Car Designs Today.

[padi56]

As an avid car fan since the '60's, I have watched patiently as the last vestiges of Fins disappeared, Cortina's turned to Sierras and finally Mondeo's, and the British motor industry finally crumbled and died.

Most of the desirable cars in history have been produced within this forty year window, and evolution has caused even the cheapest simplest cars to have levels of equipment which was simply unavailable only twenty five years ago, at any price!

So why then, do we still see some of the most hideously deformed abortions such as this;



No, really! This is the Ssangyong Rodius (Which is Taiwanese for 'Rodent-like') and costs (Yes, 'Costs' as they actually assume people are going to PAY for one...) a bleeding staggering £19,000

Sure, it's sh!te. It looks sh!te, drives like sh!te, and probably will smell like it too, after a few high speed bends. But it sure doesn't go like Sh!te, with it's biggest selling point being a 2.7 litre Mercedes Benz engine, although this one probably predates the sort of engines that powered German WW2 Mercedes trucks, and suits the Rodentus perfectly...

Just to prove you don't have to buy far Eastern follies like the Ssangy, check out the Germans normally Superior cars latest four wheeled misprint;






Sure, the 1 series is a gem to drive, but how many registered Blind people actually posses a driving licence, and how the hell would you get a Labrador into the back of that little bugger eh?

Perhaps they just applied too much paint to the sides, and it ran, or made the panels go all droopy under the weight of ninety coats, but then it bears a resemblance to the current Z4 range, which I like, but its also saggy in the middle.Perhaps BMW's designer's wife has just given birth, and he thinks floppy is cool, or more likely the design team all sit around experimenting with vast amounts of different designer drugs?IMO most of new range of BMW's are hideous, I've always admired the styling in the past,and they were superior cars, but some of the new ones look like Malaysian copies IMHO.



But who gives a toss, when you can look like a freak for only £5999 with the Picanto from those lovely guys at Kia.




The 'pick-and-chew' is nearly normal looking, but for that nasty little snout garnishes the plain face in a particularly underwhelming fashion. The whole car shares the width to height proportions of a Double decker bus, and isn't allowed out in strong crosswinds unless at least two huge fat ugly buggers are placed in the front seats as ballast.

I kid you not! they all have same, well all the few I have seen
have


How do these designs get any further than the designers desk?

Do the other guys at these factories not ask for a bleeding reality check?

Do the accountants just sign off this sort of commercial suicide do they? people who get jobs as MD's or CEO's of these huge corporations just look at something like the foetal BMW and say 'Jah, jah, it's not exactly an M5, but what do they expect for fifteen grand heh?'. And would you believe the Rodius was designed by Ken Greenley, former head of the automotive design course at the Royal College of Art in London? Ignore the word 'Former' for just one moment. This man used to be the head man of car design in the Royal college of Art? Boy there sure are some butt ugly cars out there today.

Originally Posted by padi56

Sure, the 1 series is a gem to drive, but how many registered Blind people actually posses a driving licence, and how the hell would you get a Labrador into the back of that little bugger eh?

Perhaps they just applied too much paint to the sides, and it ran, or made the panels go all droopy under the weight of ninety coats, but then it bears a resemblance to the current Z4 range, which I like, but its also saggy in the middle.Perhaps BMW's designer's wife has just given birth, and he thinks floppy is cool, or more likely the design team all sit around experimenting with vast amounts of different designer drugs?IMO most of new range of BMW's are hideous, I've always admired the styling in the past,and they were superior cars, but some of the new ones look like Malaysian copies IMHO.

Well, I agree there are a lot of ugly cars out there. Although the BMW 1 series does not really make me feel all warm and fuzzy, I do like the Z4 (obviously).

Oh yes, Bangle is the guy, and "flame surfacing" is the style.

I think cars designs need to move forward or become stagnant. Hang on, is this a Rolex thread? Oh no, we are talking about cars....sorry.

I think the new designs all look odd to start with, but eventually they grow on you.

Anyway, time to hop in this and head to work:

[astcell]

I think I have the ugliest ride ever.

[SLRdude]

Originally Posted by astcell

I think I have the ugliest ride ever.

But I bet it commands respect on the road!

Originally Posted by comatox

But I bet it commands respect on the road!

Or perhaps, disdain.

[SLRdude]

How about molested cars?






Will the spike make it go faster???

[Otis]

I think I'm going to be sick....poor little blind ricer....

