DeLorean Designer Shares His Thoughts on the Cybertruck's Design

The Delorean DMC-12 next to Tesla's Cybertruck

BladeBronson

Tesla is on the brink of a significant milestone, with its Cybertruck delivery event set for November 30. This event is drawing parallels to a pivotal moment in car design history, specifically to the work of Giorgetto Giugiaro, an 85-year-old Italian legend in the automotive world. Giugiaro's influential designs include the Lotus Esprit, BMW M1, and the iconic DeLorean DMC-12, made famous by Back to the Future.

Giugiaro's Insights on Tesla's Design Choices

Giugiaro shared his perspective on Tesla's bold design choices in an email exchange with NPR. "When you step outside the norms, it's almost always seen as a provocation. It happens in all fields, from furniture to cooking, etc. Everyone wants to distinguish themselves; it's a market necessity," Giugiaro stated. His insight underscores the importance of innovation in a competitive market, a philosophy that Tesla seems to have embraced with the Cybertruck. Giugiaro further added, "The Cybertruck will surely be successful; I'm sure of it. I'm convinced it will find its admirers."

The Cybertruck's journey echoes the DeLorean's experience from the 1980s. Both vehicles faced skepticism and criticism for their unconventional designs, particularly for their angular shapes and the propensity of their stainless steel bodies to showcase smudges and fingerprints. Despite these criticisms, the DeLorean DMC-12 carved a unique niche, symbolizing automotive innovation and pop culture fame.

The 'Origami' Influence and Cybertruck's Design

Giugiaro's design philosophy, which he refers to as "origami," has significantly influenced the Cybertruck (Cybertruck dimensions). This style, characterized by sharp, straight lines and wedge shapes, was a radical departure from traditional automotive design when it first appeared in the 1970s.

This approach, reminiscent of modern architectural elements, was pioneered by Giugiaro in the 1970s and became a hallmark of his design aesthetic. The Maserati Boomerang concept car and the Volkswagen Golf Mk1 are prime examples of this style, reflecting the influence of Japanese origami in automotive design." The Cybertruck's design, with its sharp angles and distinct silhouette, echoes this philosophy.

Parallels Between Cybertruck and DeLorean

The Cybertruck, much like the DeLorean, has faced its share of critiques. Issues like misaligned stainless steel panels and questionable interior choices have been reported, mirroring the challenges the DMC-12 encountered decades ago. The DeLorean was criticized for its stainless steel body that showed every fingerprint and required constant cleaning, as well as for the quality of its construction, with reports of doors that didn't fit properly and interior components that frequently fell off.

Despite these challenges, the DeLorean DMC-12 achieved iconic status, partly due to its feature in "Back to the Future," the public's fascination with John DeLorean's personal story, and Giugiaro's reputation as one of the most influential car designers of the 20th century. This history serves as a reminder that initial public reception doesn't always indicate a design's ultimate place in history.

Giugiaro's perspective on the Cybertruck is neutral yet optimistic. "I don't want to judge the Cybertruck as beautiful or ugly. It certainly has its admirers who want a vehicle to stand out." This sentiment echoes the broader theme in automotive design and innovation: groundbreaking designs often face initial skepticism but can ultimately redefine the aesthetic norms of their era.

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Cybertruck Receives 9 Exclusive Features in Tesla Update 2024.14.3 as Tesla Shares Off-Road Guide [Video]

Tesla released a major software update for the Cybertruck with version 2024.14.3 that introduces nine exclusive features, including locking differentials, Trail Assist, Off-Road Mode and many others that add completely new capabilities to the Cybertruck. Telsa also released a guide focused on the new off-roading capabilities of the Cybertruck and how to use each driving mode.

In the same update, the Cybertruck also received additional features that were previously available on other vehicles such as the Colorizer feature, Front Passenger Air Vent and Zoom.

In a video titled “Can The Tesla Cybertruck Really Off-Road?” (video below), the BBC publication TopGear tested the latest off-road software from Tesla in a Californian desert with a Rivian R1T as a benchmark.

New Accessories

TopGear also had access to new prototype Cybertruck accessories, including a Cybercooler and a CyberInflator that lets you adjust tire pressure. Tesla is also planning the launch of Cyberboxes that fit underneath the CyberTent case and safely slide in the bed rails, as shown in the video.

Cybertruck Update

Cybertruck’s Off-Road Mode improves its performance on challenging terrains such as gravel, deep snow, rock, and sand. “All Purpose” mode will automatically adjust the tire slip based on the amount of available traction.

The new CyberTent Mode levels the vehicle using the air suspension so that you get a perfectly flat sleeping surface. It also allows you to control features like lights, air conditioning, and outlets activated — if needed.

