How do you define a 'COOL' car?

[homeforsummer]

But should I consider the opinion of some random person on the street (or the internets) whether or not I should consider XYZ car 'cool' or not? Nope. Why should I?

I'm not saying you should. By and large I don't give a stuff about the opinion of Average Joe on the street, which is why I mainly consider what my friends and my girlfriend would think of a particular car when I'm voting cool or uncool - as well as my own opinion as long as I'm not just being strongly partisan because it's something I happen to like as well.

But if Average Joe on the street also happens to think that a car is cool, or indeed thinks a car is uncool, their generalised view should be thrown into the mix. I'm sure there are people who think Donks are cool. I'm sure they're also in a social group that think Donks are cool. The rest of the World think Donks are about as uncool as shouting to everyone that you have the Clap.

And no. Equating "I like it" to "I think it's cool" is an oversimplification. I like my Audi. Sometimes I even love my Audi. But I don't think it's cool. Based on my own criteria, it's far too compromised a car to be "single-minded" in it's approach. But it does everything I need it to do at a level which satisfies me, so therefore, I like it.

Are all squares rectangles? Yes.

Are all rectangles squares? No.

Do I like all cars that I think are cool? Yes.

Do I think all cars I like are cool? No.

Ah, well we're getting somewhere with this then. In your earlier post you made it sound very much like if someone essentially liked a car then they'd vote it cool. Now I see that you're still prepared to personally vote a car uncool even when you like it. Unfortunately, a great many people here don't seem to do that, which is why so many of us have tried to explain so often that cars they like, or indeed good cars, don't necessarily equal cool ones.

Although we hold slightly different points of view on how we define cool, it appears we're still on the same wavelength.

I did think my M Roadster was a pretty cool car though. I guess that makes me uncool or something. Honestly, I can't be arsed to care about that either.

I personally think that all Z3s are cool (even the 1.9), so you've unknowingly picked a bad example. I know my friends well enough that they'd also find it cool (some may even prefer it to my MX5 as it'd be more pleasant to travel in) and I reckon that our good friend Average Joe would find it cool too because it's a small, good looking open-top sports car.

I don't personally put a blanket of uncool over the BMW range. Some probably do.

As for the "there won't be social interaction if everyone had their own view on what is cool": I have no idea why you would draw this conclusion. I think you're making too many assumptions, as you did with the "anything I like is cool" bit.

People need to have shared interests in stuff they find cool. Stamp collecting? Not that cool, and as a result happens to be a fairly solitary hobby. Going to car meets? Well, lots of people find cars cool so lots of people meet in places to drive about in them or talk about them. Erm... video games? Well, we're all here aren't we? If everyone thought that video games were as embarassing as being caught with your pants down then there wouldn't be big forums like this one.

Okay, so maybe I'm stretching the point a little, but there's logic behind my comments, I promise.

Not sure what the M3 driver has to do with this either, but I think I can clearly delineate our philosophical differences in this way: you think the M3 driver should care what people think of him. I ask why he should care what anyone thinks of him.

Convertible M3 driver: Arbitrary example of someone who a great many people think is a plank. Usually to be found with sunglasses even when it's not sunny, one hand resting on the wheel at 12 o'clock and a gangsta lean on the seat. Alternative owners include guys with thinning hair in their fifties trying in vain to recapture the excitement of youth on their way to their next bored [sic] meeting. Though these people never put the roof down, so you question the need for a convertible other than to tell people "I have a convertible". Whether they care about the outside world or not, the outside world still thinks that the car, by association with it's owner (and because chopping the roof off ruins a perfectly good M3) is uncool and I'd vote as such in a poll.

BTW, I find your characterization of yourself as a "realist" based on your opinion as dubious. It implies those who do not see things your way as out of touch with reality, which I find highly presumptive and more than a little condescending. I like to give people the benefit of the doubt, so I'll presume you didn't consciously mean it in that way.

I used the term broadly to express that I'm aware that not all good cars are cool, not all cool cars are good, that not everything I like is cool and that not everything I dislike is uncool. Whether you consider that condescending given that many others probably don't think that way is up to you.

How can anyone who worries too much about what other people think be cool?

It's about finding a balance. If you worry too little about what people think you come across as aloof and a bit of a cock, if you worry too much then you come across as a wet blanket. I like to think I'm in the middle somewhere - I like having a car that my mates, the people I work with and my girlfriend find cool, but I wasn't worried even though I knew that a good number of them would make hairdresser jokes about it.

 

[niky]

It seems the coolest people can do, wear or buy what they want, when they want, no matter what the reason or prevailing fashion.

