This is exactly the key point that I think the author just missed entirely. People don't appreciate the Cybertruck being bulletproof because they think they're really getting shot at. They appreciate it because in their mind it makes the car cool and they want to drive a car that they think is cool. It's not about the real life need but the capability.

As you mentioned, the same goes for 4x4's, but also motorbikes, sports cars and almost any type of car but the cheapest or most reliable one. Car purchases are not driven by need or rationality. Like Dieter Rams puts it, cars are people's avatars.