7 ms·

Aggressive headlights and frontends are part of a trend in car design to cater to those awash with masculine insecurities or being told by the media they need t

Aggressive headlights and frontends are part of a trend in car design to cater to those awash with masculine insecurities or being told by the media they need to be more "manly" Take a look at the previous generations of Mazda Miata's compared with the current.

em-bee 4y ago
cars in china have huge grills. i heard that is becauee drivers there want their cars to look intimidating.
- officialjunk 4y ago
  what do you mean? they don't look abnormal https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_best-selling_automobiles_in_China https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_best-selling_automob...
  - em-bee 4y ago
    maybe it's a regional phenomenon. i definitely remember seeing more cars with large grills in my neighborhood in a smaller 3rd tier city.
buran77 4y ago
Today more women than ever before are buying cars, and more cars than ever before are designed (also) with women's needs in mind. Some models are designed to look intimidating, the typical customer for an Escalade or an S-Class probably wants something imposing, aggressive looking. But the generalization in your analysis seems oddly personal. Design changes so much because people expect a new look to motivate a new purchase. Making designs that will look obsolete as soon as the new one comes out is a huge part of selling the new model even if the technology under the hood (literally and figuratively) may not have changed much.
- themitigating 4y ago
  Do you have evidence that cars are purposefully designed to be obsoleteM
  - buran77 4y ago
    > Do you have evidence Ironic request given the lack of any evidence in your previous very definitive statement that it's: > part of a trend in car design to cater to those awash with masculine insecurities or being told by the media they need to be more "manly" But if you now tell me (below) that it's just "your opinion" and not a matter of fact then it's perfectly fair to call it "projection" (taking your personal feelings and generalizing them to others). This isn't a PhD thesis. But fine, every other aspect of product design has been proven beyond doubt to be subject to planned obsolescence. It's not only reasonable to assume that aesthetics won't be an exception, it's also the best area to do it as it cannot be regulated in any way. It appeals to people's inherently subjective tastes. You can probably find even better resources than these a short internet search away: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Planned_obsolescence#Perceived_obsolescence https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Planned_obsolescence#Perceived... https://uxdesign.cc/planned-obsolescence-in-aesthetics-ad73cfce9338 https://uxdesign.cc/planned-obsolescence-in-aesthetics-ad73c... https://www.motorbiscuit.com/car-companies-use-planned-obsolescence-consumers-buy-more-cars/ https://www.motorbiscuit.com/car-companies-use-planned-obsol...
    - themitigating 4y ago
      I don't have to provide evidence of my opinion about design. You have to provide evidence when you claim that a company is doing something for a specifc reason
- spockz 4y ago
  What are “woman/women needs” in a car???
  - buran77 4y ago
    For example women are shorter on average than men (and subsequently have shorter arms, legs, fingers) so everything has to be sized and placed appropriately, like seats and seat belts, steering wheel, stalks, buttons, pedals, etc. This is not a given especially in big cars. The dash and pillars also have to be designed to maximize visibility for short drivers. Then there are the smaller things like storage spaces, being able to pull open the door handle without breaking longer nails, or to get in and out of the car even when wearing a tight dress. Things along these lines. Ask any woman who was driving 20+ years ago, they probably have a more exhaustive list.
DiggyJohnson 4y ago
Is this sarcastic?
- themitigating 4y ago
  No, why do you think people buy lifted pickup trucks?
  - DiggyJohnson 4y ago
    Because they like them? Because their friends think they’re cool? Do you not buy anything that you like but not need? Are you tasteful in everything your purchase? You’re coming across as more of an ideologue than the sorts of people you’re so comfortable lumping together. You’re extremely comfortable making sweeping assumptions of people on the grounds that you don’t relate to them. This comment of mine is significantly more negative than what I like to see on Hacker News, but I think it’s important to question needless callousness and divineness.
    - themitigating 4y ago
      If I asked someone why they did something and they say "I like it" I'm going to press for details. I also don't find your comment to be negative at all. As for creating divisiveness, I want that. The status quo is unacceptable. I do hate most pickup truck owners because 1. They creates a dangerous dependancy on oil that can causes economic issues since oil is needed for many but also used for fun. 2. They also pollute more and waste gas even though the vast majority don't use their truck for it's abilities as compared to a car. 3. Lifted trucks are less stable therefore more likely to be involved in an accident If their reasoning is that they like it or think it's cool that's not good enough for me considering the down sides.
jcampbell1 4y ago
Have you also noticed the hot colors are all military these days. Navy gray, desert khaki, marine corps green. I see it as little more than a trend, but it does offer you more ammo to diss.
UIUC_06 4y ago
Hey. I had an old Miata. A friend said it looked like a jellybean. Maybe that's feminine; I don't know. I also haven't seen any current ones, I don't think. An awesome car. A MG Midget / Triumph but with great engineering.
- CocaKoala 4y ago
  The current Miata (ND) has some fairly aggressive headlight styling but still maintains the wide grin "mouth" for the front grill: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mazda_MX-5_%28ND%29#/media/File:2016_Mazda_MX-5_Sport_NAV_1.5_Front.jpg https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mazda_MX-5_%28ND%29#/media/Fil... They look pretty neat in person, it's a very nicely designed car.
  - UIUC_06 4y ago
    There was a safety reason why they got rid of the flip-up headlights. https://www.cnet.com/roadshow/news/mazda-mx5-miata-history/ https://www.cnet.com/roadshow/news/mazda-mx5-miata-history/ still, those were super-cool. You could flip them up without turning on the lights, and one Miata driver would greet another one in the oncoming lane by doing that.
    - themitigating 4y ago
      When people complain about modern car complexity I think of headlights with electric motors and I realize their hypocrisy
      - UIUC_06 4y ago
        Well, those never had any problems, while all four window regulators on my 2002 BMW had to be replaced, at $900 each.
        themitigating 4y ago
        Every single popup headlight never had issues. In the winter they could freeze shut due to ice, then unsuspecting people would attempt to operate them sometimes damaging the motor. Another key thing to note is, unlike other luxury features if this breaks you absolutely have to get it repaired.

em-bee 4y ago

cars in china have huge grills. i heard that is becauee drivers there want their cars to look intimidating.

officialjunk 4y ago
what do you mean? they don't look abnormal https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_best-selling_automobiles_in_China https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_best-selling_automob...
- em-bee 4y ago
  maybe it's a regional phenomenon. i definitely remember seeing more cars with large grills in my neighborhood in a smaller 3rd tier city.

buran77 4y ago

