Tesla unveiled Roadster 2.0 in 2017 as the second iteration of the company’s first vehicle. Designed for ultra-high performance and potentially capable of more than 250 mph, Roadster 2.0 was the first Tesla vehicle to utilize the company’s tri-motor “Plaid” powertrain. Its name inspired by a reference to high-speed space travel in the Mel Brooks comedy Spaceballs (1987), the Plaid platform features a three-motor layout in which one motor drives the front axle and two drive the rear, offering all-wheel drive and torque-vectoring capability.

Soon after the launch of the Roadster prototype, Elon Musk tweeted about a possible future Space X package that could outfit Roadster with cold-air rocket thrusters, giving it a potential 0-to-60 mph acceleration time of 1.1 seconds and, according to Musk, the unconventional ability to levitate. The prototype also included a two-plus-two interior layout, removable glass roof, curved OLED center display, and a camera system in lieu of traditional mirrors to maximize aerodynamic efficiency.