DOMINANT ANGLE
Moscow notes the engineering feat of the SpaceX propeller Roadster, while recalling nine years of delays and the blessing of Donald Trump.
Dominant angle identified — does not reflect unanimity of this country’s media
KEY POINTS
- 01
Vedomosti, citing Bloomberg: the prototype climbed a ramp, performed a controlled flip, and jumped over Tesla vehicles, including the Semi.
- 02
The "flying" version only exists in Rocket trim, a single-seater not intended for public roads; production is not expected before 2028.
- 03
Interfax: Donald Trump congratulated Elon Musk, "Я очень рад за Илона. Это очень впечатляет".
ANALYSIS
Moscow, October 16, 2026. The Russian press is treating the presentation of the new Roadster as an engineering spectacle, mainly relayed by agency dispatches and reprints from the American Bloomberg. Vedomosti, citing Bloomberg, reports that Tesla unveiled its model at the SpaceX rocket polygon near Waco, Texas. According to the newspaper, the company has "resuscitated and updated" a car whose production had ceased more than ten years earlier.
The account focuses on the details of the demonstration. The prototype, equipped with "air" thrusters developed with SpaceX engineers, climbed a ramp and performed a controlled flip. It then "jumped" and pivoted above Tesla vehicles, including the Tesla Semi truck, before performing other maneuvers using its engines. Vedomosti adds that the car has an aerospace style, two seats, and a control system borrowed from the Cybertruck. Tesla also released a video where it goes from 0 to 96 km/h in less than one second.
The newspaper specifies the limits of the exercise: the "flying" version only exists in the Rocket trim, and this single-seat example is not intended for circulation on public roads. Production is not expected before 2028. It recalls that the first version was presented in 2017, with 1.9 seconds from 0 to 100 km/h, over 400 km/h at peak and 1,000 km of autonomy, and that "the presentation has always been postponed" for years.
Interfax chooses a different angle, a political one: American President Donald Trump congratulated Elon Musk. "I'm very happy for Elon. It's very impressive," he told journalists, adding: "I don't know if you'll see me in this car." The agency describes the scene, a semi-circular ramp, the car held upside down, then its takeoff, its flip in the air, and its landing. It repeats Musk's promise of a car capable of "flying like a rocket," and the same 2028 horizon for its arrival on the roads.
Neither of the two texts mentions the price, the reservation deposit, or the stock market reaction: the emphasis remains on technical performance, accumulated delays, and the endorsement provided by the White House.
