How do you define a 'COOL' car?

  • Thread starter Stotty
  • 249 comments
  • 27,760 views
Dead for three years? Not anymore.

Been going back and looking at not only this tread, but the GTP Cool Wall treads(almost all of them). The biggest problem I see with defining 'Cool' is that most people associate 'Cool' with good. The original Mini is both Cool and Good by-and-large, whereas something like the Toyota Camry is good, very few would call it 'Cool'.

As for myself, here is how I make the assessment:

NOTE:I stop the process when my opinion is solidified. This first step is always enforced to keep a constant. Step 2 onward, though, can be the final step if it's convincing enough.

-Evaluate the car in it's PRODUCTION form. All modifications in the aftermarket are to be nullified.

-Look at the car itself. The design needs to appeal, not appall. This is subjective, as my ideal designs may be, and probably are, different.

-The Feels. A car that is worthly of classification in my book is one that draws a response, good or bad. A base model 93 Taurus (uncool)draws a groan, the Aveo 5 draws...other things. Flip side, a Jag XK8 (cool) should excite, and a Suz-Zero/Freezer car should be like the SR-71 Blackbird, even if you can't see it, or aren't around one, you can feel it's immense presence.

-Does it need explanation. A Top Gear rule, namely in the case of the 911 GT3? RS, if anything in/on the car must be explained, the rollcage ITC, it takes a hit.

-Uniqueness. What makes this car different from other cars in the world.

-Rarity. Not the same, as I'd be willing to bet there are more F40's in the world than fully original Ford Model T's today. Which is more unique? Which is more rare?

-Details. Only now do I look at the specs. This is usually the tiebreaker to this point for me. If the looks don't do it, but it's not common, not a replication, and it's straitforward, I get to this point. Personal Example: Lancia Delta Evoluzione- not the best looking, but can it run.

-Reflection Test. Lastly, I imagine driving the car through town, stopping at the light, and looking at the shop windows to get a reflection. This is the LAST RESORT, is it is subject to ego, and when it comes to ego, everyone exaggerates.

TL;DR-Look at stock. Look good? What is it's presense? Any questions on something? Is it different? Is it Common? What's standard? How do I look?

Note that there was no mention of cocks, or d-bags, or ricers. The machine deserves to be judged upon it's own merits, not the questionable motives of it's driver. THEY are another discussion altogether.
 
It's got to have a flashy side and stand out against everything around it.
 
Hmm, well for me, the first thing a cool car must do is be better than its competitors, better being quite subjective. Next, it must look good inside and out. It may sound nice, or get surprising fuel economy. Finally, it has to be fun to drive.
 
Defining cool in a car is as hard as defining good, evil, happiness or love... everyone has a different perception...

As for me, I follow these rules most of the time (but I don't apply them to all cars):

0.- Do I like it on 1st sight??? Very, very important...If the car in question can't survive the 0 step, it's chances of being cool decrease a lot... one good recent example is the RS200 Ford Rally car... it's ugly... veeery ugly... but upon closer inspection I found it cool... because power, history and other things we'll see in a moment...
1.- If it has a Chrysler/Dodge badge... 80% - 90% of the time it will be a cool car... Example: Dodge Viper, ultimate subzero car in my book 👍
2.- It has to make you turn your head even if a supermodel/super hot actress/pornstar stands next to it. Example: Bugatti Veyron, Lamborghini Miura (then you can look at the guuurlzz :sly:)
3.- It has to have some "insanity" in it... TVR Speed 12... finest example...
4.- Horsepower... lot's of it... Bugatti Veyron
5.- As an engineer, it has to be appealing from the mechanical standpoint... that's why the new Mazda 6 (Skyactiv), the original VW Beetle (simple, practical, indestructible) , the VW Amarok, the Electric Merc SLS (clean, 0 emissions supercar) and even the Toyota Prius (HSD drive) are cool to me...
6.- Is it fast??? Koenigseggs, Bugatti's
7.- Is it sexy??? Lamborghinis... almost all of them...
8.- Is it a muscle car??? Is it a MOPAR muscle car (for even more extra points) ??? Charger, Challenger, Superbird, RoadRunner, 'Cuda, Mustang, Camaro, Corvette...
9.- Cuteness. I have a chicken heart <3... and I have a soft spot for some small, cute cars... Like the Isetta...
10.- Is it unique??? Gumpert Apollo, Morgan Cars... Plymouth Prowler... Vector M12, W8...:mischievous:
11.- Is it a classic car???
12.- Is it a famous car, appeared in movies or something, does it has a cool story???
13.- Chick Magnet???? :sly:
14.- Cool to drive??? Applies for cars I've driven and not. From my personal standpoint, I can tell you that a Toyota Sienna, V6 Camry, 2014 Corolla, 2013 Highlander and 2013 Yaris HB are cool because they are good looking & cool to drive... 👍
15.- Looks like a car a gangster would use??? Old American & European cars, pre-WWII cars... Chrysler 300C... :dopey:
16.- Would I look cool in it??? Would I AND MY/A GIRL look good in it??? Jaguar F-Type, Ferrari California, Viper RT/10, Alfa Romeo Spider Duetto... :)
17.- If my girl think it's cool, it's cool... :) Example: Hummer H2 :scared:


