It is the most polarising car on the planet.
Weighing in at 2.9 tonnes and with a windscreen the size of a home cinema, the only production-built Tesla Cybertruck in Australia has been shoehorned into the company's tiny Bunda Street showroom for six days as part of the electric vehicle's whistlestop tour of the country.
After scanning a QR entry code from the red-velvet roped entry, a steady stream of curious onlookers have rolled through, their greasy fingermarks across the stainless steel bodywork creating a non-stop buffing task for the Tesla detailer.
There is still some doubt as to whether the huge, all-electric vehicle - still only produced in left-hand drive from one factory in Texas - will be sold officially in Australia because as time has marched on since it was first unveiled by Tesla chief Elon Musk in November 2019, the cost has skyrocketed.
Canberra IT whiz Michael Thompson, the territory's first Tesla owner, placed an online deposit on a Cybertruck some four years ago, never really expecting the vehicle would be sold here.
"The original projected price of the Cybertruck was $US79,990 for the premium Trimotor version with a 500-mile [804km] range which I thought was a pretty good package," he said.
"But now they are saying the same specification vehicle in production - which is called the Foundation series - costs more than $US100,000 and offers a range of 350 miles [563km] and if you want the extra battery range, then that will take out some of your cargo space and add more weight and cost another $US20,000.
"So even if they do build the Cybertruck in right-hand drive, by the time you add the extra battery pack, luxury car tax, GST and the like, it will be a $200,000-plus package here in Australia."
The vehicle on show in Canberra was all locked up "for safety reasons" and with its suspension at full lift height, generated an intimidating presence.
Small right-hand drive markets like Australia are tricky for Tesla production, even though the take-up rate for the brand remains strong and last year, the Model 3 was Canberra's best-selling vehicle.
The Tesla Model S - the first and arguably the best EV the company has built - and Model X were both dropped from the Australian market when right-hand drive production ceased. Only the Shanghai-built Model 3 and Model Y are sold here.
