The Roadster tempts me. But I'm not putting down RMB 332,000 yet

My first reaction to the latest Roadster news was: finally, something is happening again.

Then I saw the production year. 2028.

That’s Musk’s latest timing, according to an October 16 report from Cailian Press. After all the years since the 2017 unveiling, another date doesn’t immediately get me excited. Starting production isn’t the same as handing a car to a buyer in China, either.

I still want to see the car. As for reserving one now, I’ll wait.

Who is it for? I wouldn’t make it my only car

I don’t find the likely buyer hard to picture: everyday transport is already covered, and they want something they simply enjoy owning. Take it out on a sunny weekend. Enjoy looking at it in the garage, too.

Some people love a Ferrari’s sound, others a Porsche’s driving feel. There will also be people drawn to Tesla’s slightly adventurous approach. At this point, saving electricity isn’t really the issue.

If my budget also had to cover family transport, commuting and long trips, I wouldn’t be considering a Roadster. Those needs would come first.

It plays a similar role within Tesla. Model 3 and Model Y sell in volume; the Roadster gives people a reason to think Tesla can still make something surprising. The audience discussing it can be much larger than the audience buying it.

The current Chinese reservation information describes the Performance version as a two-seater, with active aerodynamics and a multimode intake system. The old descriptions of a four-seat sports car may no longer match what is being offered.

I’d like to know what all that feels like on the road. We aren’t at the point where I can answer that yet.

RMB 332,000 is a reservation payment. I’m reluctant to queue this early

Tesla’s Chinese site currently lists an initial payment of RMB 332,000. That’s a reservation payment, not the car’s price.

The frequently quoted US$200,000 and US$250,000 figures were the original 2017 prices for the base and Founders Series versions. With so much time passed and the product changing, converting those figures into a present-day Chinese on-road price doesn’t tell me much.

This is what holds me back: I can’t yet work out the final cost, the specification I’ll receive and the delivery date together. RMB 332,000 can buy an everyday car. I’m not keen to exchange it for a place waiting for updates.

Other people will be happy to. I understand wanting to join the queue early, particularly if you’ve followed Tesla and waited years for this car. But I’d read the Chinese reservation agreement before paying, especially the refund process and what changes when it becomes a firm order. An American report saying a deposit is refundable doesn’t make the Chinese agreement unnecessary.

As for selling it in China, the visible route today is online reservation. My reading is that Tesla can take interest from its keenest buyers first and let the car’s publicity draw attention. We don’t yet have enough information about Chinese allocations, delivery or final pricing to claim we know its full sales plan.

When it comes to buying one, I doubt the salesperson will need to spend long explaining electricity costs per 100 km. I’d spend more time asking where it can be repaired, how long special parts take and what happens if I damage the underbody.

An electric sports car needs more than acceleration now

In 2017, the Roadster’s acceleration figures were memorable by themselves. Today, China already has plenty of very quick EVs.

The Yangwang U9 and MG Cyberster occupy different price brackets and offer different experiences, but they show how much choice has grown for an EV with character. I need the Roadster’s final price before deciding what to compare it with.

If it competes for traditional sports-car money, I’m even more interested in how it drives. One hard launch is impressive. Can it sustain performance for several laps? How are the brakes? Is the steering enjoyable? Those matter more to me than a single demonstration sprint.

Then there are the dull questions that could come up every day: will it clear the garage ramp, is the seat comfortable after an hour, and can I replace a damaged tyre without a saga? Buying a toy doesn’t mean wanting to spend every day looking after it.

Musk’s past talk of a SpaceX cold-gas thruster package, even “flying,” is interesting to watch. I wouldn’t build that into my valuation yet. Let’s see the final Chinese specification and what’s permitted on public roads.

One detail worth keeping straight: 0–60 mph is acceleration to roughly 96.6 km/h, not 0–100 km/h. Both the date and the units matter when reading this car’s specifications.

I’d like driver assistance. The Tesla badge doesn’t confirm the features

You might reasonably ask whether a Tesla this expensive would have FSD.

I’d like to know, too. But as of October 16, 2026, the Chinese reservation information I could find did not establish the complete driver-assistance specification, FSD functions or pricing for the Chinese Roadster. Calling it standard equipment, or promising city driving assistance at delivery, is premature.

I’m perfectly happy to have assistance in a sports car. After a day out, help following traffic in a jam sounds useful. Easier parking would be welcome, too. Enjoying driving and wanting an easier time in congestion aren’t contradictory.

But if driver assistance were my main reason to buy, I’d try cars already delivered with their functions enabled. There’s no need to imagine the Roadster’s future Chinese features for it. Even if supervised FSD is offered, the driver still has to watch the road; it isn’t driverless operation.

So would I buy one? For now, I wouldn’t reserve it. I’d wait for production cars.

Once Chinese pricing is available and there’s a car to try, I’d happily go and see it. If it’s enjoyable to drive and isn’t too troublesome to use, there will still be time to get excited.

What I’d really like to read now is what the first owners think after a few months. I’ve seen plenty of Roadster launch news over the years.

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Sources: Tesla China reservations; Cailian Press, October 16 production timing report; IT Home, September 20 reservation and historical pricing report.