Cool people make cool... Don Johnson (back in the 80's) did pink. And he did it in a way that was cool.

David Bowie did glam. Not in the ridiculous "oy don't we all look like pretty little birdies" way. He did it cool. (You are free to disagree).

I'm pretty pleased that there are no real stinkers in SubZero on the GTP cool wall... though the XJ220 does come pretty close... of course, it's a Jaguar... and that's automatically sexy... unless you're a Mondeo... then you're just a drag-queen.

 

[///M-Spec]

I'm trying something new. I find that multiquote posts tend to scatter a discussion as posters in a discussion break off into numerous tangents. The result is that people can often miss the forest for the trees, readers end up getting MEGO (My Eyes Glaze Over) and the debate goes nowhere.

Therefore, I've moved tangential discussions to the bottom of my reply. Hopefully this will keep this a little tighter and easier to follow.

I'm not saying you should. By and large I don't give a stuff about the opinion of Average Joe on the street, which is why I mainly consider what my friends and my girlfriend would think of a particular car when I'm voting cool or uncool - as well as my own opinion as long as I'm not just being strongly partisan because it's something I happen to like as well.

But if Average Joe on the street also happens to think that a car is cool, or indeed thinks a car is uncool, their generalised view should be thrown into the mix. I'm sure there are people who think Donks are cool. I'm sure they're also in a social group that think Donks are cool. The rest of the World think Donks are about as uncool as shouting to everyone that you have the Clap.

Ah, well we're getting somewhere with this then. In your earlier post you made it sound very much like if someone essentially liked a car then they'd vote it cool. Now I see that you're still prepared to personally vote a car uncool even when you like it. Unfortunately, a great many people here don't seem to do that, which is why so many of us have tried to explain so often that cars they like, or indeed good cars, don't necessarily equal cool ones.

Although we hold slightly different points of view on how we define cool, it appears we're still on the same wavelength.

It's about finding a balance. If you worry too little about what people think you come across as aloof and a bit of a cock, if you worry too much then you come across as a wet blanket. I like to think I'm in the middle somewhere - I like having a car that my mates, the people I work with and my girlfriend find cool, but I wasn't worried even though I knew that a good number of them would make hairdresser jokes about it.

First off, I don't know why you would find the act of equating "things you like" and "cool" as a problem. I'm sure there are people out there who think "whatever I like is what I define as cool --and I like all things that are cool". Why would this bother you? Would you think this person has some sort of character flaw because of this? Would you classify this as a form of douche-baggery? Why?

So if you don't care what Joe Average thinks of car XYZ, then why would you "throw his opinion in the mix"? You don't know the guy. He could well be a card carrying Mensa member who reviews cars for a living and regularly gets phone calls from Ralph Lauren and Jay Leno. Or he could be the kind of person who puts a little decal of Calvin pissing on a Ford logo in the back window of his Chevy.

You simply don't know. And in the aggregate coolness universe Certified Genius Journalist Friend of Ralph Lauren gets the same vote as Mr. Calvin Pissing On A Ford Logo. Sorry, but that's not the sort of data that has much value to me.

I do agree there is a certain "balance" or sorts when it comes to deciding whom should influence your thinking. But it appears that I draw the line quite close and have much more stringent requirements than you do. Once again, these are personal choices and while I recognize and respect your right to draw them where ever you please, I do wish people would be far more discerning when it comes to this sort of thing. That is because I don't want to live in a world where people just regurgitate someone else's opinions. And a lot of times, that's what it seems like to me.


The Tangential, slightly OT stuff

Convertible M3 driver: Arbitrary example of someone who a great many people think is a plank. Usually to be found with sunglasses even when it's not sunny, one hand resting on the wheel at 12 o'clock and a gangsta lean on the seat. Alternative owners include guys with thinning hair in their fifties trying in vain to recapture the excitement of youth on their way to their next bored [sic] meeting. Though these people never put the roof down, so you question the need for a convertible other than to tell people "I have a convertible". Whether they care about the outside world or not, the outside world still thinks that the car, by association with it's owner (and because chopping the roof off ruins a perfectly good M3) is uncool and I'd vote as such in a poll.

I am familiar with this caricature, since I read quite a few UK car mags and also watch Top Gear. I should add that here in the States, an M3 Convertible driver is more likely to be characterized as a "posuer" who knows nothing about cars than an raging prick or a savage baby eater.

The next guy you see in an M3 Vert could be a total tool.

Or.

