Tesla Unveils Roadster With Cold-Gas Thrusters Amid 2028 Delay
TBPN
Tesla's rocket-powered Roadster showcase risks alienating early reservation holders who face a 2028 production timeline, sparking fierce debate over whether extreme performance features like cold-gas thrusters justify a decade of capital lockup.
AI-assisted summary of We Review ‘You Can See Everything’, Tesla Unveils Rocket Powered-Roadster | Diet TBPN — original source. Check the original for full context.
Source published:
Key ideas
- Tesla showcased its long-delayed Roadster with wild cold-gas thruster and kickflip demonstrations, but deflated excitement by targeting production for 2028, sparking frustration among early reservation holders who placed deposits in 2017. (6:26)
- Porsche unveiled its Mission S concept on the same day, showcasing screenless, heritage-driven analog design that directly contrasts with Tesla's radical sci-fi propulsion experiments. (20:00)
- Tech and AI stocks suffered heavy Friday sell-offs, with the Nasdaq sliding over 2% intraday and dropping 4.7% for the week, on track for its steepest weekly decline since the tariff turmoil. (27:20)
- A private screening poll of Nathan Fielder's Elizabeth Holmes film 'You Can See Everything' revealed that 14 of 16 tech founders and investors felt more sympathetic toward Holmes, while all 16 felt more negative toward Billy Evans. (3:41)
Detailed notes
## Background Published by tech talk show channel TBPN on YouTube on October 17, 2026, this episode of Diet TBPN delivers a condensed 30-minute recap of the daily live broadcast hosted by John Coogan and Jordi Hays. According to the show description, the episode features a review of Nathan Fielder's Elizabeth Holmes documentary 'You Can See Everything' alongside breakdown coverage of Tesla's newly unveiled rocket-powered Roadster.
## TL;DR John Coogan and Jordi Hays award a 10 out of 10 to Nathan Fielder's absurd yet surprisingly humanizing Elizabeth Holmes documentary, 'You Can See Everything', analyzing an early investor screening poll and mimicking the film's tight camera framing. The hosts then dissect Tesla's theatrical Roadster reveal, praising the jaw-dropping physics of ramp kickflips and cold-gas thrusters while expressing deep frustration over its slipped 2028 production timeline and steep deposit commitments. After contrasting Tesla's sci-fi ambition against Porsche's nostalgic Mission S concept, they break down a sharp Friday tech sell-off on the Nasdaq and celebrate colleague Tyler Cosgrove being quoted in The Wall Street Journal.
## Atmosphere & style The show moves with rapid-fire, comedic tech-bro banter that oscillates between genuine engineering awe and biting, self-aware cynicism. From deadpan Nathan Fielder impressions and deliberate, claustrophobic camera close-ups to roasting Elon Musk's juvenile vacuum jokes, the dynamic between Coogan and Hays feels like an irreverent, insider debrief among friends. It captures the chaotic emotional whiplash of following modern Silicon Valley—veering instantly from the surreal spectacle of flying sports cars to the sobering reality of delayed delivery dates and bleeding stock portfolios.
## Bulletin - [06:26](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Giy8Fl5bKPA&t=386s) Tesla showcased its long-delayed Roadster with wild cold-gas thruster and kickflip demonstrations, but deflated excitement by targeting production for 2028, sparking frustration among early reservation holders who placed deposits in 2017. - [20:00](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Giy8Fl5bKPA&t=1200s) Porsche unveiled its Mission S concept on the same day, showcasing screenless, heritage-driven analog design that directly contrasts with Tesla's radical sci-fi propulsion experiments. - [27:20](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Giy8Fl5bKPA&t=1640s) Tech and AI stocks suffered heavy Friday sell-offs, with the Nasdaq sliding over 2% intraday and dropping 4.7% for the week, on track for its steepest weekly decline since the tariff turmoil. - [03:41](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Giy8Fl5bKPA&t=221s) A private screening poll of Nathan Fielder's Elizabeth Holmes film 'You Can See Everything' revealed that 14 of 16 tech founders and investors felt more sympathetic toward Holmes, while all 16 felt more negative toward Billy Evans.
