Lifestyle
Comic book artist reimagines Tesla’s Model X as a Transformers robot
Die hard Transformers fan and c0host to the TransMissions podcast, Youseph Tanha, surely has the most unique one-of-a-kind Tesla Model X on the planet. Equipped with its own Falcon Wing missiles – that’s right, missiles – and the ability to transform into a two story tall robot, Tanha’s Model X which goes by the name ‘Voltic’ is undoubtedly more than meets the eye. At least in comic book form.
We caught up with Tanha, who goes by the name Yoshi, to learn more about his unique project that would immortalize Tesla’s Model X and Model S as a generation one Transformer.
How did this project come about?
I’m an old school G1 Transformers fan. (G1 is how a person refers to the original Transformers toys, cartoon, animated movie, and comic books of the 80s.) I believe it was in 2002 that comic book companies started to experiment with releasing comic books with blank covers, (also known as sketch covers). The idea being that comic book fans would buy these blank comics and take them to comic convention where comic artists would do up a sketch for them for a fee.
In recent years these blank covers have become more popular. I don’t believe we’ve come close to the apex of their potential yet. I put together a short video talking about this on my blog.
The original Marvel Comics Transformers run ended in in 1991 after 80 issues. The ending of this series was rushed due to lack luster sales at the time. In 2012, After acquiring the comic rights, IDW Publishing gathered one of the original writers and several of the original artist of the Marvel Transformers comic together for 21 issues and give them a chance to give the comic book a proper closing. That comic book series was called Transformers: Regeneration One and ended in 2014.
From these 21 issues, 4 were blank sketch covers. The one used for the ‘Voltic’ project is issue 96.
I’ve wanted to commission a Transformers comic book artist for the ‘Voltic’ project for nearly a year. For me it was just finding the right Transformers artist and time.
Later this month, I’ll be attending a Transformers Convention (TFCon) in Chicago. This year’s TFCon has round up an impressive number of Transformers comic book artist, including Brendan Cahill. When I found out Mr. Cahill would be attending TFCon, I contacted him to request a comic sketch cover art commission that I could pick up at the convention. This way I not only get a commission piece I want, but I also get to shake hands with the person who created it.
In my original e-mail to Mr. Cahill, I pitched two ideas to him for the commission. He chose the Tesla idea. Here is the pitch.
“Custom G1 Transformer. Modeled after the TESLA Model X car. In both car and bot mode. I have an OptimusPrime photo attached to this e-mail to show you what I’m going for as far as showing both modes at the same time. On the cover I would like written, “Introducing Voltic”. I want to make sure that the drawing shows the TESLA and Autobot Logos in appropriate places. I’m Also attaching a couple of TESLA Model X images for reference. I would like the vehicle mode to show off one, if not both, gull wing doors.”
That was it. The correspondence afterword dealt with the cost of the work and where to mail the blank comic book too. Didn’t really give him any other impute on the design. He just uses my references as a guide and it turned out the way I wanted it to.
The name, ‘Voltic’ comes form the video game, Grand Theft Auto 5 of which I’m a big fan of. The game has a parody of TESLA called ‘COIL’ and their car model is the Voltic.
I also want to add that earlier in the year I had commissioned a different artist to make a Model S Transformers.
A sketch of @TeslaMotors Model S. @elonmusk https://t.co/9D2yfh4j42 pic.twitter.com/PmMluAL4lw
— Yoshi (@YousephTanha) June 29, 2016
Is this officially recognized by IDW and will it make it into print?
Nope. Not at all. But wouldn’t it be cool if it was?
The character is original to myself and Mr. Cahill. As far as I know, IDW Publishing has no plans to make a Transformer character model after a Tesla vehicle. I imagine if they wanted to do this they would be requires to pay Tesla for the rights to use their vehicle’s likeness. I also don’t think it fits with the current direction that IDW has taken characters and story in their current on going transformers comics.
What are some of the attack and defense mechanisms that ‘Voltic’ has over other Transformers?
I have put zero thought into this. Originally, the transformers story takes place in the 80s. The Transformers crash landed on earth and their alt modes (Vehicle modes) where based on the technology of the time. Optimus Prime is a flat nosed MACK Truck. Bumble Bee is a VW Beatle. Star Scream is a F-22 Raptor, and so on. Its fun to think if the story took place in 2016 that one of those Transformers would have been a Tesla. it’s almost silly to think that wouldn’t happen today.
Mr. Cahill clearly had fun with this project and added some missiles to the falcon wing doors. But I’ve put zero thought into Voltic’s unique abilities. Mostly because I probably would end up writing 5 pages about it if i started. I can tell you, like all Transformers, he would have an internal repair system in place and advanced communications abilities.
Elon Musk
Tesla’s golden era is no longer a tagline
Tesla “golden era” teaser video highlights the future of transportation and why car ownership itself may be the next thing to change.
The golden age of autonomous ridesharing is arriving, and Tesla is making sure we can all picture a future that looks like the future. A recent teaser posted to X shows a Cybercab parked outside a home, and with a clear message that your everyday life may soon look like this when the driverless vehicles shows up at your door.
Tesla has begun the rollout of its Robotaxi service across US cities, and the production of its dedicated, fully-autonomous Cybercab vehicle. The first Cybercab rolled off the Giga Texas assembly line on February 17, 2026, with volume production now targeted for this month. Additionally, the Robotaxi service built around it is already running, without human drivers, in US cities.
Tesla Cybercab production ignites with 60 units spotted at Giga Texas
The Cybercab is built without a steering wheel, pedals, or side mirrors, designed from the ground up for unsupervised autonomous operation. Musk described the manufacturing approach as closer to consumer electronics than traditional car production, targeting a cycle time of one unit every ten seconds at full scale.
