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Comment by cmdshiftf4 | Hacker News Reader

As someone with a strong preference for a classical aesthetic I'm finding it hard to reason just how drawn to this vehicle I am.

It's just so outrageously different, offers the functionality of both a truck and the tech and performance of a Tesla, and isn't comparable with other 'trucks' which I'd argue are homogeneous in nature, cliche, particularly un-aesthetically pleasing and are synonymous with gas-guzzling North American indulgence.

Regardless, it's another instance of Musk pushing boundaries which I find myself continually applauding.

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How old are you? This Reminds of what we thought the future would look like in the 80s.

I’d totally buy a reasonably priced car with this aesthetic.

Born in the 80s but old enough to remember the end of them. If what you're saying is that in producing what is a very futuristic truck design, especially compared to the current market, that Musk is actually evoking a sense of nostalgia from a demographic likely to be the target market then I can't say I'd disagree.

That's an interesting change from the 50's retro scifi look.

Looks like Ark II style scifi from the 80s.

the fact it looks like a truck version of the DMC DeLorean doesn't help either.

A delorean crossed with a big trak. Reminds me of the old battlestar galactica shuttles.

It's defiantly got a Cylon vibe going on...

Yeah! Would be great if the system could say “by your command” at appropriate times. And have a Cylon/Nightrider sweeping red lighting.

It’s a Delorean El Camino.

It's definitely tapping into current retro-futurism that is super focused on vaporwave/80s stuff. It's a phase that I wouldn't personally bet on, because at the time they were simply projecting what they thought the future would look like, and were just wrong.

Were they wrong if this truck hits the streets next year? I'd say they were right on the money.

Eat your heart out Baudrillard

The map is NOT the territory, it prefigures it and shapes the perception of those who meet the territory already ruled out around them like an endless net of roads across the desert floor.

Welcome to the desert of the real.

If the territory is designed off the map, however...

> and were just wrong.

Not anymore!

Not only 80s! Plenty of sci-fi shows had something similar as a generic future car design base, except with a proper paint job and extra lights here and there. This car can be easily turned into something that looks properly modern.

Related, this seems to be something of a theme with Musk's companies. Landing rockets is an old-school concept, and Starship looks like it was taken straight from the cover of some pulp sci-fi work from the 60s.

Yes, the only way Starship could look more retro futuristic would have been to use the ticket from Tintin:https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/b/bb/The_Adv...

Your latter observation is not surprising. The 60s-80s were times of confidence in the future, in progress. We visited the moon, flied in supersonic airliners, and we were confident that we would keep exploring always further, always faster.

Now that spirit has largely faded away, the West seems to have lost faith in progress in exploration and is focused in preserving what we already have - sometimes for good reasons (environmentalism and fight against climate change), sometimes not (disproportionate attention to minor threats like terrorism, fear of immigration, etc.)

Musk clearly still believes in progress and exploration, hence it's not surprising that his designs end up evoking reminiscences from that era.

The 80s were when we thought the US and the USSR would kill all of humankind with H-bombs. Blade Runner if what we thought the future would look like if we were lucky enough to have one.

And this new Tesla seems reminiscent to me of that pessimistic idea of the future, trying to survive the apocalypse on Earth. Not like the optimistic future of 2001 A Space Odyssey.

Did you? While I was not alive yet in the 80's, according to my parents, the threat of a nuclear war was gone in the 80's already, due to Gorbachev. (we are 'from the other side')

Born in late eighties in California. My parents named our first dog after Gorbachev. I think that relief was felt from this side as well.

I fear Musk wants to recreate all those future visions he's seen in eighties movies and tv shows in his childhood. If his next product is the Airwolf helicopter I feel vindicated.

I almost laughed out loud, I love the cybertruck but man it's so blatant. It feels like someone just blurted out a hilarious joke and you want to laugh out loud but you kind of glance at those next to you to see "is this ok with you people"?

It reminds me of the Vector.

I like it, but I think the wheels look too small. If the wheels were like, bigger, it would look fucking cool.

I noticed this too, the tires just doesn't fit very well in the overall design.

Those are 35" wheels. This thing has got to be absolutely oppressive in person.

Heh just wait for the Urban Warfare edition that adds mace dispensers above the windows...

Fitting that it's released in November 2019, the month nad year the original Bladerunner was set in

Uh, how can I, being a hardcore Bladerunner fan, not have spotted this? Thanks.

It's Brutalism with a wheel at each corner. Not gonna lie, I kinda love it.

>How old are you? This Reminds of what we thought the future would look like in the 80s.

As soon as I saw it I thought "dystopian future military transport". Then I remembered Blade Runner is set this month, of this year, and uncharacteristically giggled.

I'm tired of curvy trucks anyways. Maybe it's a good time to go back to something more straight. I also like that the exterior can take such a beating. It doesn't make sense that a tough pick-up can get so easily dinged and scratched. I would MUCH rather have that durable shell.

I agree that curvy got taken to excess, but I'd rather go back to something like a Land Rover Defender aesthetic, where every surface is something to stand or mount something on, often with built in grip surface or mounts.

This dystopian cross between stealth bomber and Mad Max is angular, but straight in all the wrong directions.

