When Elon Musk’s highly anticipated Tesla Diner opened its doors in Los Angeles on July 21, it garnered significant media attention, with customers lining up for hours to try chef Eric Greenspan’s pie shakes and classic burgers served in Cybertruck-shaped boxes. This past weekend, however, the lines looked a little different.

With a potential asking price under $40,000, this skeletonized SUV could be the lifeline Tesla needs. Here’s what you’ll learn reading this story. For the first time, Tesla’s new affordable vehicle has been spotted in public.

The throwback drive-in, conceived years ago when the world's richest man was still a Los Angeles hometown hero, bows in a radically different era.