Walter Isaacson (Musk biographer) gives insight on Cybertruck's inception + early sketches / design inspiration board

[jerhenderson]

Looks like they just printed out all of the "what will the Cybertruck look like" fan art that was on the internet before the 2019 reveal. I'll still end up buying the CT in its current form, but I also still would've preferred the mini Semi look that floated around briefly.

I would buy any Tesla truck. if this is the iteration then so be it.

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[Cyberman]

Looks like they just printed out all of the "what will the Cybertruck look like" fan art that was on the internet before the 2019 reveal. I'll still end up buying the CT in its current form, but I also still would've preferred the mini Semi look that floated around briefly.

That's a damn good design, too. I'm going to need a Cyberflatbed soon, too. I just need to come up with a better name.

 

[PilotPete]

What I find do absolutely amazing is not anything EM or Tesla have done, but rather, the geniuses of the minds on this board. To be able to tell that the skin is no longer part of the rigidity of the vehicle, WITHOUT ever seeing a drawing, or data, or the actual design, or even a finished product up close? Truly we walk among brilliance here. Nope, they don't say "It doesn't look like..." or even "I don't see how..." They make absolute statements! I might have made something of myself if I were that smart. But I guess that is the benefit of being a keyboard warrior on the interwebs. You can act like you know things for certain, and then claim to be a faith healer and psychic IF you're right, and no one calls you out if you're wrong, because you bail out before they can. No one has the stones to admit when they're wrong online.

For those of you making absolute statements, just know that the actual engineers here know a poser when they speak. Boogie on keyboard warrior. Continue your life in pretend land.

 

[cvalue13]

For those of you making absolute statements, just know that the actual engineers here know a poser when they speak. Boogie on keyboard warrior. Continue your life in pretend land.

To be fair, there are engineers saying this as well, which gives non-engineers who are listening some leeway:

they’re left with the difficult decision of deciding which engineers are most self-satisfied.

 

[chalupa808]

Looks like they just printed out all of the "what will the Cybertruck look like" fan art that was on the internet before the 2019 reveal. I'll still end up buying the CT in its current form, but I also still would've preferred the mini Semi look that floated around briefly.

Would be perfect as a flatbed.

 

[TheLastStarfighter]

To be fair, there are engineers saying this as well, which gives non-engineers who are listening some leeway:

they’re left with the difficult decision of deciding which engineers are most self-satisfied.

Engineers are idiots.

 

[Clance]

Love finally getting a glimpse at the CT inspiration board.

It partially confirms my long-held belief that the inspiration isn't merely "sci fi," it's specifically late 60's to late 70's auto design and prototype language.

When people talk about the CT looking "futuristic," I personally think they're looking the exactly wrong direction on the timeline. The CT looks positively late 1960's Italian prototype design language, for what people in the 1970's thought the future would look like.

I collect Italian modern furniture from this era, and while that doesn't include collecting vehicles, I'm roughly familiar with a lot of the forward-looking auto design from that era.

That era of car design is referred to as "the wedge era"

The vehicles shown are largely from this era (e.g., Delorean, bond's concept car-sub), the movies are trailing and reflecting this ear (bladerunner, robocop). And to the extent the moodboard shows modern boats, etc., those designs themselves are speaking the late 60s italian design language.


As with most things design of the time, the Italian's were at the forefront in the late 1960's, and the rest of the world caught up eventually throughout the 1970s and into the early 1980's.

'68 alfa romeo iguana:

1968 Alfa Romeo Carabo

'68 Bizzarrini Manta

'70 Ferrari Modulo

'67 Lamborghini Marzal

'70 Vauxhall SRV

'70 Lancia Stratos Zero

1971 Maserati Boomerang

'72 DeTomaso Pantera,

1974 Lamborghini Bravo

1974 Lamborghini Countach

1976 Alfa Romeo Navajo

1969 Opel CD

1969 Toyota EX 3

1969 Mercedes C111

1970 VW-Porsche Tapiro

1972 BMW Turbo

1973 Audi Karmann Asso Di Picche

'76 Brubaker Box

'78 Benz CW3111

1979 Toyota FCX-80

1979 Dome Zero P2

1980 Citroën Karin

1980 Aston Martin Bulldog

And not to forget the 1978 concept by Curt Brubaker, in Penthouse, that some have pointed towards as the nearest conceptual precedessor to the CT:

And later on (late 80’s?), another angular wedge hit the roads and our hearts… the Vector.

