GTP Cool Wall: 1981-1989 Dodge Aries
- Thread starter Wiegert
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- That_sneaky_azN
Nice try, buddy. Anyway isn't your post ludicrous enough to be in the "ludicrous claim thread?"
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The feeling's mutual, my friend.
- 1,656
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Umm...
Yes, I know I caused some controversy in my R390 GTP Cool Wall nomination, but this is one of the coolest cars IMO.
Oh, and this thread has basically turned into the Renault 19 thread. Remember that one? The one where JMoney rage quitted? By the way, Seriously Uncool. Who even likes this car unironically?
- 40,846
Think we should cut him a little slack on one thing: Chrysler were the ones leading the changeover to internationally sized FWD cars. A lot of that goes to the Omni/Horizon more than the Aries, but in the context of 1981 the Aries was a big deal. American-built VWs of the time were junk. Most of the Japanese cars were still generally too small and even more underpowered than American ones. GM spent a lot of time and money squeezing any quality the Opel Cavalier might have had out of it so they could build it here cheaper, just like they did with the Chevette. Ford did the same with the Escort, and their only direct competitor to the Aries was the larger, heavier, older Fairmont. But the Aries was still a pretty big turning point to show that American companies could design and build small-ish modern basic transportation without having them be complete garbage.
Would the Aries had been a big deal if GM hadn't fallen flat on their face with the Citation? Certainly not. Would they have eventually found something else anyway? Sure, since the Accord came along soon after and made it all moot anyway (and the Camry a couple years after that). But the Citation most definitely did fall flat on its face, and most Americans in 1981 weren't going to buy an Accord.
Cadillac outsourced the Allante because there was a (probably justified) belief that Cadillac couldn't build that car to the level of quality needed for what they wanted it to be and the (reasonable) view that Peninfarina building it would give it enough snob appeal to differentiate it from the E-Body Eldorado that it was based on and justify the price. They doubled down and built the Reatta, but that was different enough car that they probably didn't steal any sales from each other even though you would think they would once the convertible came out.
Chrysler outsourced the TC because they happened to own part of Maserati at the time and Lido was cynical enough to believe that his friend de Tomaso could quickly take a break from making his own horrible cars to turn out an ultra exclusive Italian K that was similarly different enough from the Costanza Lebaron to justify its price while undercutting the Allante. Then he doubled down and made the almost identical looking Lebaron anyway, which even then might have worked had it not debuted first (because he outsourced the TC's engineering to 1980s Maserati and was delayed three years).
There's no innovation in obviously copying a bad idea a competitor already had, but screwing it up even worse then they did.
Would the Aries had been a big deal if GM hadn't fallen flat on their face with the Citation? Certainly not. Would they have eventually found something else anyway? Sure, since the Accord came along soon after and made it all moot anyway (and the Camry a couple years after that). But the Citation most definitely did fall flat on its face, and most Americans in 1981 weren't going to buy an Accord.
Cadillac outsourced the Allante because there was a (probably justified) belief that Cadillac couldn't build that car to the level of quality needed for what they wanted it to be and the (reasonable) view that Peninfarina building it would give it enough snob appeal to differentiate it from the E-Body Eldorado that it was based on and justify the price. They doubled down and built the Reatta, but that was different enough car that they probably didn't steal any sales from each other even though you would think they would once the convertible came out.
Chrysler outsourced the TC because they happened to own part of Maserati at the time and Lido was cynical enough to believe that his friend de Tomaso could quickly take a break from making his own horrible cars to turn out an ultra exclusive Italian K that was similarly different enough from the Costanza Lebaron to justify its price while undercutting the Allante. Then he doubled down and made the almost identical looking Lebaron anyway, which even then might have worked had it not debuted first (because he outsourced the TC's engineering to 1980s Maserati and was delayed three years).
There's no innovation in obviously copying a bad idea a competitor already had, but screwing it up even worse then they did.
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Obelisk
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Apparently, The87Dodge likes it.Umm...
