Explained: Here’s How the Tesla Roadster Flies, Flips, and Sucks

Nearly nine years have passed since the second-generation Tesla Roadster was first revealed. A long stream of updates and delayed launches followed, including a new delay off the original October 1st date for this reveal just two weeks ago. Today, though, Tesla finally revealed the car with a cold gas booster-assisted backflip. The car itself is significant, but the booster demos are the highlight. Thanks to a fan suction system, the car was shown driving up a vertical ramp before stopping upside-down. It then returned to a starting point, went back up the ramp, drove off, inverted with the help of a burst of cold gas, then landed back on the ground with the help of additional boosters. In a second demo, the same booster system was used to launch the car over a row of five Tesla’s models. It then completed a barrel roll in mid-air, again landing level. With ten nozzles of compressed air, which Musk says are supported by an air tank that can be replenished by the car itself. In a third demo to close the show, the car completed a side flip from a standstill using the same system.

Classic gems, tasteful customs, legendary supercars - for Silvian, they're all fair game. He's been in love with cars and motorcycles for as long as he can remember, so it made perfect sense to eventually turn that passion into a full-time writing career. Around six years and more than 3,000 articles later, he is still going strong and doesn't plan on hitting the brakes anytime soon. Brabus is so much more than a regular tuner in our day and age. It is a fully-fledged luxury lifestyle brand involved in a wide variety of pursuits not related to cars, including fashion, high-end real estate, and aviation. But to us car guys and girls, its core identity will always be rooted in car tuning and wild customization. The company’s partnership with Smart started more than two decades ago and is still going strong today, having yielded some fascinating results in the meantime. And with the tiny Fortwo discontinued to make way for the all-electric #2, you can bet your bottom dollar on this replacement getting the Brabus treatment.

It's wild how far we've come in automotive technology during the past couple of decades. Who in the '60s would've figured that we'd make 100 horsepower per liter, like with the Ford Mustang Dark Horse 5.0-liter V8, or that adaptive dampers would be common in the luxury market, including on the Acura Integra A-Spec (with Technology Package). Still, one seemingly overlooked aspect of automotive progress is how we actuate the clutch between an engine and manual transmission. While this area's workings have stayed relatively simple, moving from one form to another has improved daily driving in several ways. We're talking about transitioning from cable-operated to hydraulically actuated clutches.

The Mercedes-Benz G-Class is still one of the most luxurious off-road SUVs you can buy. It's also one of the most expensive, with the G550 starting at $153,900 (plus $1,150 in destination charges) and the price with options and AMG badges only going up from there. Still, the G-Wagon does stand out defiantly against the crossoverfication of the industry, with its upright boxiness remaining uncompromised from its launch in 1979 all the way up to today. It isn't just a look either. Underneath all the modern Mercedes-Benz luxury remains real ladder-frame off-road credibility, complete with a solid rear axle, mechanically locking differentials, and proper low range gearing. Fortunately, the G-Class doesn't have exclusive rights to the rolling brick aesthetic, and you can still get some portion of G-Wagon energy for less than a G-Wagon MSRP. From relative up-and-comers like the Ineos Grenadier or the Rivian R1S to historical direct competitors like the Land Rover Defender, you can absolutely capture some of that boxy magic without spending quite as much, and in some cases by spending $100,000 less.

Joel was previously an editor at Autoblog for nearly a decade, covering cars from humble economy hatchbacks to high-end sports cars. He has extensive driving experience with plenty of track time, and even dabbles in motorcycling. Joel has shared his experiences in the car world not just in text, but also on podcasts and web videos.