I love the Tesla Model S from the inside out. From the bare skateboard up. From the open frunk back. From the absent tailpipes forward.
Strange, the comment about a
'premium Mazda' before... Several of the Mazda products on the road today feature a design language that was defined by Franz von Holzhausen, who designed the Model S. There was a
Mazda concept car called the Shinari that debuted after he joined Tesla Motors. Though Franz is not credited for that car, it does look an awful lot like an ICE based Model S.
Personally, I see much more of an homage to Aston Martin, Jaguar, and Maserati in the lines of the Model S than anything else. But those companies have been borrowing each other's styling cues for so long it's hard to tell who originated them. As an American car, I believe the Model S successfully accomplishes what Pontiac and Buick attempted to do for much of the past two decades. I find it perplexing that so many choose to compare the Ford Fusion and Kia Optima to the Model S.
I have despised Teutonic design themes my entire life. I have found their cars to be quirky or stodgy at best, boring and ugly at worst. Always astounded me that people considered them
'luxury' cars... Expensive, sure... Not luxurious at all, except perhaps the absolute top-of-the-line versions meant to convey dignitaries.
As a kid, the only Porsche I liked was the 928. It was futuristic looking. Turned out it was the one Porsche fans hated most, because it didn't hearken to the past... Those ugly bug-eyed 911s that I couldn't stand. I've watched with glee as the 911 has morphed into the 928 over the years, but Porsche fans didn't notice. My though, if the Panamera and Cayenne don't go a long way toward keeping the ugly as a fundamental tenet of Porsche design.
BMW 3-Series are ridiculously popular in Los Angeles county. Every other one has a USC or UCLA Alumnus license plate holder it seems. But they gave been positively ugly for like, ever. Only since around 2012 have they finally been brought up to the standard of the 5-Series, and naturally this has garnered complaints of,
"It's a better car, but a worse BMW..." from reviewers and enthusiasts. But the 4-Series and 6-Series are ravishingly beautiful designs that make it hard to hate the marque anymore. Luckily, there is the i3. Yeah.
Mercedes-Benz cars have been the epitome of boredom for decades. Way too large. Way too heavy. Way too slow. Thank God Lexus came long and forced them to join the modern era of automotive design. Otherwise, the CLS-Class would never have seen the light of day. Typically, traditional fans of Mercedes-Benz can't stand it, and won't buy it, claiming it
'looks too Japanese'.
Different strokes for different folks. I don't care for luxury cars, or their amenities all that much. This may be due to my barbaric nature. I really hope for a Model S Coupe, or Model ≡ Coupe to arrive some day, as I really don't need a sedan. Even so, since there isn't likely to be a fully electric Buick, Cadillac, or Mercedes-Benz that I would want within the next decade, I'll be buying from Tesla Motors exclusively for a long while.
"U-G-L-Y... You ain't got no alibi... You're just UUUUH-GLEEE-EEE!" - FISHBONE, 'Ugly'
? Graceful is not an adjective I'd ever use for a German car.
