The Tesla Roadster is just days away from another event, 12 years after the car was first announced. While the fate of its promised rocket thrusters remains unknown, a new patent provides details about another extreme performance feature: a massive active rear wing designed to generate substantial downforce.
Huge Tesla Roadster Wing Could Appear Next Week
Tesla CEO Elon Musk has made extraordinary claims about the new Roadster, but a new patent indicates that at least one of those claims is real — or at least as real as the new car itself.
The patent shows an enormous rear wing that extends beyond the sides of the Roadster and rises well above the airflow moving over the roof and trunk.
The active wing consists of two main parts: a leading-edge slat and a gigantic main element. Tesla’s drawings show the wing in two primary positions. In its resting position, it sits flat against the body and provides some aerodynamic benefit, although the exact amount is not clear.
In its first deployed mode, the wing rises from the body to generate around 1,100 pounds of force, pushing the rear of the car down into the road. On a track, an even more extreme mode extends the wing backward on its linkage to capture significantly more airflow.
Tesla Roadster Could Generate More Downforce Than ZR1X
Track mode is designed to produce 1,540 pounds of downforce, exceeding the 1,200 pounds generated by a Corvette ZR1X and even surpassing the figure for a McLaren W1.
Like many supercar wings, the Tesla system can adjust the angle of its main element. In the lower position, it reduces downforce and drag to allow for a higher top speed. In the raised position, it functions as an air brake to provide maximum stopping power.
Patent Shows Systems to Protect the Massive Wing
The wing’s extreme extension beyond the rear of the car creates a potential problem, and Tesla’s patent describes two systems intended to address it.
The first uses mechanical latches that release and fold the wing if a cyclist, motorcyclist or pedestrian strikes it. The second system predicts rear-end crashes and retracts the wing in less than three seconds.
The patent does not specifically identify the Roadster, but the vehicle shown in the drawings is clearly that car. However, the use of a Roadster drawing does not guarantee that the feature will become part of the production vehicle because the car itself is not part of the invention.
Another Roadster Feature Could Add Even More Downforce
Another feature that could reach production is an underbody fan system designed to generate additional downforce.
Tesla received a patent for that system in 2025, and the very tall rear diffuser required for it to operate is visible in the latest drawings.
Together, the newly detailed active rear wing and the previously patented underbody fan system show how Tesla’s planned Roadster could use multiple aerodynamic features to increase downforce and performance.
