Tesla has announced that it will reveal the final version of its long-promised Roadster supercar on 1 October - almost nine years since the prototype was unveiled and six years after it was originally planned to go on sale.
The second-generation Roadster, the follow-up to Tesla's first car, was originally planned to be a drop-top 2+2 with a 0-60mph time of 1.9sec, a top speed of more than 250mph and a a 620-mile range - figures that outpunched all production EVs at its 2017 debut and which would still outclass most today.
Since the concept's surprise debut at the launch event for the Tesla Semi lorry, it has been repeatedly delayed. The original 2020 launch plans were pushed back to 2022, then 2022, 2023 and 2024, before a long period of silence as the company shifted focus to other projects, including the self-driving Cybercab, which is now in commercial service.
But now it seems that Tesla is finally ready to show the Roadster in its final form, with a post on Elon Musk's X app announcing an event on 1 October, with the strapline 'Go for launch'. A countdown on the firm's website (below) suggests the wraps will come off at 19:30 local time, so 01:30am UK time the following day.
That slogan is possibly a reference to the optional rocket thrusters that Musk previously said would allow the Roadster to hit 60mph from rest in just 1.1sec - almost twice as quick as a Formula 1 car.
The teaser image published by Tesla gives little away beyond the exhaust plumes of the promised thrusters, claimed to have been developed by Musk-owned SpaceX. But visible details including a full-width rear light bar and a huge wing look to depart dramatically from the concept, which was a subtle and minimalist coupé derived from the Model S saloon.
The reveal event will take place in Waco, Texas - home to the eponymous Lake Waco, which could serve as the venue for the Roadster's ability to hover or float across bodies of water.
Musk originally planned for the Cybertruck pick-up to be able to "serve briefly as a boat", but this functionality was never fully realised.
Tesla has invited Roadster deposit holders to the event on a non-transferable basis, but it's unclear how many orders it has taken for the delayed supercar over the past nine years.
Pricing was earlier put at around £150,000 for the standard car and £185,000 for the top-spec Founders Series variant.
