4 ms·

Yea... is it just me or are cars just plain ugly these days (yuck). https://www.motortrend.com/cars/land-rover/range-rover-evoque/2017/2017-range-rover-evoque-

Yea... is it just me or are cars just plain ugly these days (yuck). https://www.motortrend.com/cars/land-rover/range-rover-evoque/2017/2017-range-rover-evoque-convertible-first-test-review/ https://www.motortrend.com/cars/land-rover/range-rover-evoqu... https://www.diariomotor.com/2010/05/09/el-morris-mini-minor-original-frente-al-mini-countryman-david-y-goliat/ https://www.diariomotor.com/2010/05/09/el-morris-mini-minor-... Draconian safety laws for manufacturers mean less visibility with narrow windows on the front, barely back window (backup cams required), and huge a-pillars. So apparently we get safer cars but can see anything infront of us. https://www.wardsauto.com/news-analysis/new-pillars-enhance-safety-impede-visibility https://www.wardsauto.com/news-analysis/new-pillars-enhance-... Video of child not being seen by new car (he is unharmed though) https://www.liveleak.com/view?t=9p7iH_1570391082 https://www.liveleak.com/view?t=9p7iH_1570391082

ryandrake 7y ago
So many cars built within the last ten or so years look like the same boring identical bar of soap on wheels. Minus trivial details like the headlight cluster and grille, you really can’t tell most 4 door sedan brands abart unless you look closely. I wish the Cybertruck succeeds, not because I need one (I don’t) but because finally someone out there is trying to get a little creative with styling again!
- 0xDEEPFAC 7y ago
  I actually go an opposite approach. I am buying old cars - the market is great here in the US. I got a 47k mileage 1991 Mazda Miata for 4500$! And the girlfriend loves how cool it is and shifting stick. You should try to snag something from the 90s before people realize how nice they are. Modern cars are spy machines needing constant software updates and nonsense features like "push button start" which is probably just a ploy to no longer have to make complicated ignition switches.
  - decebalus1 7y ago
    that's nice and all. But if you collide with one of these new spy machines, you'll figure out why it's not the greatest idea to prefer old cars when you can afford newer cars. Safety is not something it's worth being a luddite for. I agree with you, even as a software engineer, I find it disgusting the amount of computing power my Honda has for that matter. However, if I run off the road, I would rather be in my current Honda than in my previous Honda (pre 2000). I think the 2010-2012 strike a sweet spot for what you're saying. Reasonable safety, not a lot of software.
    - 0xDEEPFAC 7y ago
      True, it is dangerous to drive a cool sports car. But its light and it handles well - its even modular with a huge aftermarket meaning I was able to easily spend an extra 1k and get both upgraded brakes and rotors installed. Besides, if my girlfriend and I want to take a risk an enjoy a nice car I don't like the government telling me otherwise. You're right about that date range, probably the best without software that thinks its better than you. Its going to be bad when cars have full electronic steering with no mechanics - you will essentially be holding an xbox controller and have no idea about your cars alignment lol
- fian 7y ago
