With a 230 mph top speed and the ability to literally lift off the ground, Tesla’s latest offering, the Roadster 2, is setting a new standard for hypercars. At the unveiling, the car launched itself over Tesla’s entire lineup, accelerated to 60 mph in a fraction of a second and then leapt off a ramp, flipping upside down mid-air before landing gracefully. How? It’s all down to some cutting-edge tech, including a 'sucker system' and cold gas thrusters borrowed from SpaceX.

‘We wanted to make sure we don’t kill anyone during the gravity-defying demo,’ said Elon Musk, but the car’s performance is nothing short of astonishing. The 20-kilowatt fans, designed to mimic the propellers from the Lotus Esprit in the James Bond film, work with the car’s thrusters to create a unique form of traction that allows it to cling to the road at lower speeds.

The Roadster 2 will come in two models: the Performance, which will hit 60 mph in 1.6 seconds, and the Thrust, which will reach that mark in a blistering 1.2 seconds. A single-seater, the Thrust model is equipped with the full flight system, including six extra thrusters and a 600-liter nitrogen tank for a truly out-of-this-world driving experience.

But what of the future? Can this technology revolutionize the automotive industry or is it just a gimmick? Only time will tell, but for now, the Roadster 2 is a reminder of how much can change in the world of cars.