Myself, I don't mind the bangled BMW's, but the 1 series and their ridiculous cost is what gets me. Over here, you end up paying around $60,000 for what is, in essence, a hatchback. Back to design though, many modern cars are just so ...boring! I look at the latest offering from mitsubishi, toyota, holden, ford etc and just feel... nothing. No love it or hate it dilemma, just nothing. At least with the new mercedes S class and the AMG SLR they're bold, distinctive and stir some emotions. Then again... there are lots of definite 'hate it' designs...
yuck:


In the name of all that is good and holy, WTF is this?:


words fail me....


A modern car and the design that seemingly influenced it (thanks to another page):



Give me a 40yr old E type anyday...oil and overheating problems over butt-ugly design in a flash!

Originally Posted by comatox

I have a hard time believing having something like this attached to your "car" (I use the term loosely) would be legal!

[QUOTE=Otis;103378Give me a 40yr old E type anyday...oil and overheating problems over butt-ugly design in a flash![/QUOTE]


XKE Baby!! Otis, you have great taste in cars.



I would love an old E-Type. One guy where I work used to race them in the classic car series here, but it was just too expensive for him to stay in it. He also said he was tired of his right foot getting baked while driving around the track.....apparently it gets hot there and he would come out with blisters on his foot and leg... The cars he had were fast! He still has one in his garage (in pieces) that he wants to put together for cruising on the street.

Oh, and when you talk about oil leaks and overheating problems.....been there, done that.



Had this 1987 Vanden Plas for 7 years thanks to a good mechanic who became a good friend, and was willing to do work on the side. I used this as a daily driver (in the summer) and don't miss all the times when I had to check the weather to see if it was too hot to take the car on a 2 hour drive. I also don;t miss the $3,000 rear brake job (inboard brakes) and all the other "small" things that went wrong weekly. If you have ever heard of cars that "nickle and dime you to death" these older Jags were cars that "300 and 500 dollared you to death."

Mind you, that V12 was sweet........

[SLRdude]

When I was 21, I bought a black Jaguar VandenPlas Majestic with the 6.0 liter in it. It was black with tan leather and wood, and with captain's chairs in the back. Picnick tables, lamb's wool... a beauty.
It was an 89, and I bought it in 97. Had 40k miles on it, paid USD 12k for it.
Drove it until 2001, when it got in a wreck and was totaled by the insurance company. Honestly... other than worrying sick every time I had a traffic jam about overheating in TX weather... that car was great.

In 2004, I bought a black Jaguar XJR, with the V8 supercharged in it. My dream car.
I loved it to death, and I will get another one. But at usd 5k in tires, maitenance and random lights during 15k miles of ownership, it was too much for me. I do not regret selling it, but I miss it dearly.

[Otis]

I do love the shape of the Jags, old and new.
Great cars Al & Chip!

How did you find the XJR with headroom?
I was never in the drivers seat, but I remember the rear being somewhat low-ish. Other than that, it's one car I would love to own. My fav of the modern ones is probably the last generation XK coupe. Classic!

[Rockrolex]

I'm not a great fan of Jags, in part because they have that Fix Or Repair Daily lineage, but I could possibly be persuaded to think about the new XK roadster.

[Otis]

Originally Posted by Rockrolex

I'm not a great fan of Jags, in part because they have that Fix Or Repair Daily lineage, but I could possibly be persuaded to think about the new XK roadster.

I like that one too Ed, even thought it cops its fair share of flak for apparently being too similar to an Aston.
The advertising campaign for Jag is great too, but that's something they have always had down pat, at least in modern times.

[Rockrolex]

Originally Posted by Otis

I like that one too Ed, even thought it cops its fair share of flak for apparently being too similar to an Aston.
The advertising campaign for Jag is great too, but that's something they have always had down pat, at least in modern times.

Consider it the poor man's Aston, at less than 1/2 the price of the real thing.

[Otis]

Originally Posted by Rockrolex

Consider it the poor man's Aston, at less than 1/2 the price of the real thing.

Yeah, I'd be more than happy to 'slum it' and have one though

[gforce]

out of all the cars.. this one is the best

I always wanted a Lamberghini.. until..

http://www.tuning-forum.org/viewtopi...=37656&start=0
Warning Graphic pics!

