Photo: Saman Sabbaghi via Behance
One thing we admit we didn't anticipate when the Tesla Cybertruck was first introduced was that it would launch a new design trend in the automotive industry - albeit the amateur side of it.
All of a sudden, cars looking like toasters or VCR tape rewinders (for those old enough to remember them) started to appear, and not only that, but some people genuinely thought they were cool. I mean, if for some reason we wanted our cars and those things you jam under the door to keep them from shutting to look alike, we'd make those look like cars, not the other way around.
Apparently not. It looks like there was a deep underlying urge in a lot of car designers to make boxy, right-angled vehicles that has now been unleashed, and I'm not sure the world was ready for it. However, if we keep quiet, we don't say anything and pretend it's not there, maybe it'll go away. Yes, I'm aware I'm doing quite the opposite right now, but someone has to blow the whistle.
And it's not as if I don't like the Tesla Cybertruck. Like every living creature on this planet, I was left speechless for a few moments the first I saw it during the unveiling. I was thinking "haha, good one, Elon. Now where's the actual truck?" As it became clear there was no other truck hidden in some corner of the stage, I started paying closer attention to the design.
Slowly but surely, it grew on me and now I wouldn't mind being seen in one - and judging from what you hear and read browsing the Internet, a lot of people have had a similar journey to mine regarding their relation with Tesla's future electric pickup truck. The hundreds of thousands of reservations can also not be ignored.
So, let's get to the rendering that started this rant and wasn't even mentioned so far. It's called the "Tesla CYBER-H" and, according to its creator (Saman Sabbaghi), it is "the new hypercar platform designed exclusively for Tesla." There is only one thing I take issue with from that description, and that is the word "hypercar."
Tesla used this angled approach for its truck and not, say, the new Roadster for a reason. The flat panels used for the Cybertruck's body allow the company two things: to make them very sturdy and to keep costs down - two things you want in a utilitarian vehicle. It also allowed Tesla to cut costs even further by not hiring a designer to draw it and letting a kid do it instead in exchange for some candy. Don't quote me on that last part as it might not be entirely true.
Like the Cybertruck, Saman's design isn't even bad. For some reason, it's strangely pleasing to the eye. It's not suited for a car, though, let alone a hypercar that's supposed to rely on aerodynamics more than most other vehicles. Granted, the CYBER-H has a wing at the back, but it's so comically square that the best thing it can do is reduce the stress levels of those around the car by making them laugh, which is not exactly what you want from your aerodynamics elements.
The concept would have made a lot more sense if it were modified a little and presented as an autonomous people-mover that trods along the city streets instead of something that's supposed to tear up the asphalt and, presumably, lap a race track. Make it taller, give it room for at least four people, call it the CYBER-Pod, and you might have something to work with.
Let me put it in another way. Imagine you would park the CYBER-H next to the new Roadster. You would then call in 1,000 people and ask them to point at the "hypercar" without any other explanation. The only reason you'd get 999 fingers pointed at the red Roadster and not 1,000 is because one guy forgot to remove his earbuds and couldn't hear what you said. Then again, he'd probably point at the Roadster anyway just because it's such a cool-looking car. Long live the curves.
Apparently not. It looks like there was a deep underlying urge in a lot of car designers to make boxy, right-angled vehicles that has now been unleashed, and I'm not sure the world was ready for it. However, if we keep quiet, we don't say anything and pretend it's not there, maybe it'll go away. Yes, I'm aware I'm doing quite the opposite right now, but someone has to blow the whistle.
And it's not as if I don't like the Tesla Cybertruck. Like every living creature on this planet, I was left speechless for a few moments the first I saw it during the unveiling. I was thinking "haha, good one, Elon. Now where's the actual truck?" As it became clear there was no other truck hidden in some corner of the stage, I started paying closer attention to the design.
Slowly but surely, it grew on me and now I wouldn't mind being seen in one - and judging from what you hear and read browsing the Internet, a lot of people have had a similar journey to mine regarding their relation with Tesla's future electric pickup truck. The hundreds of thousands of reservations can also not be ignored.
So, let's get to the rendering that started this rant and wasn't even mentioned so far. It's called the "Tesla CYBER-H" and, according to its creator (Saman Sabbaghi), it is "the new hypercar platform designed exclusively for Tesla." There is only one thing I take issue with from that description, and that is the word "hypercar."
Tesla used this angled approach for its truck and not, say, the new Roadster for a reason. The flat panels used for the Cybertruck's body allow the company two things: to make them very sturdy and to keep costs down - two things you want in a utilitarian vehicle. It also allowed Tesla to cut costs even further by not hiring a designer to draw it and letting a kid do it instead in exchange for some candy. Don't quote me on that last part as it might not be entirely true.
Like the Cybertruck, Saman's design isn't even bad. For some reason, it's strangely pleasing to the eye. It's not suited for a car, though, let alone a hypercar that's supposed to rely on aerodynamics more than most other vehicles. Granted, the CYBER-H has a wing at the back, but it's so comically square that the best thing it can do is reduce the stress levels of those around the car by making them laugh, which is not exactly what you want from your aerodynamics elements.
The concept would have made a lot more sense if it were modified a little and presented as an autonomous people-mover that trods along the city streets instead of something that's supposed to tear up the asphalt and, presumably, lap a race track. Make it taller, give it room for at least four people, call it the CYBER-Pod, and you might have something to work with.
Let me put it in another way. Imagine you would park the CYBER-H next to the new Roadster. You would then call in 1,000 people and ask them to point at the "hypercar" without any other explanation. The only reason you'd get 999 fingers pointed at the red Roadster and not 1,000 is because one guy forgot to remove his earbuds and couldn't hear what you said. Then again, he'd probably point at the Roadster anyway just because it's such a cool-looking car. Long live the curves.
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