Design and Rockets Tesla and Porsche Unveil Their New Supercars

The U.S. was the setting for two presentations of new supercars! Porsche unveiled the Mission S in New York, and Tesla unveiled a flying rocket car in Waco ...

Tesla has unveiled a sports car that can even cover short distances in flight using rocket thrusters. During the presentation in Waco, Texas, the Tesla Roadster used cold gas engines to perform a sideways roll over other parked models from the electric car manufacturer, among other maneuvers. Elon Musk announced that the sports car will go into production in 2028 and will be available for purchase. The only question is, who would want to handle such a speed demon in today’s traffic? Not to mention all those who’ll have to share the road with such a speed demon. But more on that later. No price was given for the rocket-powered Roadster, which sounds like something Evel Knievel would drive.

Only for People with Plenty of "Spare Cash"

However, reserving the Roadster version costs a total of $250,000—first $5,000, and then another $245,000 within ten days, according to the information provided. The reservation alone costs $50,000. On the Tesla website, it only states regarding the $5,000 that the amount can be fully refunded—for whatever reason?! In the presentation, the Roadster accelerated from a standstill to just under 96.6 kilometers per hour (60 mph) in only 0.81 seconds. Musk announced that the production model will be even faster. The Rocket variant, which will also be capable of flight, will be available only by invitation from the company. Furthermore, flying is not permitted on public roads, so the Rocket will not be available in all regions.

Introducing a Super Porsche

And Porsche has revealed the secret behind the design of its new supercar. The car, named Mission S, is also set to become the Stuttgart-based automaker’s new flagship model and will even be positioned above the iconic 911 in the product lineup. The Mission S, according to the company, combines a powerful mid-engine supercar platform with a clean design language inspired by historic Porsche icons. The goal, it says, is to combine the highest level of engineering excellence with maximum flexibility. This also fits into Porsche’s strategy of selling fewer cars, but at higher prices.

Inspired by a Former Ferrari Employee

Porsche did not comment on the technical specifications of the new car. Incidentally, the new Porsche supercar is a key element of the new corporate strategy of CEO Michael Leiter, who came from Ferrari. He aims to expand Porsche’s luxury segment and, as already mentioned, sell fewer but more expensive cars in the future. Accordingly, the share of particularly expensive luxury models is expected to rise from about one-third to nearly half. By 2030, the average price of the top 10,000 cars sold is expected to climb from 270,000 to 330,000 euros ($307,800 to $376,200).