It looks like it's going to be a challenge to pass EU pedestrian safety regs, but I'm quite impressed they have achieved the ugliest road vehicle bar none. I'm amazed the balance of comments here seems hugely in favour - to me it looks like a wind up!

Love this comment. I think you're right on pointing out the lack of mountable surfaces. I have seen that mentioned elsewhere. This thing needs to accommodate accessories.

I love how this thing has the dystopian look, yet it doesn't need gas. Mad Max was all about gas. Maybe gas would make a comeback in a Mad Max world since chargers might become hard to come by.

If ugly was a goal, this was an interesting way to accomplish it. This is ugly that I would be okay caught driving in. This is ugly which achieved a goal, rather than not attempting to be ugly but horribly failed. ;)

There's still some time before this thing actually ships. Maybe they'll make some changes so that truck people could properly attach things like gun racks and winches.

With the smooth straight sides you could probably use large suction cups or magnets to attach rails or hooks. It would be nice to have hard-points for a more permanent fixture and one that wouldn't be so easy to steal.

How many American pickups would even meet EU pedestrian safety regulations today?

No idea, but there's loads of world market crew cab pickups around in the EU these days. Though the insane size stuff like Ford F250 and Humvees only seem to turn up very rarely (thankfully) by personal import, which presumably sidesteps a lot of the regs.

I'd be amazed if Tesla simply chose to ignore the whole market though...

I agree with everything you said and still I kind of love it. I get to live in a world where sci-fi props are driving on the streets like it's normal. And it's electric. The current times are weird as hell, but it's a relief when the times are comically weird.

Had the same reaction, it must be a joke. It looks worse than a PT Cruiser and a Multipla together

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/a/a2/Fiat_Mul...

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/41/06-08_Ch...

Finally, someone has built a vehicle that makes a Porsche Cayenne look good!

I think people are missing something - the shape is part of why it can perform as well as it can, as well as have the excess of cabin space that it has. The boxy Land Rover design wouldn't get close to the 0-60 times (And likely reduce range significantly) because of the extreme drag the vertically flat body style creates.

Doesn't have to be entirely slab sided, but going on the couple of people I know using pickups for work, they have added no end of toolboxes, winches, custom mounts, light bars and such so they can do their job miles from anywhere in the dead of night. The lovely clean stealth lines without a horizontal surface in sight of the Tesla seem entirely unfitted for being actually used for real work...

0-60 wouldn't care about drag much at all. Highway cruising would.

I was actually wondering about how that car is allowed on the road considering it looks like it would slice anyone it hit in two.

I wasn't aware the US didn't have regulations for that.

Current US pickups just direct blunt force trauma to your chest and vital organs instead.

The fact that you hate modern truck design means you are not representative of 99% of truck buyers. Have you noticed the Honda Ridgeline has completely fell in line with other manufactures styling because of I presume market pressure?

I'd never claim to be representative of 99% of truck buyers. Like most here I work in tech and live in the city.

Do I see this turning up on construction sites in the next few years? No, probably not, for many reasons. Can I see it capturing some of the market of recreational truck buyers? I can, just as the Model S took part of the luxury sports car market by appealing to people who could likely afford more expensive "status" vehicles by being different.

Ah, I don't know. The Model S had a much wider market appeal because it looks exactly like a Maserati. A commonly agreed upon good looking car. I agree that you're probably the exact market this monstrosity is aimed for. But that 'status' based market is tiny. teensy, itty bitty. Why do you think the Model 3 was such a profitable success?

If you don’t think the Model 3 is a status vehicle, you crazy.

It has status like having the new iPhone on day 1 has status. Different than big money status, but still status.

Yeah I agree, different than big money status. It's like sexy-i-financed-this status.

The type of status that this truck is trying to market to is like the `I paid 1.5 million cash for this crazy pentagon` status.

The first time I saw a Model S I thought Ford had done a great job at updating the new Mondeo - it's a handsome car, but not sure it looks like any Maserati I have seen.

Looks more like a modern Jaguar than a Ford or Maserati

Go look at the Ghibli, it has the exact same body lines, windows, lights

I'd see this turning up on some construction sites and in other industrial applications. As it is, it won't appeal to the crowd of people who buy trucks to show off. But, looking at the specs, it just might appeal to people who actually use trucks for work.

Yes, the built-in 110v/220v power outlets and air compressor would go a long way when your on a remote build site. I can imagine it being very popular with "handyman" contractors you hire to fix your fence or repair a porch railing.

The only other option I might add is a battery charger for hand tools. I know they can plug into the normal outlet but it seems inefficient to go from 400v --> 110v --> 12v.

Most construction workers want a longer bed. This truck is too short to hold a sheet of plywood.

Some, yes, but I see fewer and fewer 8' beds these days. Most contractors and corporate construction vehicles seem to be the higher trim variety with 5-6' beds and extended cabs.

You can still haul 4x8' sheets, you just have to be more creative and haul fewer at a time. Otherwise if you need so many you'd reach capacity in an 8' bed, you'd likely have them delivered to the jobsite (yes, even if you own a truck).

I was wondering about this. Will the design fail as it's so out there and truck owners see themselves in a classic truck shape. Or maybe the design works because truck buyers want a large, stand-out vehicle and the extreme design of the Tesla might just appeal to those who really want to stand out.

Who are the 1% of truck buyers who don't like trucks?

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