R1T Truck

Make
Rivian
Segment
Sports Car

After lots of teasing, Tesla will finally unveil its new Blade Runner-inspired Cybertruck this week. Tesla won't be the first automaker to enter this segment, however, as electric startup Rivian presented the R1T pickup nearly a year ago, setting the standard with its impressive performance and range. Rivian is also making an electric SUV called the R1S. But what if the electric startup created a hardcore racing truck based on the R1T?

To find out what such creation could look like, the Rivian Owners Forum has mocked up a speculative render of a Rivian R1T racing truck that wouldn't look out of place in the Baja 1000.

The artists have envisioned Rivian's hypothetical racing truck with similar specifications to vehicles that compete in the Baja 1000. These include an aerodynamic body, beefy suspension travel, a safety cage, and larger wheels on chunky off-road tires. All of these modifications would clearly enhance the truck's off-road capability while making it look more aggressive.

It still retains some aspects of the production model, however, such as a quad-motor setup and 180kWh battery pack that produces 754 horsepower, 826 lb-ft of torque, and 400 miles of range in the range-topping model. With this setup, 0-62 mph takes just three seconds. Other models will also be available with smaller 105-kWh and 135-kWh battery packs.

With a ground clearance of up to 14.1 inches and approach and departure angles of 34 and 30 degrees, the Rivian R1T is already a highly capable off-roader without these modifications, but the racing version would no doubt take it to the next level with even better capability, more power, and less weight.

We'd love to see a hardcore Rivian R1T in the vein of the Ford F-150 Raptor enter production, but it will have to remain a fantasy for now. Customer deliveries for the Rivian R1T are expected to start in late 2020, with prices starting at $69,000.