Scotty Kilmer questions the point of Tesla's flying Roadster
His practical-car objections prompt viewers to ask whether an extravagant demonstration can still lead to useful engineering.
Why this story? The video drew 693 comments in its first day, 5.2 times a normal first day on this channel (134).
Why Tesla’s $250,000 Flying Roadster Is a Joke (And Why This Other Flying Car Crushes It)
Things we can learn from the video
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- 0:00Kilmer reviews the Roadster's reported acceleration, maneuvers and thruster technology.
- 1:12He explains how compressed-air tanks, fans and thrusters support the demonstration.
- 1:37He distinguishes the one-off demonstration vehicle from a production car.
- 2:48Kilmer introduces Alef's flying vehicle as an alternative, then discusses its specifications and advertised price.
- 5:07He criticizes E85 flex fuel while discussing Chevrolet and GMC dropping support on 2027 models.
- 7:43Kilmer describes a deal to take Penske Automotive private and argues in favor of leaving the stock market.
Scotty Kilmer is more interested in what a car does for its owner than how spectacularly it performs a stunt. His flying Roadster commentary puts that distinction front and center, and viewers have plenty to add.
The video drew roughly five times his usual first-day comments, while views were ordinary for the channel. The conversation is about more than whether anyone wants a flying Tesla: viewers question licensing, worry about taking everyday driving mistakes into the air, and argue that impractical experiments can produce practical advances.
Kilmer takes the skeptical position. After explaining the compressed-air tanks, fans and thrusters behind the reported maneuvers, he draws a line between a demonstration and something customers can buy: "This was not a production car. This was a one-off job that they built with all the money that he had."
He then introduces an Alef flying vehicle as an alternative, discussing its advertised price and flight capabilities. This is a direct-to-camera commentary, not a Roadster test drive.
That makes quite a departure from inspecting an aging Subaru Legacy or diagnosing strange car smells, both subjects of his other recent uploads. But the underlying question is familiar territory for Kilmer: what are buyers actually getting?
Some commenters see the Roadster as an engineering exercise rather than a sensible purchase. Others reach for a less technical benchmark: Chitty Chitty Bang Bang. Between the pilot-license questions and the defense of experimentation, Kilmer's practical objection has opened a broader discussion about what a car demonstration is supposed to prove.
Published on Trari
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What viewers say
Scotty, does this mean that us drivers will now have to get our private pilot license on top of our driver's license in order to drive this Tesla contraption???
@davedaihatsu2585See it on YouTubeLots of impractical things result in actual useful innovation. That's the entire idea of racing like F1, rally, etc. They test the limits of current technology.
@RrDd-ik7vlSee it on YouTubeThe best flying car ever was Chitty Chitty Bang Bang! 🙂
@ToPrepareHisWaySee it on YouTube
3 more comments
It’s an engineering flex on Tesla’s part. I thought it was pretty darn cool to see.
@calebcarlson1341See it on YouTubePeople can't drive as it is. Adding an additional dimension to the process would be disastrous.
@RYTHMICRIOTSee it on YouTubeThey also had fans in the audience. 😂
@mrk1075See it on YouTube
Public comments from the video's page on YouTube
- Channel
- Scotty Kilmer
- Subscribers
- 6,660,000
- Channel views, last 7 days
- 2,728,731
- Video published
- October 20, 2026
- Video views so far
- 167,845 (2 days online)
- Video views, pace per day
- 127,058
The numbers
The unusual activity was in the comments, rather than the viewing total. Here is how the video's first day compared with Kilmer's usual regular uploads.
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