## Key takeaways - [00:00](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Giy8Fl5bKPA&t=0s) Nathan Fielder's documentary 'You Can See Everything' humanizes Elizabeth Holmes unexpectedly, concluding with emotional footage of her pumping breast milk before reporting to prison. - [03:41](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Giy8Fl5bKPA&t=221s) An informal survey of tech investors conducted by Liz Wessel showed a massive shift toward sympathy for Holmes, while feelings toward Billy Evans soured universally. - [06:26](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Giy8Fl5bKPA&t=386s) The Tesla Roadster presentation served as another preliminary design reveal rather than a production launch, postponing actual assembly to at least 2028. - [06:26](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Giy8Fl5bKPA&t=386s) Early reservation holders who deposited $250,000 for Founders Series models in 2017 have effectively given Tesla a near-decade-long interest-free loan at massive opportunity cost. - [08:58](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Giy8Fl5bKPA&t=538s) The inclusion of SpaceX cold-gas thrusters and spacesuit-wearing drivers suggests Tesla is using the Roadster to highlight corporate convergence across Elon Musk's companies. - [10:00](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Giy8Fl5bKPA&t=600s) Live demonstration stunts saw the prototype vehicle fly over six feet high, mount an incline ramp, and perform a mid-air kickflip before landing. - [12:35](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Giy8Fl5bKPA&t=755s) Safety concerns surround the car's 10,000 PSI pressurized thruster canisters, with Tesla expected to geofence public roads to prevent accidental or reckless mid-traffic discharges. - [15:06](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Giy8Fl5bKPA&t=906s) Inverting thruster power and using underbody vacuum fans could generate massive downforce, potentially pushing track lap times at COTA and the Nürburgring into Formula 1 territory. - [17:28](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Giy8Fl5bKPA&t=1048s) With only 1.5 to 2 seconds of sustained thrust, the Roadster functions practically as a 'jumping car' rather than true airborne personal transit. - [20:00](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Giy8Fl5bKPA&t=1200s) Porsche's Mission S exemplifies deliberate, retro-focused design stagnation inspired by the 959 and 911 GT1, contrasting Tesla's pursuit of physics-bending propulsion. - [23:50](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Giy8Fl5bKPA&t=1430s) Securing a thruster-equipped Roadster requires wiring $245,000 within 10 days of a $5,000 deposit, while pricing for the kickflip model remains invite-only. - [23:50](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Giy8Fl5bKPA&t=1430s) Elon Musk continues to straddle the line between genuine engineering titan and Barnum & Bailey-style showman by combining orbital rocket feats with over-the-top party tricks. - [27:20](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Giy8Fl5bKPA&t=1640s) Markets experienced a sharp tech rout on Friday, led by Nasdaq losses that prompted warnings of possible hedge fund liquidations over the weekend. - [28:47](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Giy8Fl5bKPA&t=1727s) TBPN team member Tyler Cosgrove was profiled by The Wall Street Journal regarding tech culture and the 'Cheeky Pint' viral phenomenon.
## Detailed walkthrough ### [00:00](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Giy8Fl5bKPA&t=0s) Reviewing Nathan Fielder’s Elizabeth Holmes Film ‘You Can See Everything’
The hosts open by mimicking Nathan Fielder’s signature deadpan interview technique from his new film *You Can See Everything*, repeatedly asking, “Why do you feel that way? Why do you think that way?” They joke that Elizabeth Holmes should have shut him down by arguing that “why” questions are overdetermined, noting that a Fielder crossover with the concept of the Antichrist would be the only way to top this project. While the Theranos saga was massive news a decade ago, both hosts rate the film a definitive “10 out of 10,” praising it as an absurd, psychedelic instant classic that remains riveting even if viewers already know every beat of Holmes's downfall.
