The Onion

Give it your best guess, strap a bunch of sensors to it, watch it (probably) explode (which really is any failure, as it’s required to explode for safety if it can’t land), use that data to improve the design, and then try again a few hundred times until it doesn’t explode anymore.

You just described the V1 and V2, with the only difference being their intent WAS to explode. Otherwise same stratagy. Which isn't exactly surprising that musk is running plays from the nazi playbook.

I'm honestly expecting him to try to create a car called "The Everyman" or some shit. But of coarse that would require the cars to not catch fire or explode.