Without going too far out on a limb, it’s fair to say that the Tesla Cybertruck is one of the most controversial automobile unveilings of 2019. Still, the world welcomed different with open arms and has even inspired amateur engineers and designers to build their own copycat replicas of Elon Musk’s prized pickup. Imitation, after all, is the most sincere form of flattery.
One such example was recently spotted driving the streets of Moscow and posted on Instagram for the world to see. A short video that appeared on Wednesday—and was subsequently reposted by several other accounts—showing a miniature version of the Cybertruck cruising down a Russian highway. It wasn’t a hack job either, as it was fully equipped with a registration plate, functional headlights, and a thin taillight running across the rear.
The posts were filled with comments joking about Elon Musk having opened a new factory in Russia, while others made snarky remarks insinuating that the truck must have been the product of a Lada engineer. One might notice that the replica has taken careful consideration to reproduce the various sharp angles of the Cybertruck, something which at the center of its controversy since the real deal debuted last month and had been spotted on public roads.
While this custom scaled-down version of the Cybertruck may have made its way to the road without issue, we can’t say the same for the real deal. The cyberpunk-inspired truck may look futuristic, but, according to leading authorities in crash test standards, its safety standards appear to be failing to meet even modern requirements that protect pedestrians and cyclists.
Until Tesla’s creation is parked in driveways around your neighborhood, you’ll just have to enjoy these fan-made recreations. With two of them popping up in less than a month’s time, it’s inevitable that a few more enthusiasts will take a crack at their own version before deliveries begin in 2021. Whether this recreation is better built than the real thing is up to you to decide, it’s just interesting to see a homemade Cybertruck creation, even if it doesn’t exactly line up to the proportions of the real deal.
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