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Next-gen Tesla Roadster’s “Augmented Mode” will enhance drivers’ abilities

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In a recent update on Twitter, Elon Musk revealed that the next-generation Tesla Roadster would feature an “Augmented Mode” that is designed to enhance drivers’ abilities when operating the all-electric supercar.

Musk’s update came as a response to acclaimed YouTube tech reviewer and Tesla owner-enthusiast Marques Brownlee, who inquired if the next-generation Roadster will have Autopilot. Musk promptly responded, confirming the intelligent driver-assist feature and teasing one of the all-electric supercar’s unique capabilities.

While Musk’s mention of Augmented Mode and flying metal suits immediately drew references and comparisons to Marvel’s Iron Man and Tony Stark, Tesla has actually been laying the groundwork for integrating augmented reality technology into its electric cars for years. The electric car and energy company, for one, has been amassing talent with experience in the emerging field. 

Back in late 2016, Tesla hired Andrew Kim as a Lead Designer at the company’s Design Studio in Hawthorne, CA. Prior to this employment at Tesla, Kim worked for Microsoft, where he helped develop the HoloLens headset, a holographic computer that allows users to see and interact with holograms within an environment.

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When Microsoft launched the device back in 2016, the company demoed several uses for the headset, from gaming to holographic conferencing. In the auto industry, Volvo opted to use the HoloLens as a means for potential customers to interact with its vehicles. According to a Trusted Reviews report, the legacy automaker also expects to use the augmented reality technology in its future self-driving car initiatives. 

Kim’s LinkedIn profile currently notes that his work at Tesla involves “leading experiences” in Model S, X, 3, Semi, Roadster, and Y, as well as “confidential future products and experiences.” Considering that Tesla’s vehicles are known for being on the bleeding edge of automotive technology, it is not difficult to speculate that the next-generation Roadster’s Augmented Mode could involve the incorporation of holographic images that can provide information such as suggested routes, driving tips, and safety warnings to drivers when operating the vehicle, similar to the technology showcased by Hyundai during CES 2015. 

Augmented features are actually a perfect match to the all-electric supercar’s interior design. As could be seen in the prototype unveiled last November and the company’s quarterly all-hands promo video, the next-generation Roadster’s dashboard is almost just as, if not more minimalistic, than the Model 3. If any, the next-gen Roadster’s sparse dashboard provides ample space for Tesla to incorporate augmented reality technology.

A white next-gen Tesla Roadster makes an appearance during the 2018 annual shareholders meeting. [Credit: Dennis Pascual/Twitter]

The next-gen Tesla Roadster is nothing short of a beast. The all-electric supercar’s base variant, for one, already breaks several records, with a 0-60 mph time of 1.9 seconds, a quarter-mile time of 8.9 seconds, 10,000 Nm of torque, a range of 620 miles thanks to a 200 kWh battery, and a top speed of more than 250 mph. During Tesla’s 2018 Annual Shareholder Meeting, Musk announced that a SpaceX option would be available for the next-gen Roadster, which would push the capabilities of the electric car even further.

Considering the raw power of the upcoming all-electric supercar, there will only be very few drivers who could properly operate the next-gen Roadster to its full potential. Pushing a car with a top speed of more than 250 mph and a 0-60 mph time of 1.9 seconds at its base trim, after all, requires skill and reflexes that the average driver simply does not have, or at least was not trained to hone. Thus, features such as Augmented Mode would likely be a welcome feature for many future owners of the next-generation Roadster. 

Tesla is steadily increasing its marketing efforts for the next-generation Roadster. During the Tesla’s 2018 Annual Shareholder Meeting, a stunning white variant of the all-electric supercar was unveiled. Last month, Elon Musk also announced that test drives for the vehicle would begin sometime near the end of next year.

Here’s a demonstration of Hyundai’s use of augmented reality technology for its vehicles in CES 2015.

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Simon is an experienced automotive reporter with a passion for electric cars and clean energy. Fascinated by the world envisioned by Elon Musk, he hopes to make it to Mars (at least as a tourist) someday. For stories or tips--or even to just say a simple hello--send a message to his email, simon@teslarati.com or his handle on X, @ResidentSponge.

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Elon Musk

Tesla Roadster owners to get “Flying Stunt Mode” and looping track access

Musk says Roadster owners can command the unveiling stunts autonomously, with a Texas looping track.

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Elon Musk says owners of the new Tesla Roadster will be able to ask the car to perform the stunts Tesla showed at its unveiling, with the car doing the driving itself. Musk made the comment Saturday in a reply on X to tech blogger Robert Scoble, and he added a promise of a looping track at Tesla’s Texas headquarters.

Scoble had argued that the person in the Roadster is not really driving it. In his description, the driver operates a computer that tells another computer what to do, with steering, braking and acceleration all handled by wire. Musk answered, “True. You will be able to ask the Roadster to perform any of the tricks shown autonomously, as it will be sentient. Also, we will have a wild looping track (crazier even than Hot Wheels) at our Texas HQ where you can test out your Roadster.”

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At the October 15 event outside Waco, the car drove up a curved ramp until it was upside down, flew off on cold gas thrusters, flipped and landed. It also hovered over a Cybercab, Cybertruck, Semi, Model Y and Model 3 while moving. As we noted in our breakdown of the three Roadster configurations, Musk said at the event that the car “literally is just going to puff itself up” to perform the maneuvers whenever an owner wants. Saturday’s reply adds that the car would run them on its own.

