[Is Tesla's 'Flying Sports Car' Safe? Musk: If Safety Is Your Top Priority, Don't Buy It] BlockBeats News, October 16 — At the launch event for Tesla's second-generation Roadster, extreme stunts such as inverted driving, airborne flips, and 0-100 km/h acceleration in 0.81 seconds were showcased. Each audience member received a pair of earplugs. The inverted driving relies on the rear fan to extract air from beneath the car, creating approximately twice the gravitational downforce. The airborne flips are powered by SpaceX's cold gas thrusters — the car is equipped with 10 nozzles and stores about 250 kilograms of compressed gas, which takes up the space of the rear seats. However, based on rough calculations of the efficiency of the cold gas thrusters, keeping the 2-ton car hovering would require approximately 28 kilograms of gas per second, meaning the 250 kilograms of gas would only allow hovering for about 9 seconds at most, with the actual usable time being just a few seconds. Media outlets have described this not as flying, but as 'falling gracefully.' While the performance was impressive, the numbers fall significantly short of promises made nine years ago: its range has shrunk from approximately 1,000 kilometers to about 480 kilometers, delivery has been delayed from 2020 to 2028, and the price has yet to be announced. The version equipped with thrusters is highly unlikely to pass traffic regulations, and the U.S. aviation regulatory authorities have never certified such devices. Additionally, the risks of the high-pressure gas tanks located behind the seats during collisions and rollovers were not addressed at the event. Musk's stance on the matter remains consistent: 'If safety is your top priority, don't buy the Roadster.' According to BIT (bit.com) market data, Tesla's U.S. stock price rose 4.3% pre-market, while SpaceX shares increased by 1.9%. The Tesla Roadster is equipped with cold gas thrusters developed in collaboration with SpaceX. [Original Link]