It seems that there’s a trend within the Tesla company to ridicule and discount any cars that may serve as a rival for the EV maker’s single current model, and always find something to nitpick about.

Elon Musk has done it a number of times before, and now it’s the brand’s chief designer’s turn, the one who drew up the Model S’ Jaguar-like Maserati-shaped body with a fake grille shape up front, Franz von Holzhausen to take a shot at it too.

Speaking with AutoBild of Germany, the designer was asked about the BMW i3, a car which has just recently been released, featuring widespread use of carbon-reinforced plastic, rear-hinged doors, futuristic looks and the option of a range-extending motorbike engine for extra piece of mind.

The Tesla designer is, as per his boss, unimpressed with BMW’s effort, saying it’s a myth of the company’s old “Ultimate Driving Machine” slogan not having the familiar and desired driving traits.

He does call the i3’s interior a piece of IKEA furniture, but this time he means well by it, as he praises its clever packaging. Still, he’s far from impressed with the way it looks, which is the more understandable of his points, I think, though he does admit it is unique.

Throughout his design career, von Holzhausen designed the Pontiac Solstice, Saturn Sky, the 2006 Mazda Kabura concept and he also played a big part in how the VW New Beetle turned out, around the year 1998. Below he explains how the look of the Model S came about.

By Andrei Nedelea

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