The aesthetic of the film sparked heavy debate in their studio. Shot in a cramped Del Mar beach house, the cinematography looks pristine and beautifully lit, prompting arguments over whether heavy visual effects, elaborate exterior 10x10 diffusion rigs, or simply world-class camera operators with elite lenses were responsible. Inspired by the film's visual language, the hosts even ditched their in-ear monitors (IEMs) for bulky over-ear studio headphones and had their control room frame the broadcast in an extreme, tight close-up. Beyond the craftsmanship and playful A24 nods, the documentary humanizes Holmes in an unexpected way, lingering through intimate days with her children and ending with an emotional scene of her pumping breast milk right before reporting to prison. Addressing why Holmes or her partner Billy Evans would ever subject themselves to Fielder's lens, the hosts point out that when facing an eleven-year sentence, Holmes had nothing left to lose:
> “When the trailer came out, a lot of people were asking like, why would she agree to do this? And I really think it's like, you're serving 11 years in prison, there's nowhere to go but up.”
[03:41](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Giy8Fl5bKPA&t=221s) The Liz Wessel Screening Poll and In-Studio Cinematography Shenanigans
The hosts highlight an informal survey conducted by First Round Capital investor Liz Wessel, who brought 150 founders, builders, and tech investors to an early screening. Despite hosting a large crowd, Wessel casually polled only 16 attendees about their impressions. The results were striking: 14 out of 16 participants reported feeling more sympathetic toward Elizabeth Holmes after watching the film, while only one felt more negative and one remained unchanged. Conversely, all 16 respondents walked away feeling significantly more negative about Billy Evans.
Mid-discussion, the show’s comedic framing derails the conversation. As the hosts notice the crew laughing in the background, Jordy reveals that his wife just texted the production team thinking the broadcast was broken because the cameras were punched in so tightly on their faces. Jordy notes that during his first viewing, a fire broke out near his house two hours into the film, forcing him to juggle emergency texts and plan a second theater visit that very night.
| Metric / Question (Liz Wessel Poll of 16 Attendees) | Result | |:--- |:--- | | **Sentiment on Elizabeth Holmes: More Positive** | 14 / 16 | | **Sentiment on Elizabeth Holmes: More Negative** | 1 / 16 | | **Sentiment on Elizabeth Holmes: Unchanged** | 1 / 16 | | **Sentiment on Billy Evans: More Negative** | 16 / 16 |
[06:26](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Giy8Fl5bKPA&t=386s) The Tesla Roadster Reveal and the 2028 Production Disappointment
The hosts pivot from cinema to automotive heartbreak as John Coogan explains his outfit, revealing that he recently put down a $5,000 deposit on the new Tesla Roadster—only to immediately contemplate requesting a refund. While the presentation delivered an incredible spectacle of engineering theater, the air was sucked out of the room by the revelation that production will not actually begin until 2028. Many observers assumed this event was meant to mark the vehicle's production launch and customer rollout rather than yet another preliminary design reveal.
The timeline hits especially hard for early adopters who shelled out Founders Series deposits nearly a decade ago. The hosts calculate the brutal opportunity cost suffered by anyone who handed Elon Musk a $250,000 interest-free loan back in 2017 rather than putting that capital into the S&P 500, where it would have multiplied several times over. Furthermore, a stated target of 2028 in automotive development leaves room for painful slips into 2029 or beyond, with multi-year delivery queues meaning late reservation holders might wait until the 2030s to take delivery. Expressing his sheer frustration with the wait, John laments:
> “I was under the assumption that this was the launch of the Roadster, that this was not the reveal.”