[Otis]

Originally Posted by gforce

I always wanted a Lamberghini.. until..

http://www.tuning-forum.org/viewtopi...=37656&start=0
Warning Graphic pics!

Ouch man....now that is a sobering reminder to drive carefully if I ever saw one. I think I'll rather careful for the rest of the week....

[Launch Mini]

Ouch, I thought I saw the tailpipes on the top of the car, rather than under it.
Does anyone have the pic's of the Ferrari Enzo, after hitting the telephone pole???
Much better outcome for the driver, but similar fates for the Italian supercars.

[C.J.]

I feel ya, Peter There are some ugly rides out there

[Launch Mini]

I need to dig up apicture of an old car I used to have.
It was a 1972 Ford Capri.
Definetely in the beater category, then one day, a friend and I were drinking bee r (duh,), we peeled off a label & stuck it on the car, then another,and another.
They looked like peeled off labels. So after about a dozen, we called MOLSON to see if we could get some "new" labels.
Well, after a few departments, we ended up in promotions. They gave us about 3,000 fresh Molson Canadian labels.
So off to work the two of us went. We carefully laid them all over the car, like a giant jug-saw puzzle. I think it only took about 1,200 to completely cover the car.
We glued them down & put some clearcoat over top, to protect them.
That car looked amazing ( well it did to us).
From a distance, it looked like a snake skin. Up close it was like 1,200 beer cans lined up.
We failed to factor in one important point..



Molson Canadian labels were metalic.

That combined with a shiney clear coat...

Created one huge freaking MIRROR when the sun shone

As far as getting "looks" and "compliments", I got more than my fair share.
The best was, my dad had to drive the car to a Hockey game once.
Now envision this, a mid 50 year old man, grey hair, driving a Capri with 1,200 beer labels He didn't know why everyone on the freeway was honking at him

Oh, I almost miss those college days

I will try and find a pic to scan and post. I know I have one somewhere.

[Otis]

Thanks for that John...you have made my day!
Laughed very loud for a while over the thought of that.... please post some pics!

Actually reminds me of something that....ummm...someone else did many years ago. We...I mean them... unbeknownst to the owner, coated a 1970s datsun in newspaper (when I say coated, I mean coated). It rained that night and the car was covered in this bloody paper-mache like hard shell the next day. Funny thing was, the father of the car's owner thought that he son did it to protect it from the rain.

Nowhere near as impressive as your effort thought....but...as you said...
good times!

[JJ Irani]

I've had my trusty '94 Mazda for 8½ years now....very reliable, very smooth and very trouble free!! And for a 12 year old car, still looks nice and sleek!!

[padi56]

Well I would not call your car ugly JJ,but don't know about the guy posing with the big grin,have you just sited a good looking woolly jumper.Now some of the American cars now on sale in the UK are quite ugly.But the main fault with most American cars, is they just do not like corners or any bends in the road.And most of the interiors look very cheap,and plasticity,with very poor build quality.Its sad today if you want a trouble free car now in the UK its mainly Japanese brands like Lexus Toyota Honda,to name a few,or German but Ford now are catching up fast with some good models.

[Otis]

Originally Posted by padi56

Well I would not call your car ugly JJ,but don't know about the guy posing with the big grin,have you just sited a good looking woolly jumper.Now some of the American cars now on sale in the UK are quite ugly.But the main fault with most American cars, is they just do not like corners or any bends in the road.And most of the interiors look very cheap,and plasticity,with very poor build quality.Its sad today if you want a trouble free car now in the UK its mainly Japanese brands like Lexus Toyota Honda,to name a few,or German but Ford now are catching up fast with some good models.

Spot on with your brands IMO Padi
And one I'll contintue to defend - hyundai.
Hey!.... don't laugh!
Now, fit & finish may not be up there with merc & bmw etc, but boy have they come along way. The new grandeurs and sonatas are just great looking cars. And when you look at the total package - cost, standard features, reliability, after sales service, efficiency, engineering, design & finish, they make a damn good car for the money IMO.

[padi56]

Originally Posted by Otis

Spot on with your brands IMO Padi
And one I'll contintue to defend - hyundai.
Hey!.... don't laugh!
Now, fit & finish may not be up there with merc & bmw etc, but boy have they come along way. The new grandeurs and sonatas are just great looking cars. And when you look at the total package - cost, standard features, reliability, after sales service, efficiency, engineering, design & finish, they make a damn good car for the money IMO.