Yes, I know I caused some controversy in my R390 GTP Cool Wall nomination, but this is one of the coolest cars IMO.
Oh, and this thread has basically turned into the Renault 19 thread. Remember that one? The one where JMoney rage quitted? By the way, Seriously Uncool. Who even likes this car unironically?
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It's been a while since I last read through a Cool Wall thread, but it's okay because this one is more than amusing enough to make up for all I've missed out on. Glad to see that people still haven't realized that good/likeable ≠ cool.
"Good" and "likeable" are both words that also have nothing to do with this particular car.
"Good" and "likeable" are both words that also have nothing to do with this particular car.
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There's a lot of cars that I think are very cool but others don't. For example (time for me to contradict myself), I really like the Mazda Roadpacer AP, but I can see why many people don't. But I have never, NOT EVER seen a guy defend the Aries that isn't named The87Dodge. If almost everyone disagrees with your opinion, your case is pretty much irrelevant. It's like going to a Barney hate website and posting a thread titled "BARNEY IS DA BEST SHOW EVA!!!". People will pretty much bash you continuously for pages and pages. Also, this thread has officially became worse than the Renault 19 thread.
Razor440
(Banned)
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Apparently you didn't see any of my posts. Like I said, 1988 Dodge Airies coupe, black hood, custom wheels, engine from an Omni O24, and I'm happy.
- 44,185
- Blackburn
- Furinkazen_54
I legitimately thought this was from Eastern Bloc at first... boxy, blocky, looks horrifically uncomfortable. Except those cars had charm whilst this is just an ugly rustbucket with zero redeeming features.
- 25,095
- Somewhere.
I think it's also important to note how the K platform eventually evolved and brought something different to the masses with the Caravan/Voyager. Smaller and cheaper than most full sized station wagons, it was roomier and more practical. There really was nothing else on the market, in North America at least (still debatable which came first, the Caravan or the Renault Espace) and I think it actually marked the start of the death of the station wagon.
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- Alabamamania
Even the Aries constellation is pretty lame compared to the rest of the zodiac:
It's practically the leftover parts bin of the ecliptic.
The greatest trick the devil ever pulled was convincing the world the Eighties didn't exist. - Verbal Kint (maybe)
Look, I grew up in the Eighties...the automotive press was impressed that Chrysler could sell not just a mountain of these cars, and but an entire range of them! They used the K-car platform to make everything in the early-to-mid-1980s but the Dodge Dakota. It underpinned everything except for the Chrysler Building. An impressive sales feat, and it got Chrysler out of a billion dollar debt.
But sales magnitude and ubiquity hardly makes something "cool", unless you're looking for fanboy service and support. Obviously, it must have certain je ne sais quoi, or at least, Fahrvergnügen, Kansai Engineering, or it's just Velveeta or Astro Turf.
Positing that a vaguely boring, slow, bland recipe of a car (as described in its own timeframe...yes, the 1980s) as "cool" ultimately means you have no idea what you're talking about. If you're just deeply nostalgic about it, than hey, that's your thing. To an extent, there might have been a precise moment when this was an ironically silly car to own, or to own the first K-car ever, but that had to be a really fleeting iota of time in an ephemeral world.
We all get a little bit of reverie for our first car or the first car(s) we ever took notice of, whether they were actually interesting or not, but saying you know "a lot" and throwing this into the mix just makes you sound a bit sheltered. And...scary.
It's practically the leftover parts bin of the ecliptic.
The greatest trick the devil ever pulled was convincing the world the Eighties didn't exist. - Verbal Kint (maybe)
Look, I grew up in the Eighties...the automotive press was impressed that Chrysler could sell not just a mountain of these cars, and but an entire range of them! They used the K-car platform to make everything in the early-to-mid-1980s but the Dodge Dakota. It underpinned everything except for the Chrysler Building. An impressive sales feat, and it got Chrysler out of a billion dollar debt.
