NYC Auto Show - Response

PDSides · #1 04-09-2007, 04:57 PM

Rather than wade through the auto art, I decided to post remarks here sans pics. With few exceptions I am nauseated by the styling of these cars. Has there been an original, practical idea to come out of a major auto styling studio in the past decade? What happened to "enduring style" or "instant classic" form in automobiles? I know that there is only so much you can do with a box on four wheels but options do exist, options that don't have to challenge the senses. Not to pick on Subaru, but honestly, a front-end that is a cross between Alfa Romeo and Bugatti, with a touch of BMW and Pontiac is downright ugly. At least the Aztec was original in its ugliness! What's with the massive front-end "look of aggression" as some would have us believe? What kind of aero drag numbers do these cars pull? Look at all the swoopy sheet metal creases running here and there. A Wal-Mart shopping cart could total such a car! A day or so ago I was flipping through a collection of old car magazines and had to stop and catch my breath at the sight of the then-new Volvo P-1800, a true classic design. Simple, practical, pleasing to the eye. Then there was the ever-classic Porsche, distinctive, recognizable, admirable. We who love the SVX are fortunate, a car with style that fits its purpose, easily one of the best designs to come along in the past 20 years. Was it just luck? Will someone get lucky again? Will anyone notice?
Preston

LetItSnow · #2 04-09-2007, 07:16 PM

I celebrated my first birthday right about...

...here.

Fast forward 35 years. Dechrome, lower profile tires, lil' skirt action, and this car would sell like mad under any badge.

Makes you wonder why everyone can't do it.

Of course, the BMW 2002 was awkward looking, but who cared, when it was the tii model?

sicksubie · #3 04-09-2007, 09:02 PM

I agree for the most part. I think subaru deserves a hearty thumbs down for the new wrx. On the other hand I think they deserve a thumbs up for the forester and legacy. On the design market as a whole their is this trend..... I am not sure how to label it. Creases in body panels to make cars look like they are "in motion" is crap. Stock chromed out taillights are getting really old fast. I mean I expect a company like hyundai to mimic other companies (e.g. elantra= accord and the other hyundai has very similar features to the old MB E-Class) but for major companies to start stealing obvious designs is aweful. I do have to congratulate two companies though: BMW and Audi. They have continued to produce beautiful automobiles like nobody else.

Ron Mummert · #4 04-09-2007, 09:37 PM

I liked the days when you could buy a headlight, to include high AND low beam for $4.95 at the drug store, & replace yourself in 5 minutes. I still like my tail lights RED when not lit.

The bumper on an '85 Escort sustained 10 bucks worth of paint damage when hit at 5 mph. Today we can dam' near count on a total at 5 mph on a five-year old anything.

Yup - Geezin' again!

Ron.

Chiketkd · #5 04-10-2007, 07:07 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ron Mummert

I liked the days when you could buy a headlight, to include high AND low beam for $4.95 at the drug store, & replace yourself in 5 minutes.

Now your box-o'-wine costs twice that much!

Landshark · #6 04-10-2007, 07:26 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by sicksubie

I do have to congratulate two companies though: BMW and Audi. They have continued to produce beautiful automobiles like nobody else.

*throws up in mouth*

PDSides · #7 04-10-2007, 07:30 AM

Sorry I didn't make myself clear, but I was only talking about Subaru in the specific sentences relating to the WRX. The heavy front-ends and creases were in reference to other new cars. Seems like every car maker from Rolls-Royce to Hummingbird is giving the "aggressive" look to their cars. About the same Cx as a Peterbilt! Somebody mentioned Audi, and I agree that Audi has made some good looking cars, but their "aggressive" look front-end wears on me over time. It may harken to the '37 Auto Union F-1 car but that wasn't necessarily stylish - functional, maybe. By the way, do you realize that one of those cars hit 220 mph at Le Mans - on 1937 vintage tires! Thanks for the pic of the Ferrari, a reminder of what true classic style is all about.
Preston

sicksubie · #8 04-10-2007, 08:37 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Landshark

*throws up in mouth*

I guess a lot comes down to opinion. I never said that I liked all of their vehicles. The new M6, M5, and M3 are all gorgeous. As far as Audi goes the S5 and the R8 were two of the bext looking cars at the show.

svxcess · #9 04-10-2007, 09:08 AM

Lexus is coming up with a few interesting designs as well. The pointed area at the top of the rear fender over the rear wheel is interesting to say the least.

