Tesla Roadster SpaceX Package: What Is It & What’s The Difference?

A new SpaceX variant of the Tesla Roadster is apparently in the works — and it includes a massive performance boost over the standard model. Details on this SpaceX package currently remain few and far between, but if it pans out based on what’s been revealed so far, it could prove to be the most impressive vehicle Tesla has ever created.

Before digging too deep into this mysterious SpaceX model, let’s back up and remember where the story of the Tesla Roadster currently sits. Tesla announced its second-generation Roadster in 2017. Since then, the company has remained fairly tight-lipped about it. The $200,000+ supercar was supposed to start shipping to customers in 2021, but as the story often goes with Tesla, that release window has been pushed back to 2022.

That said, new details are quietly emerging about an elusive SpaceX package for the car. The second-gen Roadster was recently on display at the Petersen Auto Museum in Los Angeles. On a plaque near the vehicle, it says a “SpaceX package would outfit the Roadster with cold air rocket thrusters positioned at the rear.” Because of this, the SpaceX Roadster would be able to reach 0-60mph in just 1.1-seconds — faster than just about any car currently on the market. It’s unclear what other changes the SpaceX model will offer over the regular one, but with speed like that, it doesn’t need anything else to make itself stand out.

How This Compares To The Regular Roadster

The regular second-gen Roadster has an advertised 0-60 speed of 1.9-seconds, which Tesla claims on its website is “the quickest car in the world, with record-setting acceleration.” The fact that the SpaceX Roadster stands to be even faster is hard to fathom, especially considering that the average 0-60 speed for ‘regular’ cars is anywhere between 8 and 6 seconds. In a tweet from Elon Musk, he says, “it will be safe, but very intense. Probably not wise for those with a medical condition — same as a hardcore roller coaster.”

Outside of the increase in acceleration, the rest of the SpaceX Roadster specs will (hopefully) remain the same. The regular model will deliver a top speed of over 250mph, a 620-mile range, and still manage to seat four people. The cold air rocket thrusters could impact total speed or range, but there’s nothing to indicate that will be the case.

Something else that remains unknown is the price. The baseline Roadster is available for a hefty $200,000, and the Founder Series goes for $250,000. It’s safe to assume the SpaceX Roadster will cost even more, though exactly how much more is a mystery. A price tag of at least $300,000 seems fair, though there’s a good chance it’ll cost substantially more. Just like the speed won’t be for the faint of heart, don’t expect the price tag to be, either.

Source: @BLKMDL3, Tesla, Elon Musk

About The Author

Joe Maring
(1516 Articles Published)

Joe has been actively writing and talking about consumer tech since 2012. His biggest passion lies with smartphones, but he’s happy to talk your ear off about just about anything with a CPU. He lives in Kalamazoo, MI with his wife, two cats, and pit bull/boxer mix.

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