Modern car designs ugly?
- Thread starter Neddo
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- Peruibe, SP
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- Koios1031
- koios1031
I'm not sure why. But to each their own. I think the thing is hideous.
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- TexRex72
I like looking to cars like the third generation Mazda5, where a vehicle with utility clearly in mind (given its shape and configuration) has been softened with conservative use of Mazda's "Nagare" design (as found on the company's Nagare, Ryuga, Hakaze, and Taiki concept studies) philosophy.
- 841
- King's Lynn, Norfolk
I think the problems with modern cars' styling are the use (overuse) of creases in body panels and false intakes/vents. Manufacturers seem to be obsessed with aggressive styling for all types of cars, the Mercedes A-Class is a typical example:
That isn't even the AMG model. Here we can see unnecessarily large intakes (some blanked out) at the front, along with heavily sculpted door panels and a strange splitter/lip at the front and side. In my opinion this is too angry looking with too much going on, therefore quite ugly. Though to many people it looks quite sporty, which can be seen as a positive.
Along with Mercedes, there are plenty of other manufacturers that over-style their cars. Lexus is probably the worst offender.
And as some models go through their life cycle, the facelifts make them look even more complicated and fussy, sometimes ruining a perfectly good looking car. Here's a few examples from recent years:
Of course, opinions are always different, but most of my favourite looking cars are at least 20 years old. A lot of modern cars are too fussy looking for my taste. The 60s is my favourite decade for styling.
That isn't even the AMG model. Here we can see unnecessarily large intakes (some blanked out) at the front, along with heavily sculpted door panels and a strange splitter/lip at the front and side. In my opinion this is too angry looking with too much going on, therefore quite ugly. Though to many people it looks quite sporty, which can be seen as a positive.
Along with Mercedes, there are plenty of other manufacturers that over-style their cars. Lexus is probably the worst offender.
And as some models go through their life cycle, the facelifts make them look even more complicated and fussy, sometimes ruining a perfectly good looking car. Here's a few examples from recent years:
2007:
2010:
2014:
2010:
2014:
2002:
2007:
2012:
2007:
2012:
2009:
2014:
2014:
Of course, opinions are always different, but most of my favourite looking cars are at least 20 years old. A lot of modern cars are too fussy looking for my taste. The 60s is my favourite decade for styling.
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- GTP_RogerTheHors
It's a supermini.
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- Peruibe, SP
Is it? When I saw that think in the cool wall, I instantly thought of a french version of the cayenne.
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- TexRex72
False vents and intakes aren't my thing but "creases" help to break up otherwise dead space. Sports cars can get away with the lack of them because of the way lines flow from the front to the back but 2- and 3-box platforms often have large, characterless panels desperately in need of something.
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- King's Lynn, Norfolk
I agree with that, but I don't like it when creases/lines are overused. Which I think is on many modern cars.
False vents and intakes aren't my thing but "creases" help to break up otherwise dead space. Sports cars can get away with the lack of them because of the way lines flow from the front to the back but 2- and 3-box platforms often have large, characterless panels desperately in need of something.
Wiegert
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@Leggy1 I'm a fan of the design direction Mercedes took with the A Class after ditching the clumsy 'short and tall' shape. It's like they finally stopped messing around and went for a proper grown up hatch that can sit at the upper end of the C-segment.
The one gripe I have with the current A Class is that any model in the range can look as (if not more) sporty than the AMG. No one model stands out greater than the other, so they all end up looking like potential range-topping models unless you get a close look at the rear badging.
It's one of the smallest C-segment cars on sale in Europe. Although its size is more akin to that of a Supermini in most respects, except for length.
The one gripe I have with the current A Class is that any model in the range can look as (if not more) sporty than the AMG. No one model stands out greater than the other, so they all end up looking like potential range-topping models unless you get a close look at the rear badging.
It's one of the smallest C-segment cars on sale in Europe. Although its size is more akin to that of a Supermini in most respects, except for length.
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Creases break up characterless expanses of bare metal, stiffen panels for extra strength and help move air around... a bit... the height of most creases doesn't trouble the boundary layer none.
And they're nothing new. Cars have been playing with curves and lines on the side for a long time.
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Fake vents are terrible, but we've had a lot of fake vents over the years, going back to the original Mustang. Hell, of those XKs pictured up there, I find the 2014, finally freed of Ford's insane obsession with the fake gill slit, the best looking of all.
Then there are the fake rocket nose-cones, tail-fins and exhaust plumes (red cone-shaped tail-lamps) on 50's cars, the fake "radiator" look to grilles that have finally disappeared on most cars within the past two decades... (Yes... fake radiator... and the "Spirit of Ecstasy" sitting on top of the Rolls Royce grille is a fancy, stylized radiator cap!) Fake wire-wheels and carriage wheels. (Still love me some BBS spiderwork though) The list of stylistic encumberances goes on and on and...