He could be on his way home from the hospital after recovering from surgery to donate his kidney to an ill child. Or he could be a deranged axe-murderer transporting the remains of four people stashed in the trunk (well okay, four very small people, it is a vert after all). Or. He could be driving a friend's car because he doesn't have one of his own and normally bikes or takes the bus everyday. Or he could have just stolen it. Or it could be his dad's. His dad who just passed away after a multi year battle with cancer. He could be on his way to drop it off for sale and the reason he's wearing sunglasses is because he is crying. From losing the only man he's ever truly admired.

But to everyone who thinks this way, he is a cock. Not judged by the honorableness of his actions or the quality of his character, but by the car he happens be driving that day.

Voted: Uncool.

I used the term broadly to express that I'm aware that not all good cars are cool, not all cool cars are good, that not everything I like is cool and that not everything I dislike is uncool. Whether you consider that condescending given that many others probably don't think that way is up to you.

I'm not sure that gives you any more a handle on reality than someone who doesn't. One's personal definition of cool is not necessarily related to his perception of what others think.

And I think we both agree that self-aggrandizement is uncool. After all, that is precisely the social crime leveled at the M3 vert owner in your last example.

I personally think that all Z3s are cool (even the 1.9), so you've unknowingly picked a bad example. I know my friends well enough that they'd also find it cool (some may even prefer it to my MX5 as it'd be more pleasant to travel in) and I reckon that our good friend Average Joe would find it cool too because it's a small, good looking open-top sports car.

I don't personally put a blanket of uncool over the BMW range. Some probably do.

Well, my roadster was a Z4 M, which many people view as positively repugnant. I think that actually made it slightly cooler in my eyes.

People need to have shared interests in stuff they find cool. Stamp collecting? Not that cool, and as a result happens to be a fairly solitary hobby. Going to car meets? Well, lots of people find cars cool so lots of people meet in places to drive about in them or talk about them. Erm... video games? Well, we're all here aren't we? If everyone thought that video games were as embarassing as being caught with your pants down then there wouldn't be big forums like this one.

Okay, so maybe I'm stretching the point a little, but there's logic behind my comments, I promise.

I enjoy autocross and track days. I think the hobby has a moderate amount of coolness. I also enjoy playing video games. I think the hobby has negative amounts of coolness.

But these attitudes don't really change depending on who is doing it with me. Or if I'm doing it alone. Short of discovering that Kristen Bell enjoys playing video games while wearing her 'Slave Leia' outfit while simultaneously waiting for her Stoptech BBK to finish bleeding... I can't imagine another person making me feel a hobby is cooler or less cool.










Ok. I need to write that again.

Kristen Bell playing video games.
While wearing a Slave Princess Leia outfit.
While she is bleeding her brakes.
Stoptech BBKs.

Excuse me, I think I'm done. What were we talking about?


M

 

[homeforsummer]

I'm going to continue with quoting text in fits and starts because it's what I know best

First off, I don't know why you would find the act of equating "things you like" and "cool" as a problem. I'm sure there are people out there who think "whatever I like is what I define as cool --and I like all things that are cool".

I refer you to my previous example of why liking something doesn't necessarily equate to coolness, even on an individual level:

My old Fiesta was "cool" to me. It was my first car. It gave me freedom. It drove really well. It took me and my mates to various different places. It never missed a beat. I think all of those things are pretty cool in a sort of wider-picture perspective. But was it a cool car? Really? Hell no.

I liked my Fiesta. It was also "cool" to me, for the reasons mentioned. Yet I reckon you'd struggle to find a single other person in this forum who'd hand-on-heart call it a cool car. As I'd be in the vast minority, I would then assume that the sole reason I find it cool was because it was mine. And "because it's mine" doesn't seem like a valid reason for calling something cool. In the same way, "because I like it" doesn't pass as sufficient for me either.

Why would this bother you? Would you think this person has some sort of character flaw because of this? Would you classify this as a form of douche-baggery? Why?

It doesn't, I wouldn't and I wouldn't. As for why - it's because I personally see no correlation between liking something and necessarily finding it cool. In the same way that I find no correlation between a car being fast and it being cool.

So if you don't care what Joe Average thinks of car XYZ, then why would you "throw his opinion in the mix"? You don't know the guy. He could well be a card carrying Mensa member who reviews cars for a living and regularly gets phone calls from Ralph Lauren and Jay Leno. Or he could be the kind of person who puts a little decal of Calvin pissing on a Ford logo in the back window of his Chevy.

I don't care because - personally - I'm too bloody minded. But I'm also open-minded enough to understand that I might occasionally look a complete pillock to some people. And looking like a complete pillock in civilised society isn't cool. Example: Bono.