.

n00b on demand · #10 04-10-2007, 09:24 AM

I heard Hyundai is coming out with a V-8 car to compete with lexus. Shouldn't they start competing with Kia first?

sicksubie · #11 04-10-2007, 09:29 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by n00b on demand

I heard Hyundai is coming out with a V-8 car to compete with lexus. Shouldn't they start competing with Kia first?

Competing with Kia? They shouldn't get ahead of themselves quite yet. They need to pass Yugo first..........

Hope I didn't offend anyone with a hyundai, btw

PDSides · #12 04-10-2007, 09:32 AM

[QUOTE=svxcess]Lexus is coming up with a few interesting designs as well. The pointed area at the top of the rear fender over the rear wheel is interesting to say the least.

This is one of the "creasy" cars to which I was referring. Imagine, if you can the cost of repair should one of those body panels suffer damage. Get ready to pay higher insurance rates if cars such as these come to market. By the way, I think the car is ugly. Maybe as ugly as the Lexus SC430 which looks as though it took its design from a child's shoe. Lexus makes some really great cars but they don't always hit the mark style-wise. But, who does? There is not one car maker who has not missed the mark on one or more of its designs. Even Ferrari missed - remember the Mondial? I'm hoping that some car designer gets lucky and hits the mark again soon, something with enduring style, class and individuality without being edgy, challenging or organic (whatever that is).
Preston

MPtyza · #13 04-10-2007, 10:54 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by n00b on demand

I heard Hyundai is coming out with a V-8 car to compete with lexus. Shouldn't they start competing with Kia first?

I believe that they are both owned by the same company. I mean the new Kia Sportage is the same thing as the Hyundai Tucson

pavanbabut · #14 04-10-2007, 10:56 AM

I totally agree with many of the above comments, its not at all good for a brand name automaker(here Subaru) to replicate models from other companies. If they want to compete with the rest, they should invest more on R&D and come up with more innovative designs/ideas. As far as investment goes, Subaru is doing comparatively good on sales in recent years, so they should atleast increase their R&D budget and get some innovative designers rather than some who can successfully copy and at the end not able to atleast modify those copies so that they are not easily recognizable as other cars. If Subaru can't do that, there is no shame to go for speciality designers like Pininifarina, Giugiaro etc.

Anyway it seems like if someone wants to buy Subaru in future, better buy now (pre 2008) models and keep them garaged and use it later. Subaru may come up with even more ugly designs in future. For now the only models which can be appreciated are Forester and Legacy (Baja is one of its kind even though it doesn't have much following, it appeals right, which we unfortunately can't see them anymore), Outback is OK for now, but it is also on the verge of spoiled designing as it has got that mainstream front end for 2008 like B9 does. But I bet Subaru can't come up with a true, realistic, appealing and a very different car like SVX if they go down this way. Glad I had my SVX.

-Pavan

dcarrb · #15 04-10-2007, 11:04 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ron Mummert

The bumper on an '85 Escort sustained 10 bucks worth of paint damage when hit at 5 mph. Today we can dam' near count on a total at 5 mph on a five-year old anything.

I believe the SVX survived the old Consumer Reports 5-MPH bumper-basher with no damage, way back when. (Guess we can thank the Feds for letting automakers weasel out of that mandate.)

Someone once said of my car that its styling doesn't give away its age. That's great design, in my book. I think many current blunt-nosed, slab-sided models will look terribly dated in a few years (hopefully along with outsized rims), and lets face it, car makers count on that. Three, four or five years down the road they want you back in the showroom lusting after The Next Big Thing in automotive styling.

dcb