Tesla has reopened reservations for the long-awaited second-generation Roadster, putting the electric sports car back in the spotlight just ahead of its planned October 1, 2026 reveal. The timing is notable because the Roadster has been in limbo for years after first being shown in prototype form back in 2017. Tesla is now once again accepting deposits from buyers who want a place in line, even though the company has yet to reveal the final production car, complete specifications, or a confirmed delivery timeline.

Getting on the reservation list requires a substantial commitment. Tesla is asking for a total deposit of $50,000, with $5,000 paid up front and the remaining $45,000 due by wire transfer within 10 days. The reservation payment is described as refundable, though the size of the deposit alone makes this a much bigger commitment than putting down money on a typical new vehicle. It also comes before Tesla has announced updated pricing for the Roadster, which was originally discussed years ago with a starting price around $200,000.

The Roadster has always been wrapped in some of Tesla’s most ambitious performance claims. When the concept was first shown, Tesla talked about a sub-two-second 0-to-60-mph sprint, a top speed above 250 mph, and roughly 620 miles of range. Elon Musk has since gone much further, repeatedly discussing a SpaceX-related version that could use cold-gas thrusters to enhance acceleration and potentially do things no conventional road car can manage. Those ideas have generated plenty of attention, but final production specifications remain unconfirmed heading into the reveal.

The October 1 event is expected to take place in Waco, Texas, and Tesla’s recent “Go for launch” teaser strongly leans into the Roadster’s connection with SpaceX-inspired technology. That event should finally give us a clearer picture of how much of the original concept has survived nearly nine years of development, what the production car will look like, and whether those headline performance figures are still part of the plan. Just as importantly, buyers will be looking for concrete information on pricing and production timing.

For now, the reopened reservation page is the clearest sign yet that Tesla is preparing to move the Roadster project forward in a more public way. A $50,000 deposit is a steep price for a place in line, especially for a vehicle that has been delayed repeatedly, but the October 1 reveal should answer many of the questions that have followed the Roadster since 2017. If Tesla can turn its years of promises into a finished production car, the Roadster could once again become one of the most talked-about performance EVs on the market.