And... just as a bonus... how I decide if a car it's uncool/uninteresting:

1.- Big engine with low HP... V8's with 200 some HP, V6 with 100 some HP lose points in my book...
2.- Is it a Kei car??? ... Uncool...
3.- Boxy cars from the 80's... like the 80´s Mustang... or pretty much anything from the 80's...
4.- Anything named "Mazda Miata/Roadster" is uncool... because GT5...
5.- Cars whose especificate target are girls...
6.- Cars that try too desperately to get your attention: Veneno, LaFerrari, and pretty much all current Ferrari's...
7.- Boring and ugly cars... LaFerrari is ugly, AE86 is ugly, etc...
8.- If it's named "Nissan GTR", most of the time it will be uncool... (Do not confuse with the R34 and ealier models of the Skyline family)

I can think of a thousand things more, but as a general view, this is my take ;) Feel free to praise/bash me... :cheers:
 
Last edited:
I don't have a preset criteria when it comes to the Cool Wall. The one criteria that remains present in all my choices is my opinion on the styling.
 
For me, it's a mixture of image and performance.

Too "techy"? Uncool. Hybrids and electric cars are automatically uncool for this and other reasons. The Nissan GTR also takes a hit here, as it can practically drive itself. The Lexus LFA and McLaren MP4-12C manage to beat this rap (sort of) by being good-looking and not too obvious about their techiness. Multiple modes for everything or throttle response-softening DBW systems are bad. Displacement downsizing is another big minus - if a car's engine is undersized, the car will take a massive hit no matter how much horsepower or torque it outputs, or at what RPMs.

Accessible performance is a plus. Faced with a choice between a car that revs quickly and one that doesn't have to rev at all, I'll take the one that doesn't have to rev at all. It also helps when a car is simple enough to modify.

If a car isn't avaialble with a 3-pedal manual, that's a minus.

Crossovers are almost without exception uncool, due to being slower, clumsier station wagons.

Styling is a large consideration. Cute = uncool. Strange looking or badly proportioned (see any compact notchback made in the last few years for an example) cars also lose coolness. A car should have a macho appearance, or more precisely it should make the driver look macho. Occasionally there's a car that stuns with its styling, but maintains a macho image, and those are automatically sub-zero. See: SRT Viper GTS, Ferrari 360 Modena.

And finally, the typical driver is something of a factor. For example, the Honda Civic is the official car of people who think the Vader body kit looks cool, and is thus uncool.
 
I think I posted before but looks are 95% of it. If it looks badass then its pretty much cool. If its fast and loud even better.
 
The Nissan GTR also takes a hit here, as it can practically drive itself.

The only people who still trot this tired cliché out are those who've never set foot in one. So I guess I shouldn't be too surprised here.

A car should have a macho appearance, or more precisely it should make the driver look macho. Occasionally there's a car that stuns with its styling, but maintains a macho image, and those are automatically sub-zero. See: SRT Viper GTS, Ferrari 360 Modena.

You mention Ferrari's daintiest, most feminine car of the last 15 years as an example of macho?

:lol:

Nevermind that earlier bit about accessible performance. But honest question; since all of your ridiculous, insecure ranting about the "macho" level of cars - should women drive?
 
