During Tesla’s first-quarter 2026 earnings presentation, Elon Musk said the production version of the new Tesla Roadster could be shown as early as the end of the month. That comment has pushed the model back into the spotlight once again, reviving attention around a car first announced in 2017 and since then trapped in a long sequence of delays, promises, and expectations that has turned it into one of the most elusive projects in Tesla’s history.
Elon Musk says Tesla could show the new Roadster very soon
The first-generation Tesla Roadster, built between 2008 and 2012, was the car that launched the brand’s journey. The second generation was supposed to mark a kind of rebirth, proving just how far an electric sports car could go. Over time, however, the project has come to symbolize Tesla’s other side as well, the side defined by stretched timelines and repeated announcements that never seem to lead to a finished product.
During the conference call, Musk also mentioned the Roadster while discussing Tesla’s longer-term direction, which he said should increasingly revolve around autonomous vehicles of different sizes, with the Cybercab expected to drive much of the company’s future growth. In that context, the new Roadster would almost stand as an exception, effectively becoming the last Tesla designed for people who still want to drive themselves, with a steering wheel and pedals at the center of the experience.
That contrast is exactly what makes the car so interesting. On one side, Tesla keeps building its future around robotaxis, software, and autonomous driving. On the other, it continues to present the Roadster as something completely different, a model meant to remind people that the brand can still speak to drivers who care about the act of driving itself.
Even now, though, Musk has offered only words. He described the car as one of the most exciting launches ever, but he did not provide details on production, delivery timing, or pricing. After nearly nine years of waiting, the real question is no longer whether Tesla wants to build the new Roadster. The question is whether the company is finally ready to show it in a form that actually looks close to production. It remains to be seen whether this announcement marks a real turning point or whether it mainly serves to draw attention away from Tesla’s disappointing first-quarter 2026 results. We should find out within a few weeks.
