The Tesla Inc. (TSLA) Cybertruck looks like nothing else on the road. Some people love it. Some people hate it. But according to CEO Elon Musk, that polarizing design wasn't just about being different for the sake of it—it's actually a consequence of the materials and ambitions behind the truck.

During an appearance last month on "The Joe Rogan Experience" podcast, Musk walked through the thinking that led to the Cybertruck's now-famous angular, boxy shape. "I just wanted to have something that looked really different," he told host Joe Rogan. But the design isn't purely aesthetic. It's driven by physics and material science.

Why It Looks Like That

Traditional trucks use stamped steel panels, which can be shaped and curved using industrial presses. The Cybertruck doesn't. It uses ultra-hard stainless steel—so tough that it would destroy standard shaping equipment. "You can't just stamp the panels. It breaks the press," Musk explained. So instead of curves, you get flat surfaces and sharp angles. The look is a direct result of what the material allows.

But Musk didn't just want it to be different. He wanted "unique functionality." That includes making it bulletproof to subsonic projectiles. "If the apocalypse happens, you're going to want a bulletproof truck," he said, with just enough seriousness to make you wonder if he's joking.

Performance That Defies Expectations

Beyond durability, Musk claims the Cybertruck delivers performance that shouldn't be possible for a vehicle its size. It can out-tow a diesel Ford F-350, he said, and accelerate faster than a Porsche 911—even when it's towing the Porsche. "It can clear a quarter mile while towing a Porsche 911 faster than a 911," Musk told Rogan.

Then came the metaphor: "It's like an elephant that runs as a cheetah."

Designing for the Future

Musk also touched on why Tesla vehicles tend to look so futuristic. He said his son once asked him, "Why does the world look like it's 2015?" That question stuck with him. He wanted Tesla's designs to reflect progress, not blend in. "We want the future to look like the future," Musk said.

He's also not shy about his philosophy on truck aesthetics. "Trucks should be macho. They should be manly," he said. And in his view, "bulletproof is maximum macho."

Tesla continues refining the Cybertruck, but the core vision remains the same: build something that's functional, futuristic, and impossible to ignore. As Musk summed it up: "It is alien technology."