Drone footage from April 13, 2026 captured over 50 Cybercab units on the Giga Texas campus, with several clustered near the crash testing facility. Musk has noted that Tesla plans to sell the Cybercab to consumers for under $30,000, and owners will be able to add their vehicles to the Tesla robotaxi network when not in personal use, potentially generating income to offset the vehicle’s purchase cost. That model changes the math on vehicle ownership in a meaningful way, making a car something closer to a depreciating asset that can also earn by paying itself off and generate a profit.
During Tesla’s Q4 earnings call, the company confirmed plans to expand the Robotaxi program to seven new cities in the first half of 2026, including Dallas, Houston, Phoenix, Miami, Orlando, Tampa, and Las Vegas. The service already runs without safety drivers in Austin, and public road testing of the Cybercab has expanded to five states, including California, Texas, New York, Illinois, and Massachusetts.
Golden era pic.twitter.com/AS6pX2dK8N
— Tesla Robotaxi (@robotaxi) April 16, 2026
Tesla announced its Spring 2026 software update, and it’s the most feature-dense seasonal release the company has put out. The update covers twelve named changes spanning FSD, voice AI, safety lighting, dashcam storage, and pet display customization, among other things.
The centerpiece for owners with AI4 hardware is a redesigned Self-Driving app. The new interface lets owners subscribe to Full Self-Driving with a single tap and view ongoing FSD usage stats directly in the vehicle.
Grok gets its biggest in-car upgrade yet. The update adds a “Hey Grok” hands-free wake word along with location-based reminders, so a driver can now say “remind me to pick up groceries when I get home” without touching the screen. Grok first arrived in vehicles in July 2025, but each update has pushed it closer to genuine daily utility. Musk framed the broader vision clearly at Davos in January, saying Tesla is “really moving into a future that is based on autonomy.”
On safety, the update introduces enhanced blind spot warning lights that integrate directly with the cabin’s ambient lighting, building on the blind spot door warning that arrived in update 2026.8.
Dog Mode has been renamed Pet Mode and now lets owners choose a dog, cat, or hedgehog icon and add their pet’s name to the display.
Dashcam retention now extends up to 24 hours, up from the previous one-hour rolling loop, with a permanent save option for any clip. Weather maps now show rain and snow with better color differentiation and include the past hour of precipitation data along the route.
Tesla has now established a clear rhythm of two major OTA pushes per year. As with last year’s Spring update, that cycle started taking shape in 2025 with adaptive headlights and trunk customization. The 2025 Holiday Update then added Grok to the vehicle for the first time. This Spring follows that structure: the Holiday update introduces new architecture, and the Spring update broadens it across the fleet.
Two notable features still did not make it. IFTTT automations, which launched in China earlier this year, were held back from this North American release for unknown reasons, and Apple CarPlay remains absent, reportedly still delayed by iOS 26 and Apple Maps compatibility issues.
Below is the full list of feature updates released by Tesla.
— Tesla (@Tesla) April 13, 2026
Lifestyle
Tesla hit by Iranian missile debris in Israel
A Tesla in Israel absorbed a direct hit from missile debris, and the glassroof held.
On March 30, 2026, Lara Shusterman was in Netanya, Israel when Iranian ballistic missiles triggered air raid sirens across the city. While she remained in safety, her 2024 Tesla Model Y did not escape untouched. A heavy piece of missile debris struck the car’s massive glass roof, leaving a deep crater but without shattering. In a Facebook post to the Tesla Israel community the following morning, Shusterman described what happened: “The glass did not shatter into dangerous shards. She stopped the damage and pushed the metal part to the ground.” She closed by thanking Elon Musk and the Tesla team for building what she called “security and a sense of trust even in extreme situations.”
Netanya is a coastal city in central Israel, roughly 18 miles north of Tel Aviv and has been among the areas most frequently struck during Iran’s ongoing missile campaign, following coordinated U.S. and Israeli strikes on Iranian military infrastructure. Falling shrapnel from intercepted missiles is a common occurrence.
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- Tesla Model Y glass roof shattered from a piece of falling Iranian missile debris
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- A piece of Iranian missile debris that struck Lara Shusterman’s Tesla Model Y in Netanya, Israel on March 30, 2026, after being intercepted by Israeli air defenses.
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- Tesla Model Y glass roof shattered from a piece of falling Iranian missile debris
Source: Tesla Israel Facebook Group
The incident is a testament to Tesla’s structural engineering. Tesla’s glass roof is designed to support over four times the vehicle’s own weight. That strength has shown up in real-world accidents too. In 2021, a Model Y in California was struck by a falling tree during a storm, with the glass roof holding firm and the cabin remaining intact. In another widely reported incident, a Tesla Model Y plunged 250 feet off the cliff at Devil’s Slide in California in January 2023, with all four occupants, including two young children, surviving.
Disturbing details about Tesla’s 250-foot cliff drop emerge amid initial investigation
Tesla officially launched sales in Israel in early 2021 and captured over 60 percent of Israel’s EV market in the first year. The brand’s foothold in Israel remains significant. Tens of thousands of Teslas are now on Israeli roads, making incidents like Shusterman’s easy to corroborate. On the same week her Model Y took the hit, the U.S. Space Force awarded SpaceX a $178.5 million contract to launch missile tracking satellites, a separate but fitting reminder of how intertwined the Musk ecosystem has become with the realities of modern conflict.
Tesla’s golden era is no longer a tagline
Tesla’s last chance version of the flagship Model X is officially gone
