Not long after Tesla unveiled its brutalist take on an electric pickup truck, Mattel made it possible to not only take the vehicle for a test drive but also actually own one — if you were content with a 1:10th-scale RC replica. A year later, the toymaker is releasing an updated version that adds a matching RC Cyberquad and a much cheaper price tag.
Mattel’s original Tesla Cybertruck toy was only available as a “Limited Edition” release which, given Tesla’s devoted fanbase, and the fact that the real Cybertruck is still nowhere to be seen, quickly sold out despite a hefty $US400 ($514) price tag. But calling the 1:10th-scale replica a toy was a disservice because, in addition to a full suspension system and four-wheel drive capabilities, the remote control vehicle offered two driving modes: “Chill” which limited its top speed, and “Sport” which let the replica hit 40 km per hour. If you were foolish enough to try and drive it indoors, you were risking a Cybertruck-shaped hole in your drywall.
What the Limited Edition version of Mattel’s Cybertruck was missing, however, was the matching Cyberquad ATV that Tesla demonstrated during the pickup truck’s initial reveal. It was one of the few critiques that fans had with the collectible replica, and it’s a feature that Mattel isn’t overlooking with its second-generation RC Cybertruck.
The new Cybertruck features the same 1:10th-scale design as the Limited Edition version, with working lights and a telescoping tailgate that now allows an included matching low-poly ATV to be parked in the bed, but that’s where the similarities end. Mattel has replaced the original replica’s pistol-grip style controller with a more traditional RC remote featuring a design based on the real Cybertruck’s steering wheel.
The new release also features tamer electric motors and electronics with a top speed that’s limited to 12 miles per hour so that it’s more accessible for kids and adults without lightning-quick reflexes. The performance reductions also help separate it from the sold-out Limited Edition replica which is undoubtedly now going to become even more coveted amongst collectors. With the slower top speed also comes a more affordable price tag: Mattel’s updated Cybertruck now sells for $US100 ($129), or a quarter of the price of the original. That’s still more expensive than the also sold-out Mattel 1:64th-scale $US20 ($26) RC Cybertruck toy, but far more affordable than the real Cybertruck which is expected to sell for $US39,000 ($50,154) — if that day ever comes.