Tesla has revealed a pre production Roadster sports car that the company says will enter production in 2028 and is now listed for reservations on its India website. The model will be offered in a base Performance trim and with two augments called Thrust and Rocket, Tesla said in its reveal as reported in media coverage.
CarDekho reported that Tesla's India site lists reservation and deposit details, and that customers can place a booking with a payment of around Rs 5.01 lakh on the official Tesla page. A separate report said bookings for the Performance trim and the Thrust package are also being taken in India for about Rs 5 lakh, while the Rocket augment is invite only.
Tesla describes the car as lightweight and aerospace inspired. The company says construction uses carbon fibre, magnesium and titanium and that the cabin has fixed seats, a central touchscreen and a yoke style steering unit. The Roadster switches to a focused two seat layout and drops the removable roof from earlier concepts, according to the pre production descriptions.
Tesla has highlighted radical performance and novel drive aids. The maker says the Performance model uses an underbody suction fan that can generate additional downforce. The Thrust augment adds rear mounted thrusters while the Rocket augment fits still more thrusters and replaces the passenger seat with flight hardware, Tesla said.
Implications And Uncertainties Around Flight System And Road Use
Tesla describes the thrusters as cold gas units that expel pressurised air through nozzles to produce thrust, allowing brief lift and controlled airborne manoeuvres without burning propellant. The company claims the system supports forward, upward and lateral rotational movement, and that the Thrust and Rocket augments add four and ten thrusters respectively, as reported in the pre production coverage.
Performance claims are extreme. The company says the Roadster will reach 0 to 100 kph in under a second, and CarDekho published variant specific 0 to 97 kph figures of 1.6 seconds for Performance, 0.81 seconds for Thrust and 0.59 seconds for Rocket. CarDekho also quoted a top speed claim of about 370 kph for the car.
Regulatory and practical questions remain. Tesla itself notes the Rocket version is not approved for public road use and that the road legality of the suction fan and Thrust augment will be uncertain in India. Production is slated to begin in 2028, with deliveries expected later, and CarDekho said Tesla's India division had not provided separate official confirmation, leaving some details unresolved.
Observers should expect further changes before customer deliveries. Tesla and media accounts both flag that final production powertrain figures, battery capacity, motor outputs and range remain to be revealed. For now the pre production Roadster combines aerospace styling, a yoke control layout and optional air thrusters as its defining features.
