Tesla is just days away from another Roadster event, only 12 years after the car was first announced. We still don't know the fate of the promised rocket thrusters, but we do now know what will help push the performance EV into the pavement.A rear wing that makes more downforce than a Corvette ZR1X's is going to make handling very, very interesting. Huge Wing Could Make Appearance Next Week Tesla/USPTO Tesla CEO Elon Musk's claims for the new Roadster have been incredible. But thanks to a new patent, we know that at least one of them is real. Or at least as real as the new car. It's an absolutely massive rear wing, one that extends beyond the sides of the Roadster and that will raise up well out of the air flowing over the roof and trunk.The patent describes an active wing with two main parts: a leading edge slat and the gigantic main element. In its drawings, Tesla shows the new wing in two main positions. In the first, it sits resting flat against the body. In that position it will offer some aerodynamic gain, but it's not clear how much.In its first deployed mode, the wing will raise up out of the body to deliver around 1,100 pounds of force pushing the rear of the car down into the road. Take it to the track and there's an even more extreme mode where the wing extends backward on its linkage to really catch serious air. More Downforce Than A ZR1X? Tesla/USPTO Track mode delivers 1,540 pounds of downforce, well over the 1,200 lbs of a Corvette ZR1X and even more than a McLaren W1. Like most supercar wings, it can angle the main element up and down. In the down mode, it lowers downforce and drag for a higher top speed. In the up mode, it works like an air brake for maximum stopping power.Having the wing stick out so far behind the car is a problem, but Tesla tries to address it. There are two systems in place, starting with mechanical latches that will release and fold the wing if a cyclist, motorcyclist, or pedestrian hits it. The second predicts rear-end crashes and retracts the wing in under three seconds.The patent doesn't call out the Roadster specifically, but the vehicle in the image is clearly that car. Not that using a drawing of the Roadster is a guarantee either, because it's not part of the invention.One more Roadster feature that might make it to production is the underbody fan system for even more downforce. Tesla got a patent for that system in 2025, and the very tall rear diffuser that it needs to work is visible on these latest drawings. CarBuzz Insight – Why This Matters: Tesla/CarBuzz When it comes to Tesla, and the Roadster specifically, it's best to believe that nothing is confirmed or real until it's on a car at a Tesla showroom. Musk has made multiple promises and has repeatedly delayed the Roadster, though he does still seem set on building it.If the Roadster does hit the road, though, it will have tough competitors. There are already EVs with the performance Elon promised and EVs with active aerodynamics. Making the Roadster stand out against cars like the Rimac Nevera will be tough.Patent filings do not guarantee the use of such technology in future vehicles and are often used exclusively as a means of protecting intellectual property. Such a filing cannot be construed as confirmation of production intent.
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