Florida Governor Ron DeSantis has weighed in on Tesla’s bizarre new Roadster, which Elon Musk says will feature flying capabilities. While questions remain about whether the vehicle can legally take to public roads, DeSantis has suggested Florida could be a place where owners can put its unusual features to use, as per BroBible.
According to TechCrunch, Tesla unveiled the new Roadster during a presentation near Waco, Texas, showing off a version equipped with thrusters beneath the car. The demonstration highlighted its purported ability to lift off the ground. “This will be the actual car that’s on the roads,” Musk said. “It literally is just going to puff itself up, and, uh, and be able to do these maneuvers whenever you’d like.”
Musk said the car would be capable of accelerating from zero to 60 mph in just one second. He also suggested the vehicle would be available for people to drive, although he was less definitive about whether its flying capabilities would be legal everywhere. The project will begin in 2028, but you can already reserve yours on the Tesla website.
The car might not be safe
The prospect of a car using thrusters to lift off the ground naturally raised questions about how regulators would treat it. Musk acknowledged that the rules could vary depending on where owners live, saying, “Depends on your street… I’m not necessarily sure it’s legal in all jurisdictions. But there will be such a car that someone can own.”
A user posted on X asking whether it will be street legal in Florida, to which DeSantis offered a confident take on the vehicle’s potential legality in Florida. He said that “We will make sure that it’s legal.” The governor also joked about how the futuristic car might fit into life in The Villages, “at a minimum could be used to leapfrog golf carts in the Villages.
In an earlier podcast with Peter H. Diamandis on YouTube, Musk cleared up that “safety is not the main goal” with the new Roadster. He added that, “If you buy a Ferrari, safety is not the number one goal. I say, if safety is your number one goal, do not buy the Roadster,” he said.
Tesla would “aspire not to kill anyone in this car,” he added. Safety has been a prominent issue with Tesla, especially with its driverless cars that have gone rogue before.
In one post on X, Tesla said the design was inspired by the SR-71 reconnaissance aircraft and the F-35 fighter jet. “Our design language has evolved since the last reveal: from S3XY to Cybertruck, Cybercab & Optimus,” the company wrote.
Published: Oct 17, 2026 07:02 am