Just when you thought the tech world couldn’t get any more stuffed to the gills with promises of AI salvation and autonomous everything, Elon Musk pops up on Joe Rogan’s podcast to remind us he’s still the undisputed maestro of the “hold my beer” product announcement. This time, he’s dangling the keys to a vehicle so utterly advanced, so utterly paradigm-shifting, that he’s not even sure it still qualifies as a “car”.
During his latest marathon session on The Joe Rogan Experience, Musk cryptically teased an upcoming product demonstration he guaranteed would be “unforgettable.” When pressed, he invoked his mate Peter Thiel’s famous lament: “The future was supposed to have flying cars, but we don’t have flying cars.” The hint was about as subtle as a Falcon Heavy booster touching down on a drone ship. The new machine, Musk claimed, is “crazier than anything James Bond.” He then added, with that characteristic twinkle of a man who knows he’s just set the internet alight, that the reveal could happen before the year is out.
Is This Just the Roadster’s SpaceX Package on Steroids?
Before we all start clearing our rooftops for landing pads, a healthy pinch of salt is definitely in order. Musk has been promising a “flying” Tesla for yonks, specifically tied to the legendary second-generation Roadster. The “SpaceX Package” for the Roadster, first mentioned back in 2018, would supposedly replace the rear seats with a composite-overwrapped pressure vessel feeding a series of cold gas thrusters.
These thrusters, using highly compressed air, would provide dramatic boosts in acceleration, braking, and cornering—and, as Musk drolly added, “maybe they will even allow a Tesla to fly.” Let’s be clear: this is hovering and making short hops, not cruising through the sky like a futuristic commuter. It’s less The Jetsons and more a very angry, very fast grasshopper. The fact that the Roadster itself, unveiled in 2017, remains a phantom in Tesla’s lineup adds another layer of smoke and mirrors to these stratospheric claims.
A Nostalgic Future: We Were Promised Flying Cars
Musk’s reference to Peter Thiel really hits home, tapping into a deep-seated cultural disappointment. Thiel’s quip, “We were promised flying cars, and all we got was 140 characters,” has become a veritable mantra for tech disillusionment. It taps into a retro-futuristic dream shaped by decades of science fiction and cinematic spectacle. To claim his new vehicle outdoes the entire Bond franchise is a particularly audacious gauntlet-throw. Q-Branch, after all, has set an absolutely cracking high bar.
The Q-Branch Wishlist
To appreciate the scale of Musk’s boast, consider the competition:
- Aston Martin DB5 (Goldfinger, 1964): The OG gadget car, equipped with an ejector seat, machine guns, oil slick dispensers, and revolving license plates.
- Lotus Esprit S1 (The Spy Who Loved Me, 1977): A car that casually transforms into a fully functional submarine, complete with surface-to-air missiles.
- Aston Martin V8 Vantage (The Living Daylights, 1987): Outfitted with lasers, rockets, and retractable outrigger skis for icy getaways.
- Aston Martin V12 Vanquish (Die Another Day, 2002): Featured an “adaptive camouflage” cloaking device, making it effectively invisible.
Musk isn’t just promising a faster horse; he’s promising a winged unicorn that can do your taxes.
The Crowded Skies of the eVTOL Market
If Musk is planning something more substantial than a mere thruster-powered hop, he’ll be entering an already bustling airspace. The electric Vertical Take-Off and Landing (eVTOL) sector is positively teeming with well-heeled companies, all vying to become the Uber of the skies.
Companies like Joby Aviation, Archer Aviation, and Wisk Aero are already deep into development and certification processes for their electric air taxis. These are serious aerospace ventures aiming to solve urban mobility with quiet, efficient, and eventually autonomous aircraft. If Tesla plans to compete, it will need more than just clever engineering; it will face a veritable regulatory minefield and entrenched competition.
An Autonomous Contradiction?
Adding another spanner in the works to this story is Musk’s own shifting focus. His new avatar on X (formerly Twitter) features a car bonnet with “THE FUTURE IS AUTONOMOUS” scrawled in graffiti-style paint. This aligns with Tesla’s recent “We, Robot” event, which heavily promoted the forthcoming Robotaxi and the Optimus humanoid robot as the very bedrock of an autonomous future.
How does a hands-on, high-performance flying machine fit into a future where you don’t even need a steering wheel? A flying car seems like the ultimate petrolhead’s plaything, a direct contradiction to the passive, service-oriented transportation model Tesla is publicly betting its future on. Is this a passion project, a clever distraction, or a sign of a much broader, more ambitious strategy that connects personal transport on the ground and in the air?
Whether this turns out to be a Roadster with rocket aspirations, a full-blown Tesla eVTOL, or the most colossal bit of bluster in automotive history, Musk has succeeded in capturing our attention. As he himself admitted, the reveal will be unforgettable, “whether it’s good or bad.” Grab your popcorn. Q-Branch is officially on notice.
