Subheading: After nearly a decade of hype and delays, Tesla’s Roadster 2 is set for a 2026 reveal—complete with flying car teases, missed refunds, and a touch of Musk’s signature mischief.
Photo by Madeline Liu on Unsplash
If you’ve been patiently waiting for Tesla’s flashy, rocket-powered Roadster sequel, it looks like your patience will need to last a little longer—at least until April 1, 2026. That’s when Elon Musk promises to finally pull back the curtain on the long-anticipated (and long-delayed) second-generation Roadster.
Yes, that’s April Fools’ Day. And no, Musk didn’t overlook the irony. In fact, he’s embracing it.
“Like, I could say I was just kidding,” he quipped during Tesla’s annual shareholder meeting, poking fun at his own history of missed deadlines.
A Promise Nearly a Decade in the Making
Photo by Rob Griffin on Unsplash
To put it in perspective, the original concept for the Roadster 2 was unveiled way back in 2017. Musk has hyped it ever since, repeatedly teasing its next-level capabilities—like hitting mind-bending speeds with the help of SpaceX thrusters. At one point, he even implied the car might actually fly, or at least hover in some limited capacity.
From there, the wait has stretched into what feels like vaporware territory.
Just last week, Musk appeared on the Joe Rogan podcast and said he wanted to show off the Roadster “by year’s end.” But now, that reveal has officially been pushed to spring 2026.
Even then, production won’t start immediately. Musk estimated that the actual manufacturing window for the Roadster will begin “12 to 18 months after” the April presentation.
The Demo Could Be a Wild Ride, Literally
One thing Elon made clear during the shareholder meeting: expect a wild reveal event.
He called the upcoming demo “the most exciting, whether it works or not, demo ever of any product.” That’s a bold bet, even by his standards.
While no one outside Tesla has seen the redesigned production model, Musk did say it will look “very different from what was shown previously.” Given how much runway this car has had, expectations are sky-high.
What About Early Customers?
During the meeting, a shareholder asked if the lucky folks who preordered the exclusive “Founders Series” Roadsters could attend the reveal.
Those are the customers who dropped a cool $250,000—yes, a quarter of a million dollars—in deposits as far back as 2017. Musk responded with an easy “Sure, absolutely. It’s the least we can do for our long-suffering Roadster reservation holders.”
That group includes some familiar names. OpenAI CEO Sam Altman, for instance, recently tried to cancel his reservation after more than seven years of waiting. He posted screenshots on X showing his $50,000 reservation fee and a failed refund attempt. “I really was excited for the car!” he said. “But 7.5 years has felt like a long time to wait.”
Musk, never one to back down from a Twitter skirmish, fired back: “And you forgot to mention act 4, where this issue was fixed and you received a refund within 24 hours.”
Why It Matters
Despite all the delays, jokes, and internet brawls, the Roadster 2 still matters. It’s Tesla’s most ambitious sports car to date—a halo vehicle that’s supposed to showcase what their tech can really do.
And for anyone still holding onto a reservation (or just watching from the sidelines), April 1, 2026, might finally bring some closure—or at least a spectacular show.
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Stay tuned. Knowing Musk, the demo could include a flying car… or at least a really dramatic shrug.
Keywords: Tesla Roadster 2, Elon Musk, Tesla Roadster reveal, Tesla delays, SpaceX thrusters, production Roadster, Tesla Founders Series, April Fools Tesla launch
