The New Tesla Roadster Has A Slick Retro-Futuristic User Interface

Tesla shows off the Roadster's 80s-inspired retro display with red graphics, a black background, and plenty of performance data.

Photo by: Tesla

By: Anthony Alaniz

Oct 28, at 3:00pm ET

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The next-generation Tesla Roadster is closer to production than it has been in a decade. The automaker had a wild debut for the car this month, with a new design and plenty of party tricks, and now it's showing off the car’s slick user interface.

The race telematics screen is packed with vital information. It displays battery and motor temperatures, aerodynamics status (including the fan, which is set to Max Grip), and brake and aero balance. It even tracks your lap times.

The interface has a slick, retro aesthetic, with a lot of red against a black background. The short video shows off various vehicle controls, including exterior lighting, media, and settings like individually toggling the barge boards behind the rear fenders, which vent high-pressure air from the front wheels.

Drivers can switch the hood vents, lower the suspension, and set specific aerodynamic settings with a simple touch. The animated Roadster next to the settings changes based on the driver's selection.

Thruster Mode

The display also accommodates information for the booster and thruster system, with statuses for both at the bottom of the track mode screen. The video doesn't show how drivers will engage the system.

We would expect a special splash screen when engaging such a hallmark feature. Tesla is offering for sale a version of the Roadster with cold-gas thrusters, which provides a five-second boost and can take up to six hours to refill.

New Tesla Roadster User Interface

Photo by: Tesla

According to Tesla, the Roadster Thrust can rocket from zero to 60 miles per hour in less than 0.9 seconds. The invite-only Roadster Rocket can do it in 0.59 seconds, with Tesla claiming the car could reach a 330-mile-per-hour top speed. It’s targeting 214 mph for the production model.

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The Long Wait

It has been nearly a decade since Tesla first unveiled the next-generation Roadster, and the car it revealed earlier this month looks nothing like the original. The new coupe is sharper, with a Cybertruck-like aesthetic that carries over into the software.

Tesla says Roadster production will begin sometime next year, and if you know the company, that’s a tentative date. It’s unclear if Tesla will begin producing the non-booster Performance trim or the Roadster Thruster.