I do agree there is a certain "balance" or sorts when it comes to deciding whom should influence your thinking. But it appears that I draw the line quite close and have much more stringent requirements than you do. Once again, these are personal choices and while I recognize and respect your right to draw them where ever you please, I do wish people would be far more discerning when it comes to this sort of thing. That is because I don't want to live in a world where people just regurgitate someone else's opinions. And a lot of times, that's what it seems like to me.

So we do agree on something then Even if there are still a few differences of opinion... Although I realise you might not have been referring to me directly with your last couple of sentences, if you watch how I vote in the cool wall posts you'll see I'm hardly one to go with the flow so I don't think I could be accused of regurgitating someone else's opinion. Apart from anything, I at least try and offer a half-assed explanation of why I think something is cool or not. As opposed to say, an arbitrary percentage based on Jupiter's alignment with Mars, or something.

And I think we both agree that self-aggrandizement is uncool. After all, that is precisely the social crime leveled at the M3 vert owner in your last example.

Essentially, yes. I'm strongly inclined to vote cars uncool if I think they're mostly bought for the purpose of showing off. I haven't given much thought to whether I'd consider any post-E30 M3 cool, but I barely need a second thought to decide that an M3 'vert is uncool because there's no logical reason for buying one over the tin-top versions other than to show off.

As for the last bit - I'm afraid you completely lost me, so I haven't bothered trying to respond!

Edit, didn't see this bit:

Well, my roadster was a Z4 M, which many people view as positively repugnant. I think that actually made it slightly cooler in my eyes.

Ah, a Z4. Well I'm not personally keen on those (though the M is a hell of a lot better looking than the standard ones) but again I'd assume that Joe Public would take one look, see a low-slung convertible BMW and decide that it's cool. Personally I'm more of a Z4 coupe man, which is one of the best looking BMWs in years.

 

[Tornado]

Well, my roadster was a Z4 M, which many people view as positively repugnant. I think that actually made it slightly cooler in my eyes.

Of course, I like the Z4 M, so it goes right back to the oven.

 

[///M-Spec]

Main discussion

I refer you to my previous example of why liking something doesn't necessarily equate to coolness, even on an individual level:

I liked my Fiesta. It was also "cool" to me, for the reasons mentioned. Yet I reckon you'd struggle to find a single other person in this forum who'd hand-on-heart call it a cool car. As I'd be in the vast minority, I would then assume that the sole reason I find it cool was because it was mine. And "because it's mine" doesn't seem like a valid reason for calling something cool. In the same way, "because I like it" doesn't pass as sufficient for me either.

It doesn't, I wouldn't and I wouldn't. As for why - it's because I personally see no correlation between liking something and necessarily finding it cool. In the same way that I find no correlation between a car being fast and it being cool.

I don't care because - personally - I'm too bloody minded. But I'm also open-minded enough to understand that I might occasionally look a complete pillock to some people. And looking like a complete pillock in civilised society isn't cool. Example: Bono.

Well, I figured out where the exact divergence is.

When you say "cool", you usually mean "cool to other people". Unless you specify that it is specifically your opinion. Cool is "social" to you by default.

When I say "cool", I usually mean "cool to me and everyone else can bite me", unless I specify the second, less useful "socially cool" or "what every one else thinks". Cool is "personal" to me by default.

And it's that simple.

If you thought your Fiesta was cool, I think it shouldn't matter what anyone else thinks. You think it's cool. Period. No need to qualify it. Similarly, I thought my Zed was a pretty cool car and the wannabe style experts who piss and moan about Bangle and "flame surfacing" can lick my curly haired sweaty ones. I should also add that on the occasions that I did get positive comments from complete strangers (a "hey, nice car" or thumbs up --though it could have been a middle finger, I can't always be sure) the event didn't suddenly boost my own opinion of the car. Not caring too much about what strangers think does go both ways. Good, bad or indifferent.


Semi-random, but still interesting tangents

So we do agree on something then Even if there are still a few differences of opinion... Although I realise you might not have been referring to me directly with your last couple of sentences, if you watch how I vote in the cool wall posts you'll see I'm hardly one to go with the flow so I don't think I could be accused of regurgitating someone else's opinion. Apart from anything, I at least try and offer a half-assed explanation of why I think something is cool or not. As opposed to say, an arbitrary percentage based on Jupiter's alignment with Mars, or something.

Sounds like we do arrive at some of the same conclusions, though we take different logic paths to get there. And no, I wasn't referring to you specifically. Thank you for returning the courtesy of not assuming malicious intent.

