Tesla is set to unveil its next-generation Roadster Thursday night after nearly nine years of delays, with a livestream scheduled to begin at 7:55 p.m. Central Time.
The company confirmed the timing in a post on X, stating the event will stream live. The outdoor demonstration is expected near Waco at SpaceX’s McGregor test site. Tesla originally planned the reveal for October 1 but postponed it after citing severe weather and high winds, noting that the event can only be held outdoors. Elon Musk replied to the announcement with the phrase “Timing is everything.”
Tesla first showed a prototype of the second-generation Roadster in November 2017 and targeted the start of deliveries in 2020. No customer cars have been delivered. At the time, the company claimed the car would accelerate from 0 to 60 mph in under two seconds, exceed 250 mph, and deliver up to 620 miles of range on a single charge. The original price target was about $200,000, with reservations still listed at $50,000. Musk has previously described the vehicle as financially insignificant for Tesla, calling it a “small potato situation.”
Roadster event streaming live this Thursday at 7:55pm CST https://t.co/AbsmpVucui
— Tesla (@Tesla) October 14, 2026
The car has been repeatedly delayed while Tesla focused on higher-volume models, the Cybertruck, and more recently autonomous technology and robotics. Musk has teased extreme performance features in recent years, including possible SpaceX-derived thrusters and claims of sub-one-second acceleration, though the company has not confirmed final specifications. Production has been guided for 2027 or 2028 in some statements.
The 7:55 p.m. start time has drawn attention as a likely Back to the Future reference—19:55 in 24-hour time points to 1955, the year Marty McFly travels to in the film. Tesla’s teaser imagery also included the partial line “Where we’re going…,” echoing a famous line from the movie.
The livestream is expected on Tesla’s X account. Reservation holders received invitations for an in-person event limited to guests 21 and older.
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