Elon Musk Makes Bold Promise on Flying Cars: ‘You Will Get...’

Tesla Inc. (NASDAQ:TSLA) CEO Elon Musk revived speculation about the company’s long-delayed Roadster on Wednesday with a promise about a technology that has remained elusive for a long time, hinting that flying cars are on the horizon.

Musk Revives Flying Roadster Speculation Again

Musk posted the three-word reply, "You will get flying cars," to a discussion contrasting rapid advances in artificial intelligence with the long-promised arrival of flying cars. He did not identify Tesla or the Roadster, but his comment follows years of hints that the next-generation sports car could briefly leave the ground.

You will get flying cars

— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) August 12, 2026

Musk reignited that speculation last year during a Joe Rogan interview. "We’re getting close to demonstrating the prototype," he said, promising an "unforgettable" demonstration. When Rogan asked about flying cars, Musk replied, "If Peter wants a flying car, he should be able to buy one," referring to billionaire Peter Thiel.

Musk later described the Roadster as featuring "crazy, crazy technology" and asked, "Is it even a car? I’m not sure." He said its technology would be "crazier" than combining every fictional James Bond car, while acknowledging, "We need to make sure that it works."

Roadster Promises Stretch Far Beyond Performance

The idea stretches back further. Musk has said the Roadster’s optional Space Exploration Technologies Corp. (NASDAQ:SPCX) package could use cold-gas thrusters to improve acceleration, braking and cornering and allow it to "fly very briefly." Tesla-linked material has described a thruster-equipped configuration capable of dramatically improving acceleration.

Tesla still officially markets the Roadster as an electric supercar, listing a 1.9-second 0-to-60 mph time, more than 250 mph top speed and 620-mile range. Its public Roadster page does not advertise sustained flight capability.

Musk has nevertheless repeatedly raised expectations. In 2024, he said Tesla had "radically increased the design goals" and declared, "There will never be another car like this, if you could even call it a car."

Designer Says Long-Delayed Roadster Coming Soon

The Roadster remains years behind its original 2020 launch target, however, Tesla chief designer Franz von Holzhausen said the company’s long-delayed second-generation Roadster is coming "very soon" during the latest episode of "Jay Leno’s Garage," which aired on Monday. When Jay Leno pressed him on the two-seater’s arrival, von Holzhausen repeated, "Very soon."

Benzinga Edge Rankings show Tesla stock scores poorly on the Momentum and Value metrics, but provides satisfactory Growth and Quality.

Price Action: Tesla shares were up 0.36% to $336 in pre-market trading on Wednesday.

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