  The trend to sameness is probably due to two main factors, more comprehensive collision safety laws and the push in many markets for fuel efficiency. The collision safety regulations appear to have caused side and rear windows to get smaller (probably to improve side impact intrusion protection) and pillars to get wider (rollover protection). Aerodynamic drag is a major contributor to fuel efficiency. To my eye there has been a trend (in Australia at least) to blur the line between sedans and hatchbacks. Sedan boots/trunks are getting taller and more sloped to smooth the transition from the rear window. The rear of hatchbacks have been also getting more sloped. Both are attempts to get a more tear-drop shape without overly compromising utility. After many iterations working within the same industry wide constraints, it is not surprising that designers all optimise their designs to similar shapes and sizes. The same effect can be seen in road bicycles. The UCI imposes limits on wheel size and other physical dimensions on bikes that are allowed to be used in UCI events (pro and amateur racing). Above 30km/hr aerodynamic drag starts to a major effect on the power a cyclist needs to output to maintain speed or accelerate. In recent years bike manufacturers have been wind tunnel tuning their designs more rigorously. This has resulted in the aero road bikes from the major manufacturers converging to almost identical designs. Cycling commentators and journalists have started agitating for relaxation of the UCI rules to try to get some innovation happening again.
- hadlock 7y ago
  The car magazines were calling them "jelly beans" as early as 1999, maybe earlier. The late 90s/early 2000s were full of blunt boring cars
notatoad 7y ago
yes, if you pick one of the ugliest modern cars, and compare it to one of the best-regarded car designs from the last 50 years, modern cars are ugly. however if you compare these two, we can only conclude that cars are getting better looking: https://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/newpix/2019/03/28/17/00DE283D00000190-6859835-image-m-5_1553792531481.jpg https://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/newpix/2019/03/28/17/00DE283D000... https://hips.hearstapps.com/hmg-prod.s3.amazonaws.com/images/2019-aston-martin-dbs-superleggera-mmp-1545071883.jpg https://hips.hearstapps.com/hmg-prod.s3.amazonaws.com/images...
- bgee 7y ago
  Worth pointing out that the Reliant Robins on Top Gear were modified so that they flip (more) easily [0]. [0]: https://jalopnik.com/clarkson-reveals-bombshell-top-gear-modified-reliant-r-1752707025 https://jalopnik.com/clarkson-reveals-bombshell-top-gear-mod...
- NeedMoreTea 7y ago
  Oh dearie me. Hadn't seen one of those before. That over muscled slab fronted steroid abuser is not a patch on a DB5. Or 6. Or even a mid 70s Vantage. It doesn't look deserving of an Aston badge. Actually, that's a really odd car. I looked around for more pictures ... it looks fine looking head on toward the front, as does a perfect side view. Every other angle looks oh so wrong. I have no idea how they achieved that! :) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aston_Martin_DB5#/media/File:Aston_Martin_DB5_(Skyfall).jpg https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aston_Martin_DB5#/media/File:A...
  - notatoad 7y ago
    Yeah, that new vantage is actually not that great looking, is it. I didn't look too closely, just grabbed a random shot off image search. The previous iteration of that car looked so good.
    - NeedMoreTea 7y ago
      Which I think is a neat summary of current cars all having got over fat and bloated. The Jag F type is similarly too big (for my taste), but is one of a very few that manages to wear it well. An E type it is not, but it manages that "certain something".
elihu 7y ago
My impression of modern cars is that they usually look like over-inflated balloons or gamer mice with wheels.

