It was first shown in prototype form way back in 2017 and it's still not on the market. The second-generation Tesla Roadster promises Bugatti-shattering acceleration and overall performance - if it ever comes to fruition. Some may have already had their doubts and this latest piece of news will surely justify that. Elon Musk confirmed on Twitter that the new Roadster has been delayed. Once again.

Responding to a follower's Roadster status question, Musk wrote the following: "2021 has been the year of super crazy supply chain shortages, so it wouldn't matter if we had 17 new products, as none would ship. Assuming 2022 is not a mega drama, new Roadster should ship in 2023."

This time, it's not possible to squarely place all of the blame on Tesla and its history of delayed launches. Musk is right. 2021 (and 2020) has been anything but normal. Both the Tesla Cybertruck and Semi have also been delayed for similar industry-related reasons. The upcoming year appears to be sort of a catch-up time for Tesla as the EV automaker needs to continue cranking out in-demand Model 3s and Model Ys.

Completing construction at the Austin, Texas Gigafactory is another priority. But will the Roadster's latest delay make some early depositors have second thoughts (if they haven't already)?

Bear in mind some paid upwards of $50,000 to get on the pre-order list nearly four years ago. That money has just been sitting in Tesla's bank account. The Roadster's final design and specs haven't even been revealed. The truth is no other automaker could get away with any of this. Tesla, to its credit, has proven time and again it eventually delivers the goods above and beyond what many expected.

The second-gen Roadster could potentially be the world's fastest production vehicle thanks to features like the optional "SpaceX Package" that'll supposedly include up to 10 cold gas thrusters for improved maneuverability. A 0-62 mph time of 1.1 seconds with those optional thrusters is said to be possible. We'll see.