The Trail Assist helps maintain a set cruising speed so drivers can focus on steering. The feature works as both a hill ascent and descent control preventing the wheels from slipping, Tesla explained.

Wade Mode, which was previously available allows drivers to enter and drive through “shallow bodies of water, such as defined crossing points of rivers or creeks” whereas the new “Baja Mode” will improve the vehicle’s balance. The vehicle will also handle more freely when Stability Assist is set to Minimal.

The new update also increases the sensitivity of the Cybertruck’s frunk, so that it stops earlier when it meets resistance. The model saw also its turning circle improved by 1.6 feet, making parking and low-speed maneuvers easier.

The adaptive suspension of the Cybertruck was also upgraded with more accurate payload estimations and automatically adjusting damping to deliver a more comfortable ride and better handling.

Off-Road Guide

Cybertruck Off Road Mode

The Off-Road Guide offers a comprehensive overview of Cybertruck features, detailing the various new driving modes and controls, including instructions on using Overland and Baja modes, adjusting ride height, and managing vehicle settings for different terrains.

Furthermore, the guide offers best practices for driving off-road, with tips on navigating various surfaces such as sand, mud, and rocks.

Tesla first started delivering Cybertrucks in November of last year. Despite some setbacks, Tesla continues to scale up the production of the Cybertruck at its Gigafactory in Austin, Texas.

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Video of Tesla Update 2024.14.3 Shows New Wiper Controls, Visualizations and More

Klaus Schmid / Not a Tesla App

Klaus Schmid on YouTube has posted a nice video overview of some of the major new features in this major update.

While most of the design changes appear to be limited to vehicles with AMD Ryzen chips, there are plenty of features to be excited about for Intel owners as well.

Parked Visualization

In the video, Klaus of course fiddles with the amazing-looking new vehicle model that is front and center while the vehicle is parked. You can freely pan, zoom, and play with the vehicle. The Cybertruck was the first vehicle to feature this new v12 design and even includes an easter egg when you tap on the glass multiple times. There’s no word on whether there are any easter eggs built into other vehicles.

The 3D model looks fantastic, but it's not immediately clear whether it's the same model that Tesla was using before this update or potentially a higher-resolution version, which could help explain the AMD requirement for this view.

The map while parked is now small and in the top-right corner of the screen. However, you can make the vehicle's visualization smaller so that it goes back to the older look with the visualization on the left and maps on the right.

The new parked visualization

Spotify Queue

Next, Klaus goes into Spotify, which now gives you the ability to queue up songs instead of just playing a predefined playlist or starting a new song immediately.

Quick Access to Car Wash Mode

Under Controls, you also now have quick access to Car Wash Mode, instead of having to remember it's under Service.

New Wiper Controls

The windshield wipers have been one of the most controversial topics on Teslas, mostly due to their automatic function not always working well. Tesla continues to add wiper controls to make them easier to manage.

In the last few updates, Tesla has now added various ways to control the wipers. You're able to add the wipers button to the dock at the bottom of the screen, use the newer multi-function control to control them with the left scroll wheel, and now Tesla is adding another way to control them.

Video of New Features

Easier Way to Change Wiper Speed

With update 2024.14.3, if you press the button on the left stalk to activate the wipers, you can now adjust their speed up by moving the scroll wheel up or down. Before this update, you could do something similar, but it required tilting the scroll wheel left/right, which wasn't as intuitive.

If you have your wipers on and set to a certain speed after installing this update, you’ll now also be able to tap the wipers button to cycle through the various speed options.

While this is a welcomed improvement, all the wiper control changes could be a little confusing for folks who don't follow Tesla as closely as we all do. In the end, the issue comes down to the automatic wiper function not working reliably, which is a little ridiculous since every automaker has already solved this problem with a $4 rain sensor. Tesla makes a lot of gambles, and I guess this one hasn’t panned out.

Full-Screen Visualizations

Owners outside of North America will finally be able to enjoy full-screen visualizations, although unfortunately, it doesn't include the full set of visualizations that are included with FSD. It appears that Tesla is keeping the full visualizations tied to FSD.

For drivers in North America who own or subscribe to FSD, which was recently lowered in price, the new full-screen view brings some improvements.

The new media player is now centered on the screen and includes additional buttons such as repeat, shuffle, search and more. You also get the small map in the corner which is useful to be able to see your next turn.

In addition, Tesla is now leaving the "Navigate to" module on the screen as well, so that you can set a new destination without leaving the admittedly nice full-screen view.

Update 2024.14.3 just started rolling out to owners yesterday, so it will be several weeks before most owners have access to this update. For now, check out all of our coverage and the release notes to see which features you can look forward to.

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