Elon Musk is primed for a brand new Gulfstream G700, which could arrive as early as 2023. The base price of such a plane is $78 million, providing plenty of speed and comfort for the serial entrepreneur.
The high life
The private jet that Musk currently flies on is a Gulfstream G650ER with registration N628TS. It was manufactured in 2015 and certified in March 2016. It was delivered to Musk later that year and has been in the skies with him for the six years since. It was this same aircraft that saw Musk offer a student $5,000 in a bid to stop being tracked.
Musk's $70 million G650 holds 19 seats, four living areas, fold-up tables that can be combined to form a dining table and two bathrooms all made from the finest materials. There are also plenty of view to be had while in the fully reclining seats via the 16 exceptionally large windows.
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A new player in town
The G650ER is a favorite in the billionaire club, with the likes of Amazon founder Jeff Bezos flying high with the plane over the years. With a length of 99 ft 9 in (30.40 m) and a wingspan 99 ft 7 in (30.35 m), it is Gulfstream's largest jet, but the G700 will pip it following its introduction.
With a range of 7,500 NM (13,890 km) and a maximum speed of 0.925 Mach, there is plenty of power to be felt with the G700. The aircraft performed its first flight in February 2020 and has been slated to begin arriving at private fleets this year, but delays could see it enter service a little later.
Gulfstream President Mark Burns shared the following about the G700 in a launch statement:
“The Gulfstream G700 takes the very best elements from our most innovative products and unites them with cutting-edge advances to create an all-new, advanced-technology aircraft that redefines safety, comfort and range at speed. This announcement is the biggest news in business aviation history and is the result of the investments General Dynamics made to develop Gulfstream technology for Gulfstream products. Thanks to our nearly 18,000 employees around the world, the G700 is continuing a long Gulfstream tradition: raising the bar for ourselves and the industry.”
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Need for speed
According to austonia, Musk has already placed an order for the new Rolls-Royce-backed jet. With such a busy schedule all over the world, Musk will undoubtedly be keen to benefit from the velocity and comfort on board the aircraft.
All in all, there are presently four jets registered in Musk's and Tesla's names. These aircraft are the Dassault Falcon 900B, a pair of Gulfstream G550s and the Gulfstream G650ER.
What are your thoughts about the prospects of Elon Musk swapping a Gulfstream G650 for a 750? How do you think the new jet will overall compare to the previous model when in service? Let us know what you think of Musk's fleet in the comment section.