2o6's automotive styling rant thread

[Raza]

It's how the body tapers inward as it goes up.

That sounds completely made up. 

[Laconian]

It's a nautical term, so of course it's going to sound stupid.

[hotrodalex]

I'm gonna pull a Cougs here and say that if the cars could be styled the way the concepts/proposals are styled, they would be. Manufactuers aren't purposefully sabotaging designs and their designers aren't blind 12 year olds.

You can have cars that are uncompromised for the sake of style, but then people complain about other things (safety, room, crappier engineering, etc) or the car won't meet federal regulations. The design team has to find the best compromise, which is rarely the best looking option.

[Laconian]

In the software biz at least, it's typically the engineers that are the ones that are trying to find the objectively best solution. The designers tend to throw turds at a wall and declare it beautiful, and the engineers deal with the fallout.

[SVT666]

It's a nautical term, so of course it's going to sound stupid.

Lethal Weapon 4 - Funny Boat Scene

[93JC]

Ok the top model has

- less glass

- more tumblehome

- longer wheelbase and slightly shorter overhangs

- wider track

- faster roofline

- ass end tapers quicke

Rubbish. You can't tell these things from photographs taken from different perspectives and distances. I'd bet you $20 they're within millimetres of each other in almost all of these respects. Yes, the second concept has longer overhangs because it has nearer-to-production-ready bumpers.

[Madman]

Then you get to the B-class.....also bad.

Looks like a Chinese clone of itself.

Separated at birth?

[hotrodalex]

In the software biz at least, it's typically the engineers that are the ones that are trying to find the objectively best solution. The designers tend to throw turds at a wall and declare it beautiful, and the engineers deal with the fallout.

I think most of the turds that car designers are throwing out are in the details - Acura beak, flame surfacing, etc. Not the overall proportioning.

[2o6]

No

[MX793]

I think most of the turds that car designers are throwing out are in the details - Acura beak, flame surfacing, etc. Not the overall proportioning.

There are plenty of proportional monstrosities out there, but also quite a few well-proportioned cars with ruined by terrible styling details.

[hotrodalex]

There are plenty of proportional monstrosities out there, but also quite a few well-proportioned cars with ruined by terrible styling details.

But are the bad proportions part of the designers' intended styling, or just a side effect of the platform and chassis?

[MX793]

But are the bad proportions part of the designers' intended styling, or just a side effect of the platform and chassis?

In at least some cases it's due to the company attempting to adapt styling traits of a concept to an existing platform's hard points (see Pontiac Aztek).

[2o6]

But are the bad proportions part of the designers' intended styling, or just a side effect of the platform and chassis?

All of the above; it's such a give and take and compromise on so many parts, that it isn't always one particular thing to blame.

[hotrodalex]

So wtf are you ranting about?

[GoCougs]

Regulations killed car design.

That B-Class side profile is horrible though. It looks like someone photoshopped the nose from another car.

Tesla S? Corvette? F12? Lots of fantastic looking cars out there not afflicted with SNUB NOSE syndrome.

[MX793]

Tesla S? Corvette? F12? Lots of fantastic looking cars out there not afflicted with SNUB NOSE syndrome.

Corvette and Tesla were not designed to be sold in Europe.  I have a feeling that Ferrari gets a pass on pedestrian safety regs because they are ultra-low volume.

[hotrodalex]

Corvette and Tesla were not designed to be sold in Europe.  I have a feeling that Ferrari gets a pass on pedestrian safety regs because they are ultra-low volume.

The pedestrian should be honored to be hit by a Ferrari.

[cawimmer430]

Hey Kevin, what's your postal address? I want to send you something.