Essentially, yes. I'm strongly inclined to vote cars uncool if I think they're mostly bought for the purpose of showing off. I haven't given much thought to whether I'd consider any post-E30 M3 cool, but I barely need a second thought to decide that an M3 'vert is uncool because there's no logical reason for buying one over the tin-top versions other than to show off.

There are no logical reasons, but there are emotional ones. It's nice to put the top down. You, as an MX-5 owner, should sympathize with this.

Of course your response is probably along the lines of: "well then just get a regular 3-series convertible then, no need for the pretense of something that isn't going to live up to the promise". And that would be fair.

Except the M3 vert is better than a "regular" 3er vert in many ways, and not just for the badge on the trunk lid. Truth be told, I considered an E46 M3 vert when I realized I had to get rid of the Z4. It covered many of the bases for me: sufficiently quick and interesting to drive (moreso than a 330i vert), same powertrain as the car was I giving up (loved that motor), usable as a daily driver and (most importantly) has 4 seats. I ultimately decided I couldn't live with the compromises of any 4 seat vert, but I find it hard to completely fault someone for pulling the trigger on one. So long as he/she remains realistic about what they are getting.

Definitely not cool, though We agree on that.

I know someone who owns a Ferrari Testarossa. Apparently, it was originally owned by baseball legend Pete Rose. He is keen to tell people about this and in fact has a photocopied article from Car & Driver where the car is reviewed. Yes, C/D drove and photographed his actual car. Does he like to show off a little bit? Yes. Do I think showing off is the only reason he bought the car? Probably not. Is he a shallow, mouth-breathing knuckle-dragger completely devoid of any true joy in his life? I don't know him that well, but I doubt it. But I also know that he and I had the same poster of a red Testarossa taped on our bedroom walls when we were kids. The only difference is he actually went and bought the dream car from his youth and I didn't. I really can't find a problem with that.

As for the last bit - I'm afraid you completely lost me, so I haven't bothered trying to respond!

No worries. It was a total non sequitur on my part. I was supposed to be commenting on the idea that people need to care about each others opinions in order to enjoy a similar interest.

When at work, I compose posts in spurts. So I can start one in the morning and finish in the afternoon because I um, need to work But that also means I sometimes lose track of what I'm trying to say. But just so you get something out of it, google "Kristen Bell Slave Leia". Unless you like d00ds. Which is cool. But I can't help you.

Ah, a Z4. Well I'm not personally keen on those (though the M is a hell of a lot better looking than the standard ones) but again I'd assume that Joe Public would take one look, see a low-slung convertible BMW and decide that it's cool. Personally I'm more of a Z4 coupe man, which is one of the best looking BMWs in years.

Oh yeah? Well you can bite me then.

Of course, I like the Z4 M, so it goes right back to the oven.

You too, Claude.


M

 

[///M-Spec]

I've finally figured out a new way to participate in the Cool Wall.

Ladies and Gents, I give you my (draft) Superficial Cool Car Score Card

Add one point for each of the following:

Pt. A-At a valet service restaurant or hotel, your vehicle is parked outside by the front doors. Add an extra point if an altercation erupts amongst the valets over who gets to park your car.

Pt. B-You arrive at a high school reunion and old classmates, after seeing your car, remark that you must be doing very well. Add a bonus point if a former class hottie chats you up and makes a point of letting you know her divorce just got finalized. Add an additional point if you're married.

Pt. C-Your date is impressed. Add an extra point if her parents are impressed. Subtract two points if they are impressed because its the first car they've ever seen/been in with working air conditioning and a radio.

Pt. D-Children stare and point at your car in parking lots or on the road. Add a bonus point if their parents come to stare too. Subtract two points if this happens because they think you are driving the new Oscar Meyer Wienermobile.

Pt. E-At highway rest stops, gas stations, Target or Starbucks, people will walk across the parking lot to look at your car. Add a bonus point if cell phone pics are taken. However, subtract two points if this only happens at a Walmart or if these people sport excessive jewelery, tattoos or body piercings, can't utter coherent sentences or look like they subsist on a fixed income.

Pt. F-You are going out to lunch with coworkers. Everyone wants to ride with you. Add a bonus point if a passenger offers to give up his/her seat on the ride back so someone else can have a turn. Deduct all accrued points if you work in The Green Zone and drive an armored Humvee.

Pt. G-Random people give you the thumbs up or "hey, nice car". Add a bonus point if either comes from a car load of teenaged girls. Apply same sub-rules as Pt. E.