[08:58](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Giy8Fl5bKPA&t=538s) Cold Gas Thrusters, Kickflips, and the Tesla–SpaceX Convergence
The hosts criticize Tesla for complicating what should have been a straightforward supercar execution. Instead of simply building a stunning, lightning-fast halo car, the reveal leaned heavily into outlandish science-fiction promises, including SpaceX cold gas thrusters, rocket tech, and claims that the car could perform kickflips. The hosts argue that Tesla re-raised the stakes unnecessarily when buyers just wanted an ultra-high-performance sports car with modern Full Self-Driving capabilities:
> “All you had to do was beautiful car that goes fast.”
```mermaid flowchart TD accTitle: Tesla Roadster Strategic Rationale accDescr: Diagram illustrating the two main pressures behind Tesla unveiling the Roadster years before production.
subgraph Drivers["Motivations for Premature 2026 Reveal"] A["10,000+ Backlogged Reservations<br/>(Waiting Since 2017)"] B["Tesla–SpaceX Integration Narrative<br/>(Ecosystem Synergy)"] end
subgraph Stunt["Theatrical Demo Fleet"] C["Drivable Prototypes"] D["Kickflip / Thruster Mules"] E["Driver in SpaceX Spacesuit"] end
subgraph Reality["The Production Outcome"] F["Target Production: 2028+"] G["Potential Customer Deliveries: 2029–2032"] end
A --> Stunt B --> Stunt Stunt --> Reality ```
Analyzing why Tesla would host such an extravagant presentation two full years before production, the hosts propose two explanations: - **Reservation holder pressure:** Quelling intense frustration from the estimated 10,000-plus reservation holders who have had substantial cash deposits locked up since late 2017. - **Corporate convergence:** Laying public and conceptual groundwork for a broader Tesla–SpaceX merger or brand alignment.
The staging reinforced this aerospace overlap: when car doors opened during the demos, drivers emerged wearing authentic SpaceX spacesuits rather than standard racing gear. With projects like the Optimus humanoid robot and SpaceX AI increasingly blurring the lines between Musk's robotics and space ventures, the Roadster acts as the ultimate physical crossover platform, even if the actual deliverable remains years away.
[10:00](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Giy8Fl5bKPA&t=600s) The Unveil Spectacle, Kickflips, and the Demo Tier List
The hosts break down the sheer sensory contrast of the Tesla Roadster reveal event: the jaw-dropping technological spectacle contrasted sharply with the awkward on-stage presentation. Between Elon Musk and the two engineers sharing the stage, there was an abundance of dead air and halting, uncomfortable pauses. Yet the demonstration delivered on wild prior predictions. John notes that on the previous day’s broadcast, he predicted the vehicle would levitate roughly six feet off the ground and that the event would feature ramps everywhere. While it turned out to be one massive ramp structure rather than scattered obstacles, the car managed to fly well beyond six feet, drive up the ramp, and execute a full airborne kickflip upside down before landing—drawing immediate comparisons to the downforce fan technology of the McMurtry Spéirling.
To evaluate the presentation, the hosts assemble a quick tier list: - **Juvenile Humor (F Tier):** The hosts give bottom marks to Musk’s repeated, childish double entendres about suction and vacuum forces. “All the sucking related jokes. Completely unnecessary.” - **The Ramp Kickflip (S Tier):** The physical stunt of launching up the incline and rotating mid-air earned the top ranking. Even watching it live, the hosts remarked that it broke perceived physical reality to the point of looking CGI. - **Breaking Perceived Laws of Physics (S Tier):** The hosts defend the feat against chat detractors like viewer Mark, who claimed to expect more, noting that shifting goalposts into the stratosphere ignores how impossible the spectacle felt in front of a live audience.
Reflecting on the sheer disbelief generated by the live demonstration, John captures why the event felt so surreal: “Because it looks like it's breaking the laws of physics, it just doesn't feel real.”
