, location or opening date for the promised Texas track.
That leaves a gap between the show and the ownership experience. Tesla has described a car designed to perform unusual maneuvers, but the company has not said when owners can try them or how the track will operate. The public-road restriction also means the demonstration’s stunts are not a guide to what owners can do on ordinary roads.
The Rocket version, described as the one built to fly, is invite only. Tesla’s production plan remains 2027 or 2028, while the promised track has no published opening date.
Tesla reports third-quarter earnings on October 21. Shareholders can submit and vote on questions through the Say portal until 4 p.m. EDT on October 20, according to Teslarati, which noted that investors could ask management for details about the autonomous stunts and Texas track.
Source: teslarati.com
