Porsche CEO takes a shot at Tesla’s ‘flying’ Roadster stunt show

Tesla Roadster image: Tesla. Porsche Mission S image: Porsche Tesla’s “flying” Roadster just took a hit from Porsche. Speaking at a conference in Berlin today, CEO Michael Leiters said Porsche wants “to completely steer clear from any kind of effects and shows,” according to Bloomberg. Both automakers revealed their next halo cars on the same day, October 15. Tesla made a Roadster flip in mid-air. Porsche showed the Mission S, and Leiters says the two cars aren’t even chasing the same customers. Thrusters vs. a supercar concept Tesla finally unveiled the next-gen Roadster last month, almost nine years after the 2017 prototype. The main event was a car using compressed-air thrusters to launch off a ramp, rotate in the air, and come back down on its wheels. It was the payoff for months of hype. Musk spent most of the year promising a “flying” Roadster demo, and it slipped more than once. We reported in June that it had been pushed to August to make room for SpaceX thruster work. There are three versions. The Performance trim uses suction fans and claims 0-60 mph in under 1.6 seconds, the Thrust trim adds rear cold-gas thrusters for a claimed sub-0.9-second run, and the single-seat Rocket trim gets thrusters all around the car and isn’t approved for public roads. Tesla gave no price and no production date, just Musk’s “2028, actually.” Porsche went the other way. Under the skin, the Mission S can take either a hybrid or a straight combustion powertrain. It’s a mid-engine car that sits above the 911 in the lineup, and well above it in price. Leiters said customer response has been “overwhelming” and that Porsche would rather show off real technical innovation than put on a show. If it reaches production, Ferrari is the obvious target, and Porsche hasn’t played in that segment since the 918 Spyder. Porsche is counting on a pricier, more exclusive lineup to rebuild its profits. Not everyone in the supercar world agrees with Leiters. Ferrari CEO Benedetto Vigna rated Tesla’s Roadster launch “10 out of 10” last month. Electrek’s Take Leiters has a point, even if Porsche pitching a gas and hybrid supercar as “technical innovation” in 2026 is a bit rich. But what bothers me more is who Tesla is aiming at. I’m concerned Tesla is starting to appeal to the lowest common denominator: people who watch a Roadster hop off a ramp and believe an actual flying car is coming. Musk pushed that idea himself. On Joe Rogan’s show, he called the upcoming demo “unforgettable” and said that if Peter Thiel wants a flying car, “we should be able to buy one.” That’s not real. Cold-gas thrusters work like a giant can of compressed air, and the math is brutal. The Rocket trim carries 400 liters of air at 10,000 psi, roughly 200 kg of gas. At the roughly 80 kN its rear thrusters produce, even a very efficient nozzle empties that tank in a few seconds. Then refilling it takes six to seven hours. So the Roadster’s “flying” will always be limited to stunts like this one. No hopping over traffic. No hovering. A couple of seconds of air, then a long wait at a compressor. That’s great for a viral clip. But this is a car that dropped from a promised 620 miles of range in 2017 to “over 300” today, and Tesla would rather sell people on a flight the physics can’t deliver. It’s hard for me to get excited for that. As a BEV enthusiast, I’m not more excited about Porsche’s ICE Mission S, but at least I trust Porsche to actually deliver that to customers. If you’re buying an EV, powering it with home solar can cut your fuel costs to nearly zero. With electricity rates up almost 10% last year and expected to keep climbing, going solar is one of the best ways to protect yourself against rising costs. And with lease and PPA options, you can do it with zero upfront cost and start saving immediately. If you want to find the best deal, check out EnergySage. It’s a free service with hundreds of pre-vetted installers competing for your business, so you save 20 to 30% compared to going it alone. No sales calls until you pick an installer. Get your free quotes here. FTC: We use income earning auto affiliate links. More.