Off-Road racing is the one thing Elon Musk’s new Tesla Cybertruck could accomplish to be taken seriously. The idea of a wedge-shaped EV blasting over sand dunes sounds farfetched, but thankfully artist Adry53 has rendered a lifted Baja Cybertruck just so we can picture this more clearly.
Timothy Adry Emmanuel, better known as Adry53 Customs, went wild with his Baja Tesla conversion, commissioned by HotCars. We’re not sure if any of this is possible since nobody has ever created such a racing truck. But it’s certainly got the right attitude: about a foot of extra suspension with custom arms, beefed-up shocks to absorb landings, and oversized wheels.
Nothing says “Baja truck” quite like having three spare wheels strapped to the bed, just in case you get a flat in the middle of the desert. But have you ever seen portal axles with a Tesla electric motor inside? How about skid plates on a lifted EV?
“Kick butt in Baja”
Not many remember this, but back in 2020, Elon Musk talked about driving a Plaid Cybertruck as a high-performance vehicle. No, not like the record-setting Model S, at the Nurburgring.
According to the Tesla CEO, the air suspension on that vehicle plans to offer increased suspension travel for better off-roading and needs to “kick butt in Baja.” This created a literal Twitter storm, and Scuderia Cameron Glickenhaus challenged Elon to race the Cybertruck against their hydrogen-powered Boot race vehicle in 2023 Baja 1000.
The production Tesla Cybertruck is just around the corner, and even though many moons have passed since its unveiling, it still promises to look like no other vehicle on the market. Musk considers other trucks to be safe and boring. For example, Ford stuck to its normal F-150 shape for its Lightning model.
There are many unanswered questions regarding the practicality and everyday usability of the Cybertruck. But let’s not forget Ford trucks not only do commutes and construction work but also do racing. The F-150 Raptor is well known for its advanced long-travel suspension which allows it to jump dunes… and equip 37-inch tires.
In fact, Ford’s whole brand is now geared toward off-road capabilities, not only with the new Bronco Raptor but also with the upcoming F-150 Raptor R and the next-gen Ranger models. Many believe the future of racing is electric, and that’s probably true on asphalt. But until new battery technology is developed, the weight could be a problem for trophy trucks or monster trucks.