And they're nothing new. Cars have been playing with curves and lines on the side for a long time.
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Fake vents are terrible, but we've had a lot of fake vents over the years, going back to the original Mustang. Hell, of those XKs pictured up there, I find the 2014, finally freed of Ford's insane obsession with the fake gill slit, the best looking of all.
Then there are the fake rocket nose-cones, tail-fins and exhaust plumes (red cone-shaped tail-lamps) on 50's cars, the fake "radiator" look to grilles that have finally disappeared on most cars within the past two decades... (Yes... fake radiator... and the "Spirit of Ecstasy" sitting on top of the Rolls Royce grille is a fancy, stylized radiator cap!) Fake wire-wheels and carriage wheels. (Still love me some BBS spiderwork though) The list of stylistic encumberances goes on and on and...
McLaren
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The RCF is a car like any of the other cars in this thread; pictures don't do them justice. All this talk of over-aggressive designs & what not is just first-impressions. Once you finally see a new, modern car in the flesh with natural lighting around, you get a much better sense of design because you can see all the details that go into creating the shape. Ferraris of the last decade have had this problem (599, FF, California) & the cars just simply look much better in person when you can see everything up close, and now it appears others do. Certain colors such as the USB 2.0 on the RCF press release, again with unnatural lighting, don't help convey the actual body lines. In white, it's a very clean & aggressive design with flowing lines. Seeing it come at you on the road, it can instantly grab your attention & that's what designers want; that's why they design grilles to be similar across the range.
The only thing over-exaggerated is the grille & the comments that it doesn't "work"; we had over 400 people look at the RC line last week. Of the 900 initial cars coming to the US, nearly every single one allocated to us is spoken for. Obviously, it does work.
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- GTP_GT916
- Nii916
German manufacturers seem to have a problem with making their sport models look different from their normal models.I think the problems with modern cars' styling are the use (overuse) of creases in body panels and false intakes/vents. Manufacturers seem to be obsessed with aggressive styling for all types of cars, the Mercedes A-Class is a typical example:
That isn't even the AMG model. Here we can see unnecessarily large intakes (some blanked out) at the front, along with heavily sculpted door panels and a strange splitter/lip at the front and side. In my opinion this is too angry looking with too much going on, therefore quite ugly. Though to many people it looks quite sporty, which can be seen as a positive.
Along with Mercedes, there are plenty of other manufacturers that over-style their cars. Lexus is probably the worst offender.
Audi A4:
Audi S4:
The only difference there is the bottom left and right vents and I'm pretty sure you can get the ones that are on the S4 on the A4, so there's basically no visual difference.
BMW 650i:
BMW M6:
It's a bit easier to see it on this one, but the only easy to see difference is the bottom vents, and if one of these passed you on the road it would be difficult to see whether it was a normal 6-series or an M6.
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- TexRex72
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Any hard crease in a panel will stiffen it... allowing the manufacturer to use a lighter gauge of sheet metal for that panel. But yes, that isn't the primary reason the creases are the way they are. You'll note that, plain as it is, there is no absence of creases on the old Mazda5 doors, and many "plain" 90's cars had hard creases pressed into the metal right under that plastic door guard that runs along the side of the car.
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- ReTyger
Design languages may change, but copy and paste has always existed.
This thread would not be complete without All80sCoupes.jpeg
Can't agree there, perhaps I'm the only person who thinks several of those cars look very dissimilar, and the ones that are most similar usually have a relationship of sorts. A 928 does not look like an Escort does not look like an RX-7. Oh wait, they are all red though, and from the same era.
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- TexRex72
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Excellent point. Out of those small 80s coupes (the BMW 6 series is a large coupe or even a tourer), only a car fan is likely to know each and every difference and nuance. Your average man on the street or a casual car fan might easily be confused by them because they do share the same principle design and outlook.
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Lets see if I can tell them apart. Oh wait a minute, yes I can!
Row 1 - Honda Accord Hatchback, Ford Escort RS Mk.4, & Toyota Celica Supra Mk.2
Row 2 - Nissan 200SX/Silvia S12, 1993 Ford Mustang SVT Cobra, Toyota Corolla GT-S AE86
Row 3 - Toyota Supra Mk.3 JZA70 & Mazda RX-7 GT FC
Row 4 - Chevrolet Camaro Z/28, Porsche 944, & Mitsubishi Starion
Row 5 - Porsche 928, Mazda RX-7 FB, & Dodge Daytona
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- TexRex72
I would hope most anyone visiting this sub-forum can figure out what each one is without too much difficulty. The only ones I can see giving anybody trouble are the Escort and the Daytona--I had to take a closer glance at the latter. Of course there are young'ns that weren't even a twinkle in their old man's eye when the more recent of the bunch were redesigned or discontinued. I, for one, am shocked that I've only owned two of them. 
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