Elon Musk is probably one of the biggest admirers of the newest vehicle his company is bringing to the market. Last year, during the unveiling of the Cybertruck, he had talked in depth about the potential of this electric pick-up. Right from then, the amount of pre-orders Tesla has received for the Cybertruck has been staggering. And the newest Tesla has warranted a lot of discussions too.
1000 Miles Challenge: Elon Musk and Tesla Receive Biggest Challenge For CyberTruck At 2023 by Hydrogen-Powered Beast
But a few days ago, Musk and his company have received probably one of the biggest public challenges for the Cybertruck. They have been challenged to race the Cybertruck at the 2023 SCORE BAJA 1000, which is the most prestigious off-road races in the world. And what’s more – their opponent will be a hydrogen-powered off-road beast who knows how to win at BAJA 1000.
The Challenge
The challenge was thrown at Tesla by James Glickenhaus, the owner of Scuderia Cameron Glickenhaus via an Instagram post. Musk had mentioned last April that Tesla is working on the dynamic air suspension of the Cybertruck. This will help the Cybertruck “kick butt” at the BAJA 1000.
We’re working on increasing dynamic air suspension travel for better off-roading. Needs to kick butt in Baja.
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) April 16, 2020
This has apparently struck a nerve with James Glickenhaus. Musk has previously disdained hydrogen power, going as far as calling it “mind-boggling stupid”. This provoked James to publicly challenge the business magnate.
View this post on Instagram
According to the post, Scuderia Cameron Glickenhaus (SCG) will be bringing a hydrogen-powered SCG Boot to the SCORE BAJA 1000 in 2023. And with a basic design already ready (and has proven itself at BAJA in the last two years), James invited Tesla to enter the Cybertruck in the same contest. He even added that his company will be happy to help Tesla get an entry into the competition, using their good relationship with SCORE.
James even made a snide remark at the range of a battery-electric vehicle, saying that they are ready to arrange for charging stations for the Cybertruck. He also mentioned that since their car will be hydrogen-powered, they may not need refuelling stations. He also challenged Tesla to pit one of their current cars (or the Roadster) at the 24 Hours of Nürburgring. And he has attached links of what SCG has achieved at that track.
The Challenger
James Glickenhaus is a former film producer and current automobile enthusiast. He is the owner and managing member of Scuderia Cameron Glickenhaus, a boutique manufacturer of exotic high-performance racing and road cars. The company explores some of the biggest and baddest race tracks around the world, like the 24 Hours of Nürburgring and the BAJA 1000, and designs cars specifically meant to race around these tracks.
Currently, they have a five-vehicle lineup. The SCG 003 is designed for the 24 Hours of Nürburgring, taking design cues from Formula 1 cars. The SCG 004 is a toned-down street-racing supercar, while the SCG Boot is for the BAJA 1000. They give modern cars a vintage look with the SCG 006, while their Le Mans competitor is the currently-under-development 007.
The SCG Boot is inspired by the iconic BAJA Boot from the 1960s owned by Steve McQueen. In its very first year in 2019, it managed to beat the Ford Bronco at the BAJA 1000 by almost 270 miles (434 km). This win avenged a 50-year-old loss at the 1969 BAJA 1000 when the Ford Bronco driven by Rod Hall beat the BAJA Boot. The SCG Boot then repeated its feat in the 2020 BAJA 1000.
Our Opinion
James Glickenhaus wrote in his post that SCG is a company similar to Tesla with ‘not so bad’ margins. He also went on to show everyone what kind of cars they produce and race at tracks around the world. And finally, he challenged the Californian automaker in a renewable-energy off-road long-distance race.
Having announced that they will be racing with hydrogen power for the 2023 edition, the challenge is a very interesting one for Tesla. We will have to wait and watch how Tesla, and specifically Elon Musk, respond to this.