ryandrake 7y ago

So many cars built within the last ten or so years look like the same boring identical bar of soap on wheels. Minus trivial details like the headlight cluster and grille, you really can’t tell most 4 door sedan brands abart unless you look closely. I wish the Cybertruck succeeds, not because I need one (I don’t) but because finally someone out there is trying to get a little creative with styling again!

0xDEEPFAC 7y ago
I actually go an opposite approach. I am buying old cars - the market is great here in the US. I got a 47k mileage 1991 Mazda Miata for 4500$! And the girlfriend loves how cool it is and shifting stick. You should try to snag something from the 90s before people realize how nice they are. Modern cars are spy machines needing constant software updates and nonsense features like "push button start" which is probably just a ploy to no longer have to make complicated ignition switches.
- decebalus1 7y ago
  that's nice and all. But if you collide with one of these new spy machines, you'll figure out why it's not the greatest idea to prefer old cars when you can afford newer cars. Safety is not something it's worth being a luddite for. I agree with you, even as a software engineer, I find it disgusting the amount of computing power my Honda has for that matter. However, if I run off the road, I would rather be in my current Honda than in my previous Honda (pre 2000). I think the 2010-2012 strike a sweet spot for what you're saying. Reasonable safety, not a lot of software.
  - 0xDEEPFAC 7y ago
    True, it is dangerous to drive a cool sports car. But its light and it handles well - its even modular with a huge aftermarket meaning I was able to easily spend an extra 1k and get both upgraded brakes and rotors installed. Besides, if my girlfriend and I want to take a risk an enjoy a nice car I don't like the government telling me otherwise. You're right about that date range, probably the best without software that thinks its better than you. Its going to be bad when cars have full electronic steering with no mechanics - you will essentially be holding an xbox controller and have no idea about your cars alignment lol
fian 7y ago
The trend to sameness is probably due to two main factors, more comprehensive collision safety laws and the push in many markets for fuel efficiency. The collision safety regulations appear to have caused side and rear windows to get smaller (probably to improve side impact intrusion protection) and pillars to get wider (rollover protection). Aerodynamic drag is a major contributor to fuel efficiency. To my eye there has been a trend (in Australia at least) to blur the line between sedans and hatchbacks. Sedan boots/trunks are getting taller and more sloped to smooth the transition from the rear window. The rear of hatchbacks have been also getting more sloped. Both are attempts to get a more tear-drop shape without overly compromising utility. After many iterations working within the same industry wide constraints, it is not surprising that designers all optimise their designs to similar shapes and sizes. The same effect can be seen in road bicycles. The UCI imposes limits on wheel size and other physical dimensions on bikes that are allowed to be used in UCI events (pro and amateur racing). Above 30km/hr aerodynamic drag starts to a major effect on the power a cyclist needs to output to maintain speed or accelerate. In recent years bike manufacturers have been wind tunnel tuning their designs more rigorously. This has resulted in the aero road bikes from the major manufacturers converging to almost identical designs. Cycling commentators and journalists have started agitating for relaxation of the UCI rules to try to get some innovation happening again.
hadlock 7y ago
The car magazines were calling them "jelly beans" as early as 1999, maybe earlier. The late 90s/early 2000s were full of blunt boring cars

notatoad 7y ago

yes, if you pick one of the ugliest modern cars, and compare it to one of the best-regarded car designs from the last 50 years, modern cars are ugly. however if you compare these two, we can only conclude that cars are getting better looking: https://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/newpix/2019/03/28/17/00DE283D00000190-6859835-image-m-5_1553792531481.jpg https://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/newpix/2019/03/28/17/00DE283D000... https://hips.hearstapps.com/hmg-prod.s3.amazonaws.com/images/2019-aston-martin-dbs-superleggera-mmp-1545071883.jpg https://hips.hearstapps.com/hmg-prod.s3.amazonaws.com/images...

bgee 7y ago
Worth pointing out that the Reliant Robins on Top Gear were modified so that they flip (more) easily [0]. [0]: https://jalopnik.com/clarkson-reveals-bombshell-top-gear-modified-reliant-r-1752707025 https://jalopnik.com/clarkson-reveals-bombshell-top-gear-mod...
NeedMoreTea 7y ago
Oh dearie me. Hadn't seen one of those before. That over muscled slab fronted steroid abuser is not a patch on a DB5. Or 6. Or even a mid 70s Vantage. It doesn't look deserving of an Aston badge. Actually, that's a really odd car. I looked around for more pictures ... it looks fine looking head on toward the front, as does a perfect side view. Every other angle looks oh so wrong. I have no idea how they achieved that! :) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aston_Martin_DB5#/media/File:Aston_Martin_DB5_(Skyfall).jpg https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aston_Martin_DB5#/media/File:A...
- notatoad 7y ago
  Yeah, that new vantage is actually not that great looking, is it. I didn't look too closely, just grabbed a random shot off image search. The previous iteration of that car looked so good.
  - NeedMoreTea 7y ago
    Which I think is a neat summary of current cars all having got over fat and bloated. The Jag F type is similarly too big (for my taste), but is one of a very few that manages to wear it well. An E type it is not, but it manages that "certain something".

elihu 7y ago

My impression of modern cars is that they usually look like over-inflated balloons or gamer mice with wheels.