Tesla just unveiled a Roadster that can launch itself into the air using rocket-inspired thrusters, and the internet has wasted no time imagining what else those thrusters might be good for.
Flying over traffic? Sure. Pulling off a midair flip? Already demonstrated. But one TikTok creator has come up with a feature that might persuade even the most dedicated Tesla skeptics to open their wallets.
It involves five cyclists, a narrow country road, and a rather unconventional approach to sharing the pavement.
The fictional video is gloriously ridiculous, particularly if you’ve ever found yourself stuck behind a group of cyclists with nowhere to pass.
A Different Kind of Passing Maneuver
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@schlussstrich100 That’s what it was designed for First thing I do with the new Tesla Roadster. #tesla #roadster #teslamodelx #teslacar #teslaroadster ♬ Originalton – Schlussstrich
Posted by TikTok user @schlussstrich100, the clip begins with five cyclists riding along a country road. A white sports car approaches from behind and moves out to pass.
Then the driver apparently activates the Roadster’s thrusters.
An enormous blast erupts from the car, sending cyclists and bicycles tumbling through the air and off the pavement. The car continues down the road, leaving a cloud of white exhaust and a suddenly unobstructed lane.
The caption delivers the punchline: “That’s what it was designed for.”
Of course, the scene is digitally fabricated. Tesla hasn’t developed a cyclist-removal feature, and no actual riders were launched into the countryside. The joke plays on the longstanding friction between motorists and cyclists, especially when a pack of bicycles occupies a narrow road.
Suddenly, People Want a Tesla
The response has been extraordinary. A screenshot of the TikTok shows more than 836,000 likes and 508,000 shares, while the comments reveal an unlikely constituency for Tesla’s newest sports car.
“I never thought I’d want to buy Tesla until now;)” wrote one commenter, attracting more than 59,000 likes.
Another joked, “You know what my hatred of cyclists eclipses my dislike for Tesla,” earning more than 8,000 likes.
Others suggested Tesla should make the fictional demonstration its official advertising campaign. One commenter, who identified themselves as a former road cyclist, admitted finding it funny.
The reactions highlight the particular absurdity of the meme. A technology intended to make an electric supercar accelerate faster, maneuver in the air, and potentially fly has been repurposed into the world’s most elaborate passing maneuver.
The Real Roadster Is Already Wild Enough
Tesla unveiled its next-generation Roadster on October 15 at a SpaceX facility in Texas. During the presentation, a prototype used high-pressure gas thrusters to launch into the air, perform an aerial maneuver, and land.
Tesla has outlined three configurations: Performance, Thrust, and Rocket. The Thrust version adds rear-mounted cold-gas thrusters, while the Rocket configuration includes additional thrusters positioned around the vehicle for more dramatic maneuvers.
The company also demonstrated extraordinary acceleration, including a claimed 0-to-60-mph run of approximately 0.8 seconds. Production is targeted for 2028, so the technology remains a long way from ordinary customers’ garages.
The elaborate demonstration has already inspired jokes about airborne traffic jams, insurance coverage, and road signs for flying cars. The cyclist video takes that creativity in a rather more mischievous direction.
For the record, cyclists have a right to use the road, and a real blast powerful enough to throw riders and bicycles into the air would be anything but funny.
Fortunately, this is a cartoonishly exaggerated internet joke. And judging by the comments, some people have finally found the Tesla feature they’ve been waiting for.