---
[12:35](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Giy8Fl5bKPA&t=755s) Street Legality, 10,000 PSI Tanks, and the Bridge Collapse Dilemma
The conversation turns from spectacle to the practical reality of owning the vehicle. Musk hinted during the broadcast that while someone will be able to buy and own this machine, it might not be road-legal in every jurisdiction. The hosts suspect early units with active thrusters will likely end up with high-profile influencers or close associates of Musk—though John quickly jokes that it definitely won't go to WhistlinDiesel, whom Tesla views as public enemy number one after his punishing Cybertruck durability tests. Florida Governor Ron DeSantis immediately offered political cover by pledging to legalize the vehicle in Florida, but the hosts debate whether everyday motorists actually want to share public asphalt with rocket thrusters.
```mermaid flowchart TD accTitle: Roadster Dual Utility Paths accDescr: Diagram illustrating the two conceptual development branches for the Tesla Roadster cold gas thruster system.
A["Tesla Roadster Thruster Tech Demo"] --> B["Path 1: Street Thrusters & Survival"] A --> C["Path 2: Extreme Track Downforce Weapon"]
subgraph Path1["Public Road & Survival Utility"] B --> D["10,000 PSI Pressurized Tank"] D --> E["Geofenced City Driving"] E --> F["Emergency Leap / Bridge Jump"] end
subgraph Path2["Motorsport Performance Utility"] C --> G["Active Ground Vacuum & Reverse Thrust"] G --> H["Massive Downforce in Corners"] H --> I["Sub-5-Minute Nürburgring / F1 Pace"] end ```
The primary engineering and safety concern centers on the hardware: the vehicle carries a cold-gas thruster tank pressurized to an immense 10,000 PSI. While Tesla intends to geofence public roads via software so drivers cannot fire the thrusters in traffic, the hosts joke that owners will inevitably try to jailbreak the limits using AI coding tools like OpenAI Codex.
Currently, the cold-gas thrusters yield approximately 1.5 to 2 seconds of sustained hang-time, which prompts the question of practical utility. The hosts identify an ultimate life-saving edge case: an infrastructure catastrophe. Recalling the tragic 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake that collapsed a section of the San Francisco–Oakland Bay Bridge, leading to a fatal car plunge, the hosts argue that surviving a crumbling bridge is the ultimate sales pitch for American roads that haven't been re-industrialized. Weighing that catastrophic scenario against the price of the reservation, John argues: “What is your life worth? A couple of years on a Tesla Roadster waiting list and $250,000 of your hard-earned cash in Tesla's bank account. Easy price to pay.”
---
[15:06](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Giy8Fl5bKPA&t=906s) Track Weapon: Sub-5-Minute Nürburgring and F1 Lap Times
Beyond stunt jumping, the second distinct path for this vehicle is raw motorsport performance. Instead of using the cold gas thrusters to become airborne, the vehicle can invert that thrust alongside underbody suction fans to pin the chassis violently to the pavement. On straightaways, rearward thrusters turn the vehicle into an acceleration rocket, while massive vacuum downforce allows cornering speeds comparable to purpose-built racing prototypes. The hosts speculate this setup could push the Roadster into Porsche 919 Hybrid Evo territory, theoretically achieving a sub-five-minute lap on the Nürburgring Nordschleife.
The hosts highlight the following motorsport implications: - **Teased COTA Lap Time:** Teasing a lap benchmark at Circuit of the Americas (COTA) was widely viewed by enthusiasts as the best Easter egg of the presentation, signaling that Tesla is actively pursuing Formula 1 performance territory. - **Tire Destruction:** Running F1-level downforce and rocket-boosted acceleration on a multi-ton electric road car raises serious doubts about consumable durability; the tires might easily shred after just a single hot lap. - **Public Track Bans:** The hosts predict that everyday commercial racetracks will completely forbid the Roadster from standard weekend public track days to prevent amateur owners from driving like banshees around mixed traffic.
Emphasizing that the event quietly signaled real motorsport substance under the circus atmosphere, Jordi highlights: “Creating massive amounts of downforce and being able to put up F1 style lap times is insane and is very exciting and actually... the things that they kept hinting at were like, this is a driver's car.”