I've got no problem with it. Not every woman drives a cutesy car. As for the Ferrari, I think you're thinking of the 355. But here:

Ferrari-360_Spider_2001_800x600_wallpaper_11.jpg


I can almost see where you're coming from, but I still think you'd look like a total boss getting out of one.
 
I've got no problem with it. Not every woman drives a cutesy car. As for the Ferrari, I think you're thinking of the 355. But here:

Ferrari-360_Spider_2001_800x600_wallpaper_11.jpg


I can almost see where you're coming from, but I still think you'd look like a total boss getting out of one.

You would look like a total boss getting out of a 360, but the 355 looks way more "Macho" than a 360.
 
Hmm...

First, any car must get a no to one simple question to avoid seriously uncool:
  • Is it my car?
Not a Prius? Then onto stage two:
  • Does it make one look like a doorhandle when they drive it? (AKA: The Sheik test)
This should be self explanatory.

Stage three is related, but not the same:

Fourth. The automatic sub-zero qualifiers. If it has made it this far and it fulfils one of these criteria, it should be set:
  • Amongst one's first thoughts upon seeing it are the words: "Steve McQueen".
  • Swedish
  • French car that isn't a non-Pininfarina Peugeot.
  • Unmolested '53 Corvette.
  • Unmolested C2 coupé.
  • Anything which hasn't already been automatically placed into seriously uncool that is commonly associated with James Bond.
  • evangelion_1-11_you_are_not_alone_3xr480p-h264-ac33c190fc5-mkv_snapshot_00-01-37_2010-05-31_22-40-24.jpg
  • Lancia Rally Car.
  • Makes non-car people sit up and pay attention when you explain it to them.
Fifth. Automatic seriously uncool qualifiers. Unless it's somehow wriggled its way into one of the auto sub zeros, these will drop a car as low as it can go:
  • Built by GM.
  • Ford.
  • Modern Peugeot. (RCZ possible exception.)
  • Any Ferrari that somehow doesn't make you look like a doorhandle (Except for silver 250 SWB's, of course.)
After that, it's all down to gut instinct. Not very good gut instinct, admittedly, if you haven't worked it out by now my entire definition of cool is based off of Neon Genesis Evangelion, and I'm not a very cool person.
 
Lower the time it takes for the underwear to come off the cooler the car...pretty simple really.
 
A) Speed
B) Price
C) Year
D) BHP

So would year be it's history, and what about relatively younger cars that have great innovation and do something in their class that shakes up the fray? What about the GT-R or LFA to their respective classes? Both are quite young. It seems your criteria is black and white so I'm just curious does year mean that only cars of say circa 67-71 are ultra cool but 05-present are not nearly cool enough?

Same question posed to the BHP idea, are you saying that you're a power junkie?
Well first of all the car has to be cool...

Yeah that really adds to the conversation :indiff:

your definition of cool/uncool cars is the uncoolest of all the definitions posted. By faaaaaar.

Roger is a good guy it's just his anime ref to how he envisions life (something I get due to being a manga and comic book fanatic) his a bit out of touch with the general population. Thus it only seems cool to a small group, but I'd say it's far cooler than the drivel I see as a basis for cool some other people come to.

Either way it's funny

I've got no problem with it. Not every woman drives a cutesy car. As for the Ferrari, I think you're thinking of the 355. But here:

Ferrari-360_Spider_2001_800x600_wallpaper_11.jpg


I can almost see where you're coming from, but I still think you'd look like a total boss getting out of one.

Considering the elitist liberals that take over the world from your view, this seems to contradict quite a bit of what you've said. Those same elitist by your standards would drive this thus you hate them, but you find them cool because they are "like a boss"? I guess we've got you pegged wrong, everything you hate you find cool, so your comments are like opposite day. By gosh I solved the mystery Watson!

Then again you're one of those wet behind the ears young people that has trouble not contradicting yourself so I can't be all that surprised.
 
Last edited:
Lower the time it takes for the underwear to come off the cooler the car...pretty simple really.

Which only describes either a VW Kombi or an original Mini (Beatles member optional) or Mustang (only with Steve McQueen).

A James Dean Porsche Spyder doesn't count. No back seat.
 
Fifth. Automatic seriously uncool qualifiers. Unless it's somehow wriggled its way into one of the auto sub zeros, these will drop a car as low as it can go:
  • Built by GM.
I laughed at this more than I should have. That is some pretty interesting criteria. :lol:
 
Back