Pt. H-You are often known as "the guy with the (car name)". Subtract two points if the statement is followed with snickering, eye rolling or uncontrollable laughter.


Next: M's Superficial Cool Car Score Card - Minus Points List.


M

 

[Bones Brigade]

Surprising that I have not offered my take. I have devised my own method of questioning to determine whether or not a car is cool.


1A. Does it look good? Obviously subjective, but I feel that looks are the first thing judged by people when they see a car. (Yes +2/No -2)
1B. Is it elegant? (Answer only if Yes on A. Yes +2/No --)
1C. Is it flashy? Or, are there any large wings, big scoops-fake or real, more than 0 pieces of the car plated in chrome or made to look chrome, body kits that can't simply be described as "sideskirts?" Also includes mudflaps. (No --/Yes -2)

2. Is it fun? Boring is uncool. Yes, this is subjective, but there are some cars where fun is not going to happen, as it relates to the car. (Yes +2/No -2)

3A. Is there one purpose (intended or not) which greatly exceeds the abilities of the cars other functions? For example, a Porsche GT3 is made for the track and cannot perform many, if any, duties beyond that. A minivan is intended to take people to and fro, and does so more competently than...well, anything else.(No +2/Yes -2)
3B. Is the car a modified version of a lesser model not associated with the modified cars intentions? Or, if it is a high performance car, is the car it's based on not intended for performance? (No --/Yes -2)

4. Is it marketed to or owned by (disproportionately) any of the following:
A. Young Males? (-1)
B. Women? (-1)
C. Suburban Families? (-1)
D. Senior Citizens? (-1)
E. Political Groups? (-1)
F. Social Groups? (-1)
G. Middle aged, affluent men, with bad fashion sense? (-1)
H. Light beer drinkers, women with facial hair or fans of modern country music? (-1)

5. Is it popular? Like, REALLY popular? This will of course depend on how often each individual sees them and specific ares of the country as well. Following the crowd is definitely not cool. (No --/Yes -2)

My scale is from -18 to 8. 1-6 is cool. 7 and 8 is sub zero. 0 to -5 is uncool.

*Added 4G, 4H and 5.

 

[CamryFan]

Umm M-Spec, great list but with one small flaw

A girl around her early twenties said nice car to me.

I drive a white 89 Camry

Fair sure she was joking/taking the piss but interesting story none the less.

Otherwise its bang on perfect

 

[buickgnx88]

1C. Is it flashy? Or, are there any large wings, big scoops-fake or real, more than 0 pieces of the car plated in chrome or made to look chrome, body kits that can't simply be described as "sideskirts?" (No --/Yes -2)

2 things:

1) So no big scoops even if they are functional, such as on the Impreza or Murcielago?

2) No chrome bumpers or badging, or heck even the wheels?

 

[///M-Spec]

Umm M-Spec, great list but with one small flaw

A girl around her early twenties said nice car to me.

I drive a white 89 Camry

Fair sure she was joking/taking the piss but interesting story none the less.

Otherwise its bang on perfect

Thanks. Easily fixed with scoring

The car must accrue 4 points before it passes into "COOL" status. 8 points before "SUBZERO". Solves the random statistical oddities.


M

 

[niky]

Pt. A-At a valet service restaurant or hotel, your vehicle is parked outside by the front doors. Add an extra point if an altercation erupts amongst the valets over who gets to park your car.

Add two extra points if they return it with an extra 100 miles (at the very least) on the odometer after a short "flying down the hills of San Francisco" montage.

Add ten points if you're not actually in San Francisco at the time, and they still manage to perform the montage.

4. Is it marketed to or owned by (disproportionately) any of the following:
A. Young Males? (-1)
B. Women? (-1)
C. Suburban Families? (-1)
D. Senior Citizens? (-1)
E. Political Groups? (-1)
F. Social Groups? (-1)

Did you leave anybody in the world out except creepy single middle aged men who wear open shirts and gold chains?

 

[Bones Brigade]

2 things:

1) So no big scoops even if they are functional, such as on the Impreza or Murcielago?

2) No chrome bumpers or badging, or heck even the wheels?

1. Absolutely function or not. I find neither of those cars cool. Maybe the Impreza. Maybe.

2. Okay, you got me on bumpers and badging. But chrome wheels are a big no no.

Having taken the STI through my process, I find it to be cool, with a score of 1. Though I may try to edit the process further so it comes out as uncool. Too many bros in backwards hats and baggy shorts drinking jager seem to like them.

Add two extra points if they return it with an extra 100 miles (at the very least) on the odometer after a short "flying down the hills of San Francisco" montage.

