Do you remember the Tesla Roadster? It’s okay if you don’t—after all, it’s been eight years since the car was first revealed.

Since then, Elon Musk and Tesla have repeatedly promised that the electric supercar was “almost ready.” But here we are, almost a decade later, and the long-awaited Roadster is still nowhere to be seen on the streets.

Despite the prolonged silence, the project is still alive — at least according to Lars Moravy, Tesla’s vice president of engineering.

During an event organized by fans of the brand in California, Moravy assured that the Roadster is under development and will receive improvements before finally reaching the market.

He went further, stating that the model will be the “last great car for people who love to drive” before autonomous vehicles take over everything.

Among the promised innovations is a performance package that could take the car from 0 to 100 km/h in an impressive 1.1 seconds — a feat that, of course, is still in the realm of intentions.

One of the biggest obstacles, according to the executive, is the car’s weight. Despite the challenges, a public demonstration of the model is scheduled for later this year.

When it was revealed, the new Roadster promised to accelerate from 0 to 100 km/h in 1.9 seconds, reach 160 km/h in just 4.2 seconds and reach a top speed of 400 km/h.

The price was also announced: US$200,000 for the basic version and US$250,000 for the Founder Series, the latter requiring full payment at the time of reservation.

To date, Tesla has not officially updated these figures or confirmed any changes to the schedule.

While Tesla insists on keeping the Roadster in its portfolio of promises, other brands have already surpassed these specifications. Lucid , for example, launched the Air Sapphire, an electric sedan that already delivers supercar performance—and is available for purchase.

The frustration with the Roadster is understandable, especially considering Tesla’s recent track record. The Cybertruck , for example, arrived on the market with higher prices and lower range than initially advertised.

The anticipation surrounding the Roadster, which was supposed to be a showcase for everything Tesla does best, is now going hand in hand with distrust.

For now, what is concrete is just another promise, packaged with hype and optimism.

And until a working model hits the streets, many will continue to wonder whether the Roadster will actually happen — or whether it will just be another chapter in Elon Musk’s long saga of over-the-top announcements.