---
[17:28](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Giy8Fl5bKPA&t=1048s) Flying Car Reality vs. "Jumping Car" & The Porsche Contrast
While Elon repeatedly used the term "flying car" during the event, the hosts scrutinize the definition when the current system delivers merely two seconds of flight. They brainstorm comical real-world uses for two seconds of thruster power, such as aggressively hopping over a rival driver to snag the last parallel parking space on a city block. They also muse on promotional stunts Tesla missed out on: rather than a standard ramp, they should have emulated viral internet creator IShowSpeed jumping over a moving Lamborghini by having the new prototype leap entirely over an oncoming 2017-era original Roadster prototype.
The conversation turns philosophical regarding how close humanity truly is to the flying personal transit promised by *The Jetsons*: - John maintains that two seconds of cold-gas impulse moves the needle perhaps 1% toward actual airborne transportation, because true flying commuter cars require continuous thrust, wings, or gliders, and at least 20 to 40 minutes of flight time. - The alternative view is that leaping over 20 seconds of traffic wouldn't make it an airplane, but it would redefine personal ground mobility.
Concluding that the vehicle is technically a "jumping car" rather than a true flying car, the hosts shift toward the broader automotive landscape. They find it poetic that Porsche opted to reveal its Mission S concept on the exact same day. Where Tesla unveiled an unhinged, rocket-powered experiment attempting to reinvent the limits of physics, Porsche presented what the hosts describe as the pinnacle of polished, legacy design—setting up a head-to-head comparison between traditional refinement and Silicon Valley disruption. Emphasizing the divide between the two automakers' philosophies, John observes: “I actually think it was amazing that the Mission S launched the same day, because it was like the most beautiful version of stagnation in the Mission S.”
[20:00](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Giy8Fl5bKPA&t=1200s) Porsche Mission S vs. Tesla Roadster: Nostalgia vs. Innovation
The hosts contrast Porsche’s design philosophy with Tesla’s approach, using the Porsche Mission S concept car as the prime example of customer-focused retro revival versus pure, forward-looking engineering. The Mission S blends styling cues from classic Porsche icons—specifically borrowing elements from the Porsche 959 and the 911 GT1, along with other historical influences. Inside and out, it resembles the high-end craftsmanship of a resto-mod shop. While rumors swirl that it will carry an internal combustion engine (rumored to be a V8 or a flat-eight engine), Porsche has not even confirmed what engine is inside, leading the hosts to joke that Porsche is pulling off its own form of "vaporware." Even so, they expect the Mission S to progress toward production far more smoothly than the Tesla Roadster, hoping for initial production runs late next year with customer deliveries arriving around 2028.
```mermaid flowchart TD accTitle: Porsche vs Tesla Design Philosophy accDescr: Diagram illustrating the contrasting approaches between the Porsche Mission S and the Tesla Roadster.
subgraph Porsche["Porsche Mission S"] P1["959 & GT1 Heritage"] P2["Analog Seats & Harnesses"] P3["Zero Screens / Retro Resto-Mod"] P4["Stagnation as Perfection: Nostalgia"] P1 --> P2 --> P3 --> P4 end
subgraph Tesla["Tesla Roadster"] T1["Cold-Gas Thrusters & Flight"] T2["Radical Propulsion Systems"] T3["Gallardo & Cybertruck Cues"] T4["Reimagining the Car: Futuristic Innovation"] T1 --> T2 --> T3 --> T4 end ```
The hosts appreciate the stark thematic contrast between both cars. Porsche delivers "stagnation, but it was perfect"—listening to its enthusiast base by stripping out digital displays, installing classic racing harnesses, and executing a gorgeous front and rear design. One host summarizes this divide cleanly: “Everything that really draws you in, like the seats, right, and the harness, and the fact that it doesn't have a screen, right? It's all about going backwards in time.” Meanwhile, Tesla is pushing radical propulsion boundaries to reimagine what an automobile can do. Even so, the hosts acknowledge severe delivery skepticism. One host confesses he canceled his Roadster pre-order that very morning because he fell for the hype yet again and worries it will take forever to hit the market due to over-engineered features.
