Can the New Roadster Run Its Own Stunts? Musk Says Yes, Tesla's Designer Says Limited FSD. A Said / Not-Said Ledger
By EV Bandit | Updated October 19, 2026
At a glance. Two days after the October 15 Roadster unveil, Elon Musk said on X that owners will be able to ask the car to perform the tricks autonomously. Separately, Tesla chief designer Franz von Holzhausen said the Roadster will get a limited version of Full Self-Driving. Neither statement says how it would work, when it would arrive, or what the limits are.
Key takeaways
- Two days after the October 15 Roadster unveil, Elon Musk said on X that owners will be able to ask the car to perform the tricks autonomously, as reported by Drive Tesla and Teslarati.
- Tesla chief designer Franz von Holzhausen said the Roadster will get a limited version of FSD, as relayed by Not a Tesla App from a MotorTrend walkthrough.
- Musk also said Tesla will build a looping track at its Texas headquarters for owners to test Roadsters. No location, size, opening date or cost has been given.
- Tesla has not said what software ran the unveil stunts; Not a Tesla App says it was likely not FSD.
- The Roadster is slated for production in 2028.
The Roadster flipped, hovered and drove upside down at its unveil, and by Saturday the question had moved from can it? to who is doing it? Musk's answer, in an X reply to commentator Robert Scoble, was that owners could "perform any of the tricks shown autonomously," as Drive Tesla reported on October 17. Teslarati ran the same quote the same day.
It is a big promise delivered in a social post. This page lays out the statements side by side so you can see where the record is solid and where it is thin.
The ledger
| Statement | Who said it | Status | What is missing |
|---|---|---|---|
| Owners can ask the Roadster to perform the shown tricks autonomously | Elon Musk, X reply, Oct 17 | On the record, as quoted by Drive Tesla and Teslarati | Which tricks, which trims, when, and what software does it |
| The car will do this "as it will be sentient" | Elon Musk, same reply | On the record; Drive Tesla notes it is Musk's phrasing, not a specification | What "sentient" means in engineering terms |
| Tesla will build "a wild looping track (crazier even than Hot Wheels)" at its Texas headquarters for owners to test Roadsters | Elon Musk, X, Oct 17 | On the record, as quoted by Drive Tesla, Teslarati and Not a Tesla App | Location, size, opening date, cost, which trims can use it |
| The Roadster will get a limited version of FSD, not full FSD | Franz von Holzhausen, as relayed by Not a Tesla App from a MotorTrend walkthrough | Reported secondhand; we did not watch the original | Which features are cut |
| The camera hardware is present | Von Holzhausen, per Not a Tesla App | Reported secondhand | Whether it matches current FSD hardware |
| The unveil stunts were performed by FSD | Nobody | Not claimed. Not a Tesla App says the software was likely not FSD; Tesla has not said what ran them | Everything |
"The extreme windshield and idea of just being a performance driving car." Franz von Holzhausen on why FSD is limited, as quoted by Not a Tesla App
The tension, stated carefully
On the face of it, a car that performs stunts on command and a car with limited FSD are not contradictory: stunt software could be a separate, closed-course feature that has nothing to do with driving on public roads. That is a reading, not a fact. Drive Tesla notes the autonomy claim appears to conflict with Musk's earlier statement that the Roadster would be Tesla's last manually driven vehicle, and Not a Tesla App reports Tesla is positioning the car as a driver's car with a steer-by-wire yoke. Nobody has reconciled these on the record.
Teslarati adds that the comments came in an X reply, not an official Tesla product announcement, and that Scoble's point that the occupant isn't really driving was Scoble's own characterization.
Where the skeptics are
Electrek's technical look, published October 15 and modified October 17, questions the headline numbers rather than the autonomy claim, which it does not mention. It calls the thrusters plausible but a "party trick" for jumps, notes the 0.55-second figure for the top trim uses a one-foot rollout, and calls Tesla's downforce figures "potentially unreal." If the performance claims are shaky, the software claims deserve the same patience.
What this means for owners of today's Teslas
Nothing changes in your Model 3 or Model Y. The Roadster is slated for production in 2028, and every software claim above is a statement of intent. If you are tracking what the Roadster means for the lineup, our earlier coverage covers the hardware: how the fans, thrusters and wings work and the unveil checked against every leak and patent.
What we could not confirm
We could not open Musk's X post or the MotorTrend video, so the quotes above are as reported by the outlets named. We found no Tesla press release or product page describing autonomous stunts, no pricing, and no safety-limits language. We do not know whether any stunt feature would be available on all three trims.
FAQ
Will the Roadster have FSD? A limited version, per von Holzhausen as relayed by Not a Tesla App. Which features is unstated.
Did FSD perform the unveil stunts? Tesla has not said. Not a Tesla App says it was likely not FSD.
When does it ship? Production is targeted for 2028.
Frequently asked questions
Will the new Tesla Roadster perform its stunts autonomously?
Elon Musk said in an X reply to commentator Robert Scoble on October 17 that owners could perform any of the tricks shown autonomously, as reported by Drive Tesla and Teslarati. It was an X reply, not an official Tesla product announcement, and it does not say which tricks, which trims, when, or what software does it.
Does the new Tesla Roadster have Full Self-Driving?
A limited version, per chief designer Franz von Holzhausen as relayed by Not a Tesla App from a MotorTrend walkthrough. Which features are cut is unstated. He pointed to the extreme windshield and the idea of a performance driving car.
Is Tesla building a test track for Roadster owners?
Musk said on X on October 17 that Tesla will build a wild looping track at its Texas headquarters for owners to test Roadsters, as quoted by Drive Tesla, Teslarati and Not a Tesla App. No location, size, opening date or cost has been given.
When will the new Tesla Roadster go into production?
The Roadster is slated for production in 2028. Every software claim about it is a statement of intent.
For reporters and researchers. Suggested citation: "EV Bandit, 'Can the New Roadster Run Its Own Stunts?' October 19, 2026, evbandit.com." Have the original MotorTrend exchange, Musk's post, or a Tesla statement? Send it and we will update this page and credit you.
Would you want your car to run its own stunts, or is the point of a Roadster that you do the driving? Tell us in the Tesla Model Y Owners group, 255,000 members strong.
Sources
- Drive Tesla: Elon Musk says Tesla Roadster will perform its stunts autonomously, teases wild Texas test track (Oct 17, 2026)
- Teslarati: Tesla Roadster owners to get "Flying Stunt Mode" and looping track access (Oct 17, 2026)
- Not a Tesla App: Why the New Tesla Roadster Won't Get Full FSD (Oct 17, 2026)
- Not a Tesla App: Tesla to Build Looping 'Hot Wheels' Track for Roadster Owners (Oct 17, 2026)
- Electrek: Are Tesla's claims for its new 'flying' Roadster real? (Oct 15, 2026)