Is the Roadster Flying Video Real? The Kickflip and Ramp Stunt Explained

Short answer: the stunts happened in front of a live audience and fact-checkers found no sign of AI or editing in the original footage. But it was a short, uncrewed stunt by a prototype, not sustained flight, and the many clips of other cars doing the same flip are AI recreations.

What happened at the reveal

On the night of October 15, 2026, the next-generation Roadster was revealed at a livestreamed event in Texas. Two stunts went viral:

The kickflip: an uncrewed prototype drove toward a line of parked vehicles, fired cold-gas thrusters, lifted off, rolled a full 360 degrees in the air and used air jets to soften the landing.
The ramp: the car drove up a tall curved ramp until it was upside down, held on by an underbody fan that sucks it onto the surface, then came off the lip and flipped back onto its wheels.

The company also claimed 0–60 mph in 0.81 seconds and a production start in 2028.

Was it real or AI?

Fact-checkers rated the footage as real. Snopes found nothing suggesting it was AI-generated or digitally edited, and audience members posted their own phone clips from different angles that match the official video. Top Gear reported that its staff watched the demos in person.

Some commentators argued parts of the livestream looked pre-recorded and that the car used for the stunts was likely a lightened, purpose-built prototype. Neither point means the stunt was faked, but both are fair reasons for caution about what a production car will do.

Can the Roadster actually fly?

Not in the way a plane or a drone flies. What was shown were short, controlled hops powered by thrusters, not sustained flight from place to place. The prototype had no driver, the flight-capable package is not approved for public roads, and the car is not in production yet. “Flying car” is marketing shorthand for a very spectacular jump.

Why is my feed full of other cars doing the flip?

Those clips are almost all AI recreations. A video model takes the real stunt as a motion reference and swaps in a different vehicle from a photo, keeping the camera, timing and smoke. That is why you see minivans, pickups and bicycles pulling off the exact same roll.

Roadster AI is one of these tools: upload a photo of your car, pick the kickflip or ramp stunt, and you get a short clip with sound. It is independent and not affiliated with any car maker. If you share one, label it as AI-generated so nobody mistakes it for the real thing.

How to spot an AI copy

The car is not the new Roadster but the scene, smoke and camera move are identical to the reveal.
Badges, wheels or number plates blur or change shape during the roll.
The clip is 5–10 seconds long and ends right after the landing.
The account posts many cars doing the same stunt.

Want your own car in the shot?

Upload one photo and Roadster AI recreates the kickflip with your car. Label the video as AI-generated when you share it.

Kickflip my car

Frequently asked questions

Was the Roadster kickflip CGI?

Fact-checkers found no evidence of CGI or AI in the original footage, and audience videos corroborate it. The stunt was performed by an uncrewed prototype.

Did someone drive the Roadster during the flip?

No. Coverage of the event reports that the prototype had no human driver during the stunts.

When can you buy the flying Roadster?

The company says production starts in 2028. The flight-capable version was described as single-seat and invite-only, and it is not approved for public roads.

How do people make videos of their own car flipping?

With an AI video generator that uses the real stunt as a motion reference and replaces the car with one from a photo. Roadster AI does this from a single photo.

Is the Roadster Flying Video Real?