Styling and regulatory practicalities spark further debate: - An audience member named Rx remarks that the front of the Roadster resembles a Lamborghini Gallardo; the hosts agree, arguing Tesla is happily picking up the aggressive design language Lamborghini has largely surrendered, mixed in with sharp Cybertruck angles. - Neither vehicle is currently street-legal in show form. Both lack mandatory side mirrors to achieve sleek concept silhouettes. The hosts note that if Elon Musk could have legally eliminated side mirrors on the Model S or Model Y, he already would have. They joke that running on a platform to abolish side mirrors for aerodynamic efficiency and aesthetic beauty could turn it into a winning single-issue political campaign for the 2028 election. - Reactions remain sharply divided on vehicle profiles: one host loves the rear of the Roadster but calls the front and side profiles "horrific."
---
[23:50](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Giy8Fl5bKPA&t=1430s) Roadster Deposits, Roll Cages, and Elon’s Reality Distortion
The conversation moves to the steep financial realities and mechanics of ordering the new Tesla Roadster models. The base performance version—which cannot perform kickflips and lacks cold-gas thrusters—requires a $5,000 credit card deposit immediately, followed by a $45,000 wire deposit due within 10 days for a total commitment of $50,000. For the thruster-equipped model, buyers must wire $245,000 within 10 days following the initial deposit, locking up $250,000 in cash. As for the model meant to do airborne kickflips and achieve short flight, pricing remains entirely unannounced and pre-orders are strictly invite-only.
The hosts discuss the sheer practicality of the kickflip demonstration, citing photos surfaced by online commentator Zarin Doob showing the underside of the demo chassis: - The kickflip test mule appeared to be an empty vehicle shell wrapped around an extensive, rigid roll cage with no normal consumer interior or seating. - Refilling the cold-gas thruster canisters after an aerial maneuver could realistically take up to 24 hours between charges, turning the feature into an expensive party trick rather than an everyday track feature. - Experiencing a thruster-powered kickflip from inside the cabin would likely be extremely violent, requiring a five-point harness and helmet just to survive the g-forces.
The hosts reflect on Elon Musk's split public image. One host points out that critics called everyone on Twitter "a bunch of suckers" for cheering an expensive parlor trick, noting this wasn't an "iPhone moment" because Steve Jobs presented a device consumers could buy almost immediately. Still, they admire Musk's rare dual nature: “Elon is simultaneously Thomas Edison and Barnum & Bailey.” He can deliver genuine technological miracles—building Starlink, landing reusable orbital rockets, and producing the best-selling car in the world with the Model Y—while seamlessly functioning as an over-the-top circus entertainer who promises wild sci-fi features decades in advance. The hosts also laugh off viral posts claiming "we live in a simulation" because Musk outlined this exact thruster sports car concept to YouTuber Marques Brownlee back in 2019; they point out that fulfilling an idea announced six years earlier isn't a glitch in the Matrix, it's just sticking to a long-range product roadmap.
---
[27:20](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Giy8Fl5bKPA&t=1640s) AI Stocks Sell Off and The Nasdaq's Brutal Week
Turning away from automotive reveals, the hosts look at the widespread bloodbath hitting Wall Street on Friday afternoon. Tech and AI-related stocks face immense downward selling pressure, prompting financial commentator Jim Cramer to proclaim it one of the absolute worst trading days of the entire year and suggesting that a blown-up hedge fund might need to be liquidated before the market can reset on Monday.
The hosts cite key Friday intraday index numbers: - **Nasdaq Composite:** Down 2.14% (sliding as far as 2.4% during the session's worst selling), bringing its total weekly drop to 4.7%. If it closes down more than 4.68% on the week, it marks the worst weekly performance for the tech index since the tariff meltdown. - **S&P 500:** Down 1.09%. - **Dow Jones Industrial Average:** Down 0.34%.