But sales magnitude and ubiquity hardly makes something "cool", unless you're looking for fanboy service and support. Obviously, it must have certain je ne sais quoi, or at least, Fahrvergnügen, Kansai Engineering, or it's just Velveeta or Astro Turf.
Positing that a vaguely boring, slow, bland recipe of a car (as described in its own timeframe...yes, the 1980s) as "cool" ultimately means you have no idea what you're talking about. If you're just deeply nostalgic about it, than hey, that's your thing. To an extent, there might have been a precise moment when this was an ironically silly car to own, or to own the first K-car ever, but that had to be a really fleeting iota of time in an ephemeral world.
We all get a little bit of reverie for our first car or the first car(s) we ever took notice of, whether they were actually interesting or not, but saying you know "a lot" and throwing this into the mix just makes you sound a bit sheltered. And...scary.
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- ThrasherDBS
- ThrasherDBS
So I read through five pages of this thread, got bored with the back-and-forth, but then pushed on up to this point so I can now write my post. I'm not entirely sure I can possibly expound more upon any of the points that I wanted to make, because a wide variety of contributors to this thread have already made them for me so I'll just make a few tidbits.
I don't know anyone with a Dodge Aries, but the grandmother of a friend of mine owns a 1986 Chrysler LeBaron. I don't necessarily think a lot of K-cars, but they are far from cool, really. I don't find them offensive, but that doesn't translate into "it's definitely cool". I drove it once, and don't recall it being remarkable in the slightest. Most I can really remember is that it didn't have much power. That's about it.
I can agree that this car was just what Chrysler needed to bail them out in the 80s, but as many people have stated in this thread, that doesn't make it cool. It's knowledge that esoteric to people who aren't into cars and/or wasn't even alive in the 80s.
@The87Dodge I feel for you. Really I do. I remember back when I was known as Irons, and I nominated my dad's truck, and defended it as a cool vehicle, and under the old ranking system, it did wind up making the "cool" category, and right now it's sitting in uncool. I was probably 15 when that was being polled, and I remember being fairly passionate about this old '80s Toyota. I was a little dejected that it ended up uncool, but I understand that for many people, it's not cool. Not too long ago, I nominated my daily driver, the Scion xA, and it did kinda sting how it got ripped apart, but at the same time, I can definitely understand why it wasn't considered a cool car. Hell, had I never owned one in the first place, I would have given it a "meh" at best. In the end, I was expecting it to get lambasted anyway, and I feel that you probably should have seen this coming, at least a little bit.
If it's one of the coolest cars of all time to you, then own that. You don't need our approval for you to think it's cool, so own it. Just understand that none of us really think alike or have the exact same tastes.
I don't know anyone with a Dodge Aries, but the grandmother of a friend of mine owns a 1986 Chrysler LeBaron. I don't necessarily think a lot of K-cars, but they are far from cool, really. I don't find them offensive, but that doesn't translate into "it's definitely cool". I drove it once, and don't recall it being remarkable in the slightest. Most I can really remember is that it didn't have much power. That's about it.
I can agree that this car was just what Chrysler needed to bail them out in the 80s, but as many people have stated in this thread, that doesn't make it cool. It's knowledge that esoteric to people who aren't into cars and/or wasn't even alive in the 80s.
@The87Dodge I feel for you. Really I do. I remember back when I was known as Irons, and I nominated my dad's truck, and defended it as a cool vehicle, and under the old ranking system, it did wind up making the "cool" category, and right now it's sitting in uncool. I was probably 15 when that was being polled, and I remember being fairly passionate about this old '80s Toyota. I was a little dejected that it ended up uncool, but I understand that for many people, it's not cool. Not too long ago, I nominated my daily driver, the Scion xA, and it did kinda sting how it got ripped apart, but at the same time, I can definitely understand why it wasn't considered a cool car. Hell, had I never owned one in the first place, I would have given it a "meh" at best. In the end, I was expecting it to get lambasted anyway, and I feel that you probably should have seen this coming, at least a little bit.
