When Elon Musk announced that the next-generation Tesla Roadster would have a special trim called the “SpaceX Package,” many were skeptical. This was understandable, since the idea of using actual rocket tech from a SpaceX Falcon 9 in an all-electric supercar is crazy. Then again, we’re talking about Elon Musk here, and the man revels in making science fiction into science fact.
Elon Musk has talked about the new Tesla Roadster’s SpaceX Package multiple times since announcing the vehicle. During his appearance at Model 3 owner and Tesla enthusiast Ryan McCaffrey’s Ride the Lightning podcast, Musk mentioned that with the SpaceX Package, the Roadster’s thrust should pull around 3Gs during launch. That’s equal to the thrust of the Space Shuttle.
While much has been said about the new Tesla Roadster’s SpaceX Package, the vehicle’s appearance has not been teased by Tesla. More than a year since it was mentioned, and a big question mark still hovers around the design elements of the special Roadster variant. These circumstances are the perfect scenario for auto enthusiast and render specialist Charlie Automotive, who decided to take a crack at designing a “SpaceX Package” for the upcoming Roadster — but with a twist.
The next-generation Roadster will pretty much be a spaceship on wheels, a car whose performance is practically in the realms of science-fiction. For the render specialist, this makes the Roadster the perfect vehicle for a modern, next-generation take on the iconic time machine from the Back to the Future franchise.
Emblazoned with an understated SpaceX logo on the side, the vehicle features the same stainless steel color and the same details as its DeLorean predecessor, as well as an all-too-important flux capacitor. The Roadster will be futuristic, and this SpaceX Package render is futuristic, without being over the top.
Looking at the design of the rendered vehicle, it is difficult not to be impressed. The balance between the classic flourishes of the time-traveling DeLorean from Back to the Future and the futuristic lines of the new Roadster is well done. One thing is certain, of course. This particular time machine will have no problem hitting 88 mph. It will likely do that in just around 4 seconds, actually.
A fan render of the Tesla Roadster SpaceX Package transforms the all-electric supercar into the Time Machine from the Back to the Future franchise. (Photo: CharlieAutomotive/Instagram)
Update:
Commenting on this creative Tesla Roadster SpaceX Package fan render, Elon Musk has stated that the real SpaceX Package’s will actually be subtle. The vehicle’s cold gas thrusters, for example, will be hidden behind the vehicle’s license plate.
Inasmuch as the next-generation Roadster’s SpaceX Package seems borderline unrealistic, it should be noted that Elon Musk’s performance claims for Tesla’s electric cars have always been accurate, conservative even. Musk has a tendency to overpromise when it comes to the release dates of Tesla’s vehicles, features, and services, but he also has a tendency to underpromise when it comes to his electric cars’ performance.
Take the Model 3 Performance, for example. Musk quoted a 3.5-second 0-60 mph time for the vehicle, but after owners started proving that the electric sedan could hit highway speeds faster than the company’s estimates, Tesla eventually updated the cars’ specs. Today, the Model 3 Performance is quoted with a 0-60 mph time of 3.2 seconds, which is far more accurate.
The next-generation Tesla Roadster is a vehicle created for a simple purpose. It is a supercar that’s designed to remove the halo effect of gasoline cars in terms of performance, which means that it is made to outperform its rivals in every single metric. “We’re going to do things with the new Roadster that are kind of unfair to other cars. (It’s) crushingly good relative to the next best gasoline sports car,” Musk said. This is an astoundingly high target, but it also is undoubtedly, distinctly Tesla.