The hosts joke that their audience received advance warning, referencing their previous stream jokingly titled "Sell everything, including your dollars, it's over, over." Reviewing breaking news coverage of the sell-off, they laugh at a visible typo in a live *Wall Street Journal* wire alert where the word "THE" was accidentally capitalized in all-caps, reading it as proof that an actual panicked human reporter was frantically hammering out the grim financial figures on deadline.
---
[28:47](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Giy8Fl5bKPA&t=1727s) Tyler Makes the Wall Street Journal and Sign-Off
Before concluding the episode, the hosts answer a question from a viewer named 2.6, who asks: "Wait, before you guys go, is Tyler still an intern?" The hosts clear the air, explaining that Tyler was never an unpaid intern; he was always paid staff and officially dropped out of college roughly a year ago rather than sticking around for a multi-year degree program.
The big celebratory milestone of the day is that Tyler Cosgrove was formally featured in *The Wall Street Journal*. The newspaper covered "Cheeky Pint," a viral trend exploring how elite tech circles consume beer, and quoted Tyler breaking down the cultural mechanics. While Tyler was pleased, the hosts rib him because the *Journal* slightly mogged him in the copy: - The print edition for the day vanished from the office—likely stolen off the doorstep—so they were only able to confirm the digital edition. - The reporter wrote that he didn't personally watch the full Cheeky Pint stream because "he had a life," but noted that TBPN host Tyler Cosgrove did, citing his full breakdown. - While the writer credited Tyler directly as an official "host" without demoting him to "co-host," the paper slightly misstated the name of the show, which the team plans to correct.
The show winds down with humorous, garbled seasonal proverbs ("It's always hottest before the snow falls," riffing on "darkest before dawn") and banter about American air conditioning dominance over Europe before the hosts wish the audience a great weekend and sign off.
## Notable quotes > [23:50](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Giy8Fl5bKPA&t=1430s) Elon is simultaneously Thomas Edison and Barnum & Bailey.
## Mentioned TBPN, John Coogan, Jordi Hays, Tyler Cosgrove, Nathan Fielder, Elizabeth Holmes, Billy Evans, You Can See Everything, Liz Wessel, First Round Capital, Tesla Roadster, Tesla, Elon Musk, SpaceX, Optimus, McMurtry Spéirling, WhistlinDiesel, Ron DeSantis, OpenAI Codex, Circuit of the Americas, Porsche Mission S, Porsche 919 Hybrid Evo, Porsche 959, Porsche 911 GT1, IShowSpeed, Lamborghini Gallardo, Cybertruck, Zarin Doob, Steve Jobs, Marques Brownlee, Jim Cramer, The Wall Street Journal, Nasdaq, S&P 500, Dow Jones Industrial Average
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Diet TBPN delivers the best of today’s TBPN episode in 30 minutes. TBPN is a live tech talk show hosted by John Coogan and Jordi Hays, streaming weekdays 11–2 PT on X and YouTube, with each episode posted to podcast platforms right after.
Described by The New York Times as “Silicon Valley’s newest obsession,” the show has recently featured Mark Zuckerberg, Sam Altman, Mark Cuban, and Satya Nadella.
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Chapters: 00:00 Nathan Fielder’s Elizabeth Holmes Movie Review 06:26 Tesla Roadster Reveal + The 2028 Production Letdown 10:21 Flying Cars, Kickflips + The Roadster Demo Tier List 15:06 Could the Tesla Roadster Beat an F1 Car? 19:47 Porsche Mission S vs. Tesla: Nostalgia vs. Innovation 23:50 Roadster Deposits + Elon’s Hype vs. Reality 27:20 AI Stocks Sell Off + The Nasdaq’s Rough Week 28:47 Tyler Makes the Wall Street Journal
[Source](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Giy8Fl5bKPA)