If it's one of the coolest cars of all time to you, then own that. You don't need our approval for you to think it's cool, so own it. Just understand that none of us really think alike or have the exact same tastes.
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- Formidable_LG
- Formidable77
This thread is pure gold. 
I gave it Seriously Uncool
Who designed that ...object? It's as pleasing to the eye as a pile of camel droppings. This is the car that saved Chrysler? Seriously?! I didn't expect it to be the best looking car, but good god, I never expected this. The designer of this car must've gotten his inspiration from a brick.
Just thought I'd get my rambling out of the way and onto a more sensible way of looking at it.
@The87Dodge Now I know you love the Aries very much. You own one, and no matter how unpopular your opinion is, it will always be a favorite of yours. I am the same way, with the Panoz Deltawing DWC-13 being my favorite. Everybody teases it with the name "Dildowing" or "Deltawang" or sometimes both, "Dildowang", plus the fact that it hasn't won a race yet (why did it have to crash at Daytona it was doing so well
). However, I look at it differently and think it's a great car. The reason why is where the difference comes in.
So here's my favorite car:
And here's yours:
The Deltawing is creatively designed; a car that looks like it could just take off at any given moment, trying to be as aerodynamic and quick as possible while being insanely lightweight and fuel efficient. That's what I love about it. It's such an inspired and creative car.
The Aries however, is the exact opposite. It looks like little to no design effort was put into it. Where is the inspiration? There's almost nothing abnormal about this car (with the exception of it being hideous). There's nothing performance-wise either. It's heavy, and has a whopping 82 hp to make it move forward. The fuel efficiency must be dreadful if those specs are anywhere close to right.
I know that it's your favorite car, but I just can't understand. To me, it's like preferring a drawing of an imperfect circle to a Van Gogh painting.
I gave it Seriously Uncool
Who designed that ...object? It's as pleasing to the eye as a pile of camel droppings. This is the car that saved Chrysler? Seriously?! I didn't expect it to be the best looking car, but good god, I never expected this. The designer of this car must've gotten his inspiration from a brick.
Just thought I'd get my rambling out of the way and onto a more sensible way of looking at it.
@The87Dodge Now I know you love the Aries very much. You own one, and no matter how unpopular your opinion is, it will always be a favorite of yours. I am the same way, with the Panoz Deltawing DWC-13 being my favorite. Everybody teases it with the name "Dildowing" or "Deltawang" or sometimes both, "Dildowang", plus the fact that it hasn't won a race yet (why did it have to crash at Daytona it was doing so well
). However, I look at it differently and think it's a great car. The reason why is where the difference comes in.So here's my favorite car:
And here's yours:
The Deltawing is creatively designed; a car that looks like it could just take off at any given moment, trying to be as aerodynamic and quick as possible while being insanely lightweight and fuel efficient. That's what I love about it. It's such an inspired and creative car.
The Aries however, is the exact opposite. It looks like little to no design effort was put into it. Where is the inspiration? There's almost nothing abnormal about this car (with the exception of it being hideous). There's nothing performance-wise either. It's heavy, and has a whopping 82 hp to make it move forward. The fuel efficiency must be dreadful if those specs are anywhere close to right.
I know that it's your favorite car, but I just can't understand. To me, it's like preferring a drawing of an imperfect circle to a Van Gogh painting.
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- That_sneaky_azN
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@Formidable Everyone loves the car they drive, unless it's a ****box.
I've never seen anyone get so egotistical about a 1980s Dodge econo-crap car, though.
I mean, if someone submitted the '05 Impala (my car) for this, I'd vote "meh" for it.
I've never seen anyone get so egotistical about a 1980s Dodge econo-crap car, though.
I mean, if someone submitted the '05 Impala (my car) for this, I'd vote "meh" for it.
Jahgee
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To put the JMoney brigade into context, this was at the peak of him thinking different and everyone hating him for not expressing those views correctly, has 87Dodge become JMoney, because beyond voting I don't really read these threads anymore so I don't see it
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