Add ten points if you're not actually in San Francisco at the time, and they still manage to perform the montage.




Did you leave anybody in the world out except creepy single middle aged men who wear open shirts and gold chains?

I in fact DID leave them out. Thank you.

 

[///M-Spec]

Add two extra points if they return it with an extra 100 miles (at the very least) on the odometer after a short "flying down the hills of San Francisco" montage.

"You fellas have nothing to worry about. I'm a professional".


M

 

[niky]

Best.80's.Teen.Comedy.Ever.

That one's in my collection next to my copy of the original "Italian Job".

 

[MerlinMantis]

Rover SD1 maybe? Very underrated. But come on they have charm. Sadly BL made a hash of building it, which is a shame really.

 

[Jim Prower]

I find scorecards an incredibly overcomplex of trying to quantify a qualitative value. Math can't solve everything, children. I also feel the idea of consistency is overrated.

Doesn't mean I don't keep things in mind.

1. If snooty people drive them, or they exude an air of superiority, uncool.
2. If it appeals to badge snobs, uncool.
3. All Audis, as well as Volkswagens introduced after 1990 and SEATS introduced after VAG purchased them, are instantly Seriously Uncool by the Forza2.0 rule.
4. Excessive fangasm by some members of the forum populace is usually a downward pointer: depends on how I feel about the car.
5. If people talk about "not being able to pick up chicks in it," then it MUST be cool, because this is the most daft defense of uncool there is.
6. Association with a certian crowd is only bad if the car itsself doesn't have enough redeeming features.
7. uniqueness and rarity is usually an upward indicator, though exotic manufacturers do not count.
8. Exotics from Italy are typically overloved and thus this is a downward indicator.
9. If I feel a nomination was made in an attempt to fray, or confuse, much of the forum, then the nomination is Seriously Uncool.
10. If there's complaining about "inconsistencies in voting, etc," then it must be cool.
11. If a car does not do as it intends, it's uncool. If it excels at what it intends, cool.
12. If it did well against other cars of the period, it's cool.
13. If it's a recent car that stickered for less than $150,000 U.S. when new, it's cool. Otherwise, it'll have to be really, really cool to avoid being uncool.

The overriding rules, however...

If I like anything about the car more than I dislike, It's usually Cool
If I dislike anything about the car more than I like, it's usually Uncool

 

[Famine]

Math can't solve everything, children.

This = True

 

[///M-Spec]

I find scorecards an incredibly overcomplex of trying to quantify a qualitative value. Math can't solve everything, children. I also feel the idea of consistency is overrated.

Doesn't mean I don't keep things in mind.

1. If snooty people drive them, or they exude an air of superiority, uncool.
2. If it appeals to badge snobs, uncool.
3. All Audis, as well as Volkswagens introduced after 1990 and SEATS introduced after VAG purchased them, are instantly Seriously Uncool by the Forza2.0 rule.
4. Excessive fangasm by some members of the forum populace is usually a downward pointer: depends on how I feel about the car.
5. If people talk about "not being able to pick up chicks in it," then it MUST be cool, because this is the most daft defense of uncool there is.
6. Association with a certian crowd is only bad if the car itsself doesn't have enough redeeming features.
7. uniqueness and rarity is usually an upward indicator, though exotic manufacturers do not count.
8. Exotics from Italy are typically overloved and thus this is a downward indicator.
9. If I feel a nomination was made in an attempt to fray, or confuse, much of the forum, then the nomination is Seriously Uncool.
10. If there's complaining about "inconsistencies in voting, etc," then it must be cool.
11. If a car does not do as it intends, it's uncool. If it excels at what it intends, cool.
12. If it did well against other cars of the period, it's cool.
13. If it's a recent car that stickered for less than $150,000 U.S. when new, it's cool. Otherwise, it'll have to be really, really cool to avoid being uncool.

The overriding rules, however...

If I like anything about the car more than I dislike, It's usually Cool
If I dislike anything about the car more than I like, it's usually Uncool

cool story bro


M

 

[Murcie_LP640]

1. Looks: Obviously, if it looks **** then it's going to be uncool unless there's some sort of redeeming quality that overrides it such as my criteria below.

2. Brand: If it's a brand I like, instantly cool, such as Subaru, Lamborghini, Spyker, etc. Vice versa if it's a brand I DISlike, such as anything Korean, Holden, and Mitsubishi. There are of course exceptions to this rule, for example I don't like Holden but I do like HSV (Holden Special Vehicles).

