Elon Musk’s highly-touted Tesla Cybertruck, which has been marketed as the next big thing in automotive toughness, recently faced a different kind of real-world test—a gun-toting owner decided to see if the electric vehicle truly lives up to its “bulletproof” reputation. Unfortunately, the results weren’t as invincible as advertised, raising some questions about Musk’s bold claims.
In a viral video posted on X (formerly Twitter), adult film star Dante Colle is seen taking matters into his own hands—literally. Armed with a handgun, Colle fired a shot directly into the back of his $100,000 Cybertruck, expecting to see the bullet bounce off the steel exterior. However, reality set in quickly when the bullet made a sizable dent and appeared to have penetrated the truck.
“F–k!” Colle exclaims, dropping his handgun in shock. The disbelief is palpable, as the woman filming can be heard laughing at Colle’s disappointment. “I don’t think it’s bulletproof, Dante,” she quips, adding humor to what must have been a pretty expensive experiment.
But upon closer inspection, it turns out the bullet didn’t go all the way through—one of Colle’s friends later confirmed that the round had become lodged in the truck’s thick exterior, rather than fully penetrating it. Colle, unfazed by the initial disappointment, decided to try again. In the second attempt, the bullet ricocheted off the side of the vehicle, leaving just a dent and a scrape. “It worked!” Colle proudly declared, as if the Cybertruck had redeemed itself—sort of.
This isn’t the first time Musk’s Cybertruck has been put to the test. Social media and YouTube are filled with videos of people testing the truck’s durability, with mixed results. YouTuber Zack Nelson, from the popular channel *JerryRigEverything*, ran his own durability test back in May. Nelson’s arsenal included a .50-caliber rifle, an AR-15, and a variety of handguns. While the truck did reasonably well against smaller rounds like 9mm and .22-caliber bullets, larger rounds like the .50-caliber inflicted significant damage.
Musk’s original claim that the Cybertruck was “bulletproof” has been under scrutiny ever since the vehicle’s 2019 debut. During a live demo in front of a crowd, Musk famously asked his chief designer to throw a metal ball at the truck’s “bulletproof” glass—only to watch it shatter, much to the dismay of onlookers.
Since then, Tesla has tried to bounce back. In December, Cybertruck lead engineer Wes Morrill uploaded a video showcasing the truck being fired upon by various firearms, including a Tommy gun and an M4 shotgun. While the truck’s stainless steel body held up well against many of the rounds, the glass didn’t fare as well, suffering cracks under pressure.
Despite these public challenges, Musk remains confident in the Cybertruck’s durability, even as some owners, like Colle, seem eager to push it to its limits. But with incidents like this one making headlines, it’s hard not to wonder whether the “bulletproof” claim is just another flashy Musk marketing stunt.
Perhaps, rather than boasting about a product’s toughness, a little humility is in order—especially when those claims are so easily put to the test. For now, it seems the Cybertruck may be tough, but not invincible. After all, as Colle learned the hard way, even the mightiest machines can have their weaknesses.
