Tesla's Roadster is finally arriving, nine years after it was first unveiled.
The car is set to debut on Thursday, the latest date in a string of delays dating back to the original 2017 reveal. At that event, Tesla promised specs built for headlines: a 1.9-second 0-60 time, a 620-mile range, and a starting price around $200,000. None of that has been independently confirmed for the production version launching this week, and Tesla has a mixed record on hitting its own announced timelines and specs.
What's changed is the market around it. In 2017, electric hypercars were mostly concept renders. Now Rimac has been shipping its Nevera to paying customers since 2023, and Lotus sold out its limited-run Evija. The question for the Roadster isn't whether it can out-spec a slide deck anymore - it's whether buyers still want a six-figure electric halo car when rivals have already proven they can actually build and deliver one.
A car that looked futuristic in 2017 now has to compete with electric hypercars already parked in driveways.