Tesla has described some of the hardware that would make that possible. The Roadster uses steer by wire with a yoke, and its cold gas thrusters rely on electric actuators for small adjustments in flight. A fan system under the car creates suction, which Tesla says is strong enough to hold it upside down, a setup we covered in our look at the Roadster’s fan system and thrusters.

Musk did not say when an autonomous stunt feature might arrive, how it would work, or what he means by sentient. He also gave no size, location or opening date for the Texas track. Production is planned for Giga Texas in 2027 or 2028, and Tesla says the car is not approved for public road use. The Rocket version, the one built to fly, is invite only.

The comment follows a week of Musk teasing the event, including his claim that the demo would be a banger, which we covered before the stream. Tesla reports third quarter earnings on October 21, and shareholders can submit and vote on questions through the Say portal until 4 p.m. EDT on October 20, according to our earnings Q&A preview. A question about autonomous Roadster stunts and the Texas track would be a quick way to get specifics from management.

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Elon Musk

How to use Grok Bot to block spam calls and texts

Musk told users to ask Grok Bot to scrub their phone numbers from spam lists.

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Elon Musk has a new use case for Grok Bot, and it is the spam call. On Thursday he replied to an X user named Arash with a short instruction: “Ask your @Grok @Bot to remove your phone number from spam call & text lists!” Arash had said he got tired of the calls, had an AI bot find his number on listing sites and file removal requests, and packaged the process as a free skill for others.

The skill is called Spam-Call Scrubber, which is described to find a phone number on people search sites and data brokers, submits the opt outs, completes the confirmation emails those sites send back, and rechecks on a schedule the user picks. Using it requires the Grok Bot app. The pitch is time saved, since most broker opt outs sit behind separate forms on separate sites.



Musk said Grok Bot now gives each bot its own email address, and that it can detect scam emails. On Thursday he also said SpaceX would make users whole if the bot botches a purchase or leaks a card, then told users to shop away from Amazon after the retailer blocked the agent, as Teslarati reported. The terms of service we reviewed at the time put responsibility for what an agent does on the user.

For Tesla owners, Grok Bot is not just a phone app. Tesla brought Grok Bot into its vehicles on September 22, and we argued earlier this week that the Cybercab’s real advantage may be the errands it runs during a ride. Every Cybercab and the rest of the Model Y Robotaxi fleet has it enabled. The more routine tasks like this one become, the more a rider has reason to hand over something personal in the back seat.

The new Spam-Call Scrubber skill can be downloaded for free and works on sites that honor removal requests, while noting that listings can reappear, and illegal robocallers do not check any registry. Whether Spam-Call Scrubber cuts anyone’s call volume is something the first wave of users will find out, and Musk’s endorsement guarantees that wave is coming.

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Investor's Corner

Tesla’s flying Roadster just revealed something bigger than the car

Analysts say the Roadster demo puts a Tesla and SpaceX merger back on the table.

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Tesla’s new Roadster, upside down and trailing cold gas thruster smoke, flips over a lineup of Tesla vehicles at the Roadster unveiling near Waco, Texas on October 15, 2026. (Image: Tesla)
Tesla’s new Roadster, upside down and trailing cold gas thruster smoke, flips over a lineup of Tesla vehicles at the Roadster unveiling near Waco, Texas on October 15, 2026. (Image: Tesla)

The Roadster unveiling near Waco ended Thursday night, and by Friday morning much of the investor reaction had less to do with the car than with who owns the rocket technology inside it.

Wedbush analyst Dan Ives said the event “puts the Tesla/SpaceX relationship on the table in a tangible way,” pointing to the propulsion, pressure vessel and control hardware sitting on a Tesla product. Gene Munster of Deepwater Asset Management called the demo “a ridiculous display of engineering” with “no commercial value” beyond embarrassing traditional automakers, though he said it showed Musk wants the two companies together.

The more specific forecast came a day earlier from Barclays. Analyst Dan Levy told clients a deal could be announced before Tesla’s annual meeting, which must happen by December 6, and that an announcement in late October or early November could make shareholder approval harder. Barclays expects SpaceX to be the buyer in an all stock deal, with Tesla holders receiving SpaceX shares at a premium, based on market values of roughly $2.1 trillion for SpaceX and $1.5 trillion for Tesla. If nothing lands around the meeting, the bank still sees an announcement within 6 to 12 months.

The Roadster demo just added more weight to merger speculations. Tesla’s demo used cold gas thrusters and pressure tanks of the kind SpaceX uses on Falcon 9, and Musk described the car as a collaboration between Tesla and SpaceX engineers, as we mentioned in our breakdown of the three Roadster configurations.


Musk has not publicly addressed a deal since the event, as far as we have seen. His most direct answer remains the one he gave at the All In Summit, when he said that with so much collaboration, “who can imagine what action one might take” without ruling anything out. Ives has held to a 2027 timeline since his March note, and Musk pushed back on the China piece of the speculation when ARK floated a year end announcement in August.

The next test is Tesla’s third quarter earnings call on October 21. However, we recall in July that Musk told analysts, “we can’t talk about combining companies and that kind of thing on an earnings call,” so a clear answer wouldn’t be expected.

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