Yes agree Hyundai have now some good looking cars in there range.Cars now like Skoda and Seat which are basicaly VW.And now there build quality can rival and better its German close cousins.But IMO the build now on some of the new Mercedes have a lot to be desired.I have been a BMW man for many years, but my next and final change will be to a Lexus,and that should last me the rest of my driving years.

Originally Posted by Rockrolex

Consider it the poor man's Aston, at less than 1/2 the price of the real thing.

An Aston Martin just for you Ed - the DBS......

"Aston Martin's new flagship, the DBS, has hit the Nurburgring for high speed handling tests. The honed DB9, which runs a V12 engine upgraded to 530bhp, makes its debut in the new Bond movie Casino Royale, out this November. The production car will be unveiled at the Detroit auto show in January 2007, with sales due to start in the spring."







You had better start saving now for the spring Ed!!!

You know, Astin just does nothing for me. Nor do the modern Jags. They just look like beefed up Mustangs and Taurus'.

There are very few manufacturers designing cars that make a bold and tasteful statement, regardless of pricepoint. I have to admit I quite like the direction BMW has gone with the current line-up. Lexus and Toyota are getting sportier and more aggressivel looking too. I love where VeeDub is going with their designs but have to question why I'd part with more $$ to get an Audi when they're basically the same car, but VW giving more car for the money.

I think GM announcing production (in Canada) of the Camero is bad, particularly given the cost of fuel. Why introduce a new gas guzzeler when the oil resources are finite? Why not spend the money on more fuel efficient and alternative fuel dependent cars? Given teh distances we have to drive in North America, you'd think diesels would be readily available. Turns out VW isn't even offering the Passat in diesel to Canadians . They did the past two model years.

[Otis]

Originally Posted by Atomic

You know, Astin just does nothing for me. Nor do the modern Jags. They just look like beefed up Mustangs and Taurus'.

There are very few manufacturers designing cars that make a bold and tasteful statement, regardless of pricepoint. I have to admit I quite like the direction BMW has gone with the current line-up. Lexus and Toyota are getting sportier and more aggressivel looking too. I love where VeeDub is going with their designs but have to question why I'd part with more $$ to get an Audi when they're basically the same car, but VW giving more car for the money.

I think GM announcing production (in Canada) of the Camero is bad, particularly given the cost of fuel. Why introduce a new gas guzzeler when the oil resources are finite? Why not spend the money on more fuel efficient and alternative fuel dependent cars? Given teh distances we have to drive in North America, you'd think diesels would be readily available. Turns out VW isn't even offering the Passat in diesel to Canadians . They did the past two model years.

Totally agree with you on the audis. Sure, they are well manufactured, but they a tad pricey. I do like the new passat too, and the golf GTI...well...what can you say?

apart from "yeah, I guess I'll take one til the R32 comes!"

Originally Posted by Atomic

You know, Astin just does nothing for me. Nor do the modern Jags. They just look like beefed up Mustangs and Taurus'.

There are very few manufacturers designing cars that make a bold and tasteful statement, regardless of pricepoint. I have to admit I quite like the direction BMW has gone with the current line-up. Lexus and Toyota are getting sportier and more aggressivel looking too. I love where VeeDub is going with their designs but have to question why I'd part with more $$ to get an Audi when they're basically the same car, but VW giving more car for the money.

I think GM announcing production (in Canada) of the Camero is bad, particularly given the cost of fuel. Why introduce a new gas guzzeler when the oil resources are finite? Why not spend the money on more fuel efficient and alternative fuel dependent cars? Given teh distances we have to drive in North America, you'd think diesels would be readily available. Turns out VW isn't even offering the Passat in diesel to Canadians . They did the past two model years.

There is still the flavour of the old Jags in the new line, but watered down for sure. The advent of the V8 in a Jag was pretty much the end for me. I have driven a number of them over the last few years, but I also can't get past the Ford connection. For the Aston Martins, there seems to be more there for me in terms of styling.

The Camero is aimed at the same group the Charger is - middle aged boomers who have the cash for the car and don't care about the price of fuel as they just want to relive their youth.

The lack of diesels in general is a big issue in my mind. More manufacturers should offer them IMO.

Oh yes, not a fan of the Audis. The VW's have never been my thing either, but I agree they would offer more value for money than the Audis do.

[Launch Mini]

Found some of the Enzo pics.
http://www.wreckedexotics.com/special/enzo/