Good news. Our Tesla Cybertruck has been delivered! The remote control toy version, that is. It has been a long wait since we put in our order on May 21. In fact, it arrived last week and we managed to unbox it only days later. Anyhoo, I don’t believe you are able to get this toy anymore, but here is our quick take of the toy to satisfy the curious minds. This review is presented in collaboration with Because Toys.
The Packaging
The packaging is pretty cool. It feels like lifting up the garage door to reveal the truck tucked inside, in between two transparent plastic holders. Out-of-the-box, the all-important, push-play Cyberquad is parked on the truck bed.
Personally, I am digging the packaging. Nothing overly lavish that would cause extra pain to the environment. It does come with a multi-language manual that has everything you need to know to get started.
The Aesthetic
We can’t fault the aesthetic here. I can’t deny this 1/10th scale Tesla Cybertruck looks absolutely gorgeous and so is the Cyberquad and the remote controller (which is based on the truck’s steering wheel, btw).
Although I thought there is a missed opportunity here and that is a sticker or two to simulate the infamous shattered windows during the vehicle presentation which I believe that the 400 bucks version does come with. It will be nice to have that (the decal).
The Design and Functions
The design is a pass on our books. What is there to fault? OK, except maybe it could use a function tailgate and perhaps even a tonneau cover like the presentation vehicle. Then again, if those are added, it wouldn’t cost just 100 bucks, would it? Possibly not.
Functions are basic as far as car controls go. It moves forward and back and turns left and right. It does have a wheel alignment dial on the vehicle itself to tweak the steering if the RC truck ain’t going in a straight line when it is supposed to do so. You know, the basics of an RC toy car.
Since it is not using digital proportion, it does feel a little bit of an untamed beast. Acceleration is fast and brute (and sudden!), and so is the steering. A slight push of the sticks won’t trigger the acceleration and steering, and as such this may result in sudden acceleration and turns. Not recommended for driving inside small spaces.
I do have a rant about the lighting. While the headlights and taillights are bright and all, the taillights do have some light bleeding visible from the truck bed. OCD folks like me may get offended.
The RC Tesla Cybertruck does have proper, functional suspension comprising of coilover, independent suspension. It even looks like the front is rocking a McPherson strut setup or at least something similar. The suspension is firm and nice. Though I have yet to test it on rough terrains.
The Built
TBH, this aspect is a little underwhelming. At least to me. Not that I have high expectations from this 100-dollar product, but it does feel super plasticky (read: cheap).
When you pick it up, you can literally hear the plastic creaking sound if you hold it a little tighter (if ever so slightly tighter, if I may add). And then, there is the cover fitment issue.
It appears that the cover, i.e. the truck body is not fitted to the chassis super tight, especially on the left of the truck. Frankly speaking, I am not too satisfied with the quality of the build.
It just feels rough on the edges overall. Trust me, you will admire the design but once your hands come into contact with it, you will be blown away, in a negative way, by its lackluster craftsmanship. I get it. It is a 100 dollar RC toy (keywords here are RC toy) and as such, I should expect less. Still, it has Tesla’s name on it and for that, I’d expect more.
The Verdict
1/10th makes it a striking piece as a display. While it is recommended for ages 8 and up, I do not recommend passing the steering to children younger than teenagers. This thing accelerates fast. And I do mean very fast.
On paper, it is capable of over 10 MPH (16 km/h) and so it is certainly no child’s play. But is it worth the money? Probably not. Unless you are a super fan of Tesla and Tesla Cybertruck.
P.S. In case anyone’s interested, the 1/64 scale version is still available on creations.mattel.com for US$20. There is also another 1/64th scale version on Amazon along with a die-cast model if anyone’s interested.
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All images by Mike for Because Toys/Mikeshouts.com.
