DOMINANT ANGLE
Rome is primarily focused on the technical spectacle: the Italian press describes a Roadster flying thanks to SpaceX's propellers, while recalling the nine-year wait and the deposits paid.
Dominant angle identified — does not reflect unanimity of this country’s media
KEY POINTS
- 01
The presentation took place on Thursday, October 15, 2026, at a SpaceX test site in Texas; Tesla announces series production starting in 2028.
- 02
The Roadster announces a 0 to 100 km/h in under one second and 370 km/h, with SpaceX thrusters and a vacuum system allowing it to drive upside down.
- 03
Panorama recalls the reservations opened in 2017: a $50,000 deposit for the standard model and $250,000 for the Founders Series.
ANALYSIS
Rome, October 16, 2026. The Italian government is taking note of a new development in the automotive industry, as a Italian newspaper, La Repubblica, opens with a play on words: "If time hasn't really flown, it's the car that's taking charge." The daily describes the presentation of the new generation of the Roadster, held on Thursday, October 15, 2026, at a SpaceX test site in Texas, as a launch in the true sense of the word. The electric two-seater announces a 0 to 100 km/h in under one second and 370 km/h at peak speed. It features devices designed with SpaceX: "air rockets" that allow it to take off over short distances and land like a space module, and a suction system that keeps it stuck to the road, even upside down.
The account of the demonstration is detailed. Elon Musk had the car drive up a ramp with its head down, then perform a rotation in the air followed by a landing on its integrated thrusters. In another figure, the Roadster flies over a group of Tesla vehicles, including a Semi truck, while spinning. Panorama mentions five other Tesla vehicles being jumped. After the jump, Musk stated: "Flying cars are a reality." La Repubblica evokes a Batmobile out of Gotham City, a science fiction vehicle like Blade Runner, and notes that Tesla promises mass production starting in 2028.
Panorama emphasizes the length of the wait. After nine years of announcements and deposits paid, some spectators had been waiting for the car since 2017, when Tesla opened reservations for $50,000 for the standard model and $250,000 for the Founders Series. The magazine specifies that the demonstration aimed to combine automotive engineering and aerospace technologies, at a time when Tesla is investing more in autonomous driving and robotics. According to Musk, the Roadster could become "the only manually driven car produced by Tesla." Panorama refers to the Wall Street Journal for still uncertain delivery times.
The two titles maintain a measured distance. La Repubblica judges the whole thing "spectacular, including from a marketing point of view" and notes that it is unknown whether these functions can be used legally on the road. Panorama presents the spectacle as a means of highlighting Musk's ambitions and putting the automobile back in the spotlight. The Italian coverage remains focused on the feat, the promise, and the calendar; the stock market and price are not the main focus.
