Dan Ives says Musk's SpaceX-thruster Roadster reveal changed SpaceX merger game

What happened?

1. Tesla unveiled the redesigned Roadster at an event outside Waco, Texas on October 15, 2026, developed with SpaceX (Reuters via The Hindu; TechCrunch).
2. During demonstrations, via a suction system, the vehicle drove upside-down along a ramp, spun in mid-air, touched down with built-in thrusters, and afterwards leaped over a Cybercab, a Cybertruck, a Tesla Semi, a Model Y, and a Model 3 (TechCrunch).
3. A long-delayed vehicle will at last be built by Tesla in 2028, according to Musk, who provided no purchase price; a 0-60 mph time of one second was shown by Tesla (TechCrunch).
4. Tesla's website listed reservation deposits of $50,000 for the Performance trim, $250,000 for Thrust, and described the Rocket trim as invite only (TechCrunch).
5. Engineering VP Lars Moravy said ten thrusters run on 600 liters of compressed air, with carbon fiber overwrapped pressure vessels filling usable space; all three trims are stated at 300 miles of range and speeds above 230 mph (TechCrunch).
6. Tesla's EV sales declined over the past two years. High gas prices helped third-quarter deliveries.

Tesla showed a Roadster using SpaceX-built cold-gas thrusters to lift, rotate and land during an October 15, 2026 event, with production stated for 2028.

A machine summary written from the reports listed below; read them for the full account. How summaries are made and what is checked.