Tesla Gives New Roadster a Fighter-Jet Cockpit Screen

AUSTIN, Texas — Tesla just pulled back the curtain on the most dramatic cabin it has ever designed. In a 34-second clip posted to X, the company showed the next-generation Roadster's user interface for the first time, with a layout it says was "inspired by fighter jet cockpits" and "designed around the pilot." It is a fitting screen for a car that Tesla claims can hover and briefly take flight.

Instead of a map, the Roadster's home page places a 3D wireframe of the car itself front and center, flanked by a squared-off yoke and two smaller forward displays. Bottom tabs read Home, Vehicle, Listen, Climate, and Navigate. Rear-wing controls toggle between low-drag and high-downforce positions, and a charging page adds a charge-limit bar and a music player. It is a clean, driver-first environment that extends the theatrical ambition Tesla showed when it re-unveiled the Roadster as a car that hovers and takes flight.

A Track Mode Built for Data

The clip's standout is Track Mode, which turns the display into a race engineer's dashboard. It shows a live circuit map, session lap times, brake and motor temperatures, and per-tire pressure and temperature readouts. A dedicated setup page lets the driver pick Auto, Low Drag, High Downforce, or Custom aero modes, fine-tune aero and brake balance, and switch off stability and traction control for the track.

That depth of telemetry hints at how serious Tesla is about the Roadster's performance credentials, which already include the sub-second 0-60 mph claims that stunned the industry when Tesla opened Roadster orders.

The Thruster Gauge Steals the Show

The most eye-catching element is a status bar reading "Thruster · 5,500 PSI" beside a "Boost Ready" indicator. It ties directly to the cold-gas thruster hardware Tesla demonstrated near Waco, Texas, on October 15, fed by carbon-overwrapped pressure vessels. Tesla lists 0-60 mph times under 0.9 seconds, and under 0.59 seconds for the thruster-equipped versions, while the base Performance model leans on a fan and ground-sealing system for grip.

On Display Now, On Roads Later

The Roadster is on display in the lobby of the Petersen Automotive Museum in Los Angeles from October 24 through 27, giving the public its first close look. Reservations remain open with a $50,000 deposit; the limited Thrust version and invite-only Rocket variant sit at the top of the lineup, though Tesla notes Rocket is not approved for public roads.

Musk has said Roadster production begins in 2028, and Tesla cautions that the interface could still change before deliveries. Even so, the reveal — detailed in Teslarati's breakdown of the UI — shows a halo car taking shape screen by screen, and a company confident enough to let a thruster gauge sit where a fuel readout used to be.