 

[cvalue13]

And later on (late 80’s?), another angular wedge hit the roads and our hearts… the Vector.

looking now at photos of the vector, it reminds me of a key 1980’s design language in futuristic concepts: a UI philosophy of “more buttons”

actually something I personally wish the CT had more of. I would like to see Tesla apply itself to physical switches, and unlike it’s prior offerings in the CT it would have made sense

now I’m gonna go stroll photos of 1960s70s Italian modern prototype car interiors

 

[flowerlandfilms]

looking now at photos of the vector, it reminds me of a key 1980’s design language in futuristic concepts: a UI philosophy of “more buttons”

actually something I personally wish the CT had more of. I would like to see Tesla apply itself to physical switches, and unlike it’s prior offerings in the CT it would have made sense

now I’m gonna go stroll photos of 1960s70s Italian modern prototype car interiors

Man I love a gas plasma display.

 

[Ehninger1212]

Tbh I think it's more likely that they leaked some of these and watched reactions. I swear I've seen a couple of these pre launch day

Maybe, its would not be unusual for it to happen either way. Designers don't stick themselves in a box, at least not the good ones. They usually draw info from any source they can.

 

[Diehard]

I believe that the shape of CT did not result so much from design aesthetics considerations as from economic necessity. Elon has always known that the transition to sustainable energy transport would require drastically reducing the cost of electric cars and trucks. The Cybertruck is the embodiment of his "the best part is no part, the best process is no process" philosophy. Cybertruck is beautiful for the elegance of its engineering economics, more than for its retro futuristic styling.

I agree. I found out OP's post is photoshopped. It seems like Tesla is trying to protect their design process by misinformation. A buddy at Tesla risked his job to share the original photo with me. It seems like to reduce manufacturing cost, they have eliminated as many lines as possible.

Frankly, I would have gone with the circle; driving inside one wheel vs on top of four.

 

[CyberGus]

For those of you making absolute statements, just know that the actual engineers here know a poser when they speak. Boogie on keyboard warrior. Continue your life in pretend land.

Hey! My statements are absolutely true, the unicorns said so

 

[CyberGus]

looking now at photos of the vector, it reminds me of a key 1980’s design language in futuristic concepts: a UI philosophy of “more buttons”

actually something I personally wish the CT had more of. I would like to see Tesla apply itself to physical switches, and unlike it’s prior offerings in the CT it would have made sense

now I’m gonna go stroll photos of 1960s70s Italian modern prototype car interiors

I'd like to see a few more buttons on the CT, but I find the above button array annoying. I prefer a skeuomorphic design, where the layout and shape of the physical controls mimic their function. For instance, the "Hazard" button should literally be a red triangle, not just painted with one.

I absolutely detest TV remotes that are symmetrical grids of square buttons. My TiVo remote has so many different shapes that I can operate it completely on feel.

I'll definitely be getting a set of customizable S3xy Buttons to customize my CT.

 

[cvalue13]

I'd like to see a few more buttons on the CT, but I find the above button array annoying. …

I'll definitely be getting a set of customizable S3xy Buttons to customize my CT.

yes! and just what I intended to convey about “I’d like to see Tesla apply itself to physical switches” on one hand the vector approach is slop that’s fun to look at but not use; on the other hand I tend to think it won’t be too long before the “all touchscreen” approach in Tesla’s feels very Web 1.0
I hadn’t seen the s3xy buttons before thank you. theyre a fantastic example of what innovation could look like in physical UI, in autos in particular

I imagine if it applied itself, Tesla could do even better in this physical switches space

 

[Almost Mars]

Looks like they just printed out all of the "what will the Cybertruck look like" fan art that was on the internet before the 2019 reveal. I'll still end up buying the CT in its current form, but I also still would've preferred the mini Semi look that floated around briefly.

The truck that could hold a truck! It was going to be epic

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