3. Would I want to own one? With exceptions, if the answer to this is a "yes", cool. If a "no", uncool. The exceptions are mainly those supercars (such as Lamborghinis) that would be absolute hell to live with each day, but are still cool by some other criteria.

4. Is it a car that is or supposedly is good to drive? I realise with most other people good doesn't equal cool but it does to me. Hence why if a Renault Clio R27 happened to pop up in the Cool Wall I'd give it a Cool despite the multitudes of tacky stickers, plaques and that it is in fact French.

5. Is it mad and/or crazy? A great example of this would be the TVR Speed 12 where we gathered that if you even so much as looked at it you would by flying through a hedge, on fire, doing barrel rolls and screaming "WHY ME?!?!" out the window. And that is cool to watch. Probably not to experience I would assume, but it would be very, very cool to watch.

6. Is it a classic car? In most cases this is an immediate cool. Unless it was absolutely rubbish when it was new and is just as or even more so rubbish now, and had/has no redeeming qualities whatsoever.

7. Is it an SUV frequently driven with 40 billion inch wheels, underglow neons and by rappers? If so, instantly Seriously Uncool.

 

[NotThePrez]

This is what I think of a cool car:

• If the car is interesting.
• If it's customized, it's either A) Doesn't look completly ruined, or B) If it looks ruined, it's for a certain purpose.
• If it's something unique
• Something I may never see again in my life.
• It's got history.

One thing that I think about are the people. If someone buys an expensive/high performance car just to show off how much money they have, they are instantly uncool. It's also uncool If they use it for a midlife-crisis-mobile. If I'm going to by something fast, I would want somewhere to drive or race. Or some other purpose. For instance, the Escalade is the bling-mobile, which I hate, but since it's got lots of room, it's also practical, so if I had to, I would buy one for practicality.

 

[Famine]

One thing that I think about are the people. If someone buys an expensive/high performance car just to show off how much money they have, they are instantly uncool.

How do you know why they bought it?

For instance, the Escalade is the bling-mobile, which I hate, but since it's got lots of room, it's also practical, so if I had to, I would buy one for practicality.

How do other people know why you bought it?

 

[mirial]

This is an extremely difficult one to define...culture and nationality has an influence as well, but here's a guide:

If a person has intellectual, technical and emotional depth, then the vehicle of their choice could be cool, ie some classic cars that cost the Earth. The degree of how important it is to you personally is a factor as well, and the car in question vs impotance factor can have a compounding effect.

Ie, if you own a blinged up Astra which is your life, then this would be extremely uncool.

If you own a Road going Lancia 037 that you love, but you have lots of other things in your life, then this is very cool.

If you're a city boy who's into German Bling, then mmm not that cool, but passable depending on who's giving the assessment.

You have to remember that cars are designed for the masses with cheap manufacture and maximum profit in mind, so anything that has compromises to suit this can't be too cool.

I'm English, but live N. Ireland, which happens to have the highest percentage of BMWs in the world. Most are 3 series and 5 series diesels with huge wheels...all show, no go as they say - that is extremely uncool.

 

[HKS T51R]

-it's not a hybrid

 

[benvss696]

I guess a cool car is all about what you want from a car. Buying a car to impress other people is lame, and not cool. A cool car is one that is the one you would pick over anything else when all the chips are down. Your own interpretation and taste is what matters, not that of everyone else.

 

[Caio]

Is it beautiful?
Does it make sense (practical, gives what promised, costs accordingly)?
Do I want it?
Would I buy it?
Do I fit in it?

 

[niky]

Is it beautiful?
Does it make sense (practical, gives what promised, costs accordingly)?
Do I want it?
Would I buy it?
Do I fit in it?

Since when does sense count in terms of coolness? The most sensible car on the road is a Toyota Corolla, and that's nowhere near cool.

Even the Honda Fit... which is arguably one of the coolest, most practical entry-level cars you can buy for new money... struggled to make it past uncool on our cool wall.

 

[Lucas]

Since when does sense count in terms of coolness? The most sensible car on the road is a Toyota Corolla, and that's nowhere near cool.

Even the Honda Fit... which is arguably one of the coolest, most practical entry-level cars you can buy for new money... struggled to make it past uncool on our cool wall.

There's a reason he doesn't vote with only one thing in mind.

 

[niky]

There's a reason he doesn't vote with only one thing in mind.

Though beauty and desire are almost always related to coolness... yet practicality and seat space are hardly ever...

 

[Lucas]

Though beauty and desire are almost always related to coolness... yet practicality and seat space are hardly ever...

In his opinion of coolness, they play a part (obviously).