Apart from the recent Plaid version, it’s been quite some time since we heard anything about the Cybertruck.
A Twitter user felt the same and tweeted Musk asking for some information. Musk obliged and said that Tesla is working on improving the Cybertruck’s air suspension so it can “kick butt in Baja”.
For the uninitiated, Baja 1000 is a Mexican off-road motorsport race that features all sorts of vehicles customized for off-roading. Imagine a bizarre-shaped electric vehicle drifting, flying, and racing on mud. Oh, and also think about how would it look with all the customizations and graphics on the body?
The Cybertruck's Adaptive Air Suspension Will Have Longer Travel
Just like any other information we receive from the EV mogul, this scoop, too, comes from Twitter. A user asked Musk: “can we get a small bit of some kind of Cybertruck news? We’re dying out here!!”
The latter obliged and replied: “we’re working on increasing dynamic air suspension travel for better off-roading. Needs to kick butt in Baja.”
It certainly won’t be to an extent where tarmac-driving becomes impossible, but the suspension will have a better travel range. Another user asked whether this will be an iteration of the Model S and Model X’s suspension, and Musk confirmed that it will be an all-new unit. Exciting times for people who have paid deposits for their Cybertruck.
The ‘Baja’ that Musk was referring to is the Baja 1000, an annual Mexican off-road race that’s held on the Baja California Peninsula. It is one of the most popular off-road events and features a bunch of cars, trucks, motorcycles, ATVs, and buggies racing against each other. Elon has made his intentions clear about having the Cybertruck in the Baja 1000, which means we will hear more about it in the future.
First Plaid, Now This; What’s Next?
From the truck’s point-of-view, we now know that it will feature an adaptive suspension system with a travel range greater than the previously claimed 16 inches. This Baja version might also feature the Plaid-powertrain that Musk casually referred to in a tweet earlier this month. There are no details out about this, but it could produce 800 horses and 1,000 pound-feet of torque.
-* Range: 500+ miles
-* 0-60 mph: 2.9 seconds!
-* Top Speed: 130 mph
-* Payload Capacity: 3,500 pounds
-* Towing Capacity: 14,000 pounds
-* Price: $69,900
Final Thoughts
An increased travel range of the suspension system will not only help in off-roading but will also help by giving additional control to the driver, and better handling and adaption to the surface. If Tesla intends on entering Motorsport events, we could see sportier iterations of Tesla vehicles in the future. How do you think the Cybertruck would fare in an event like Baja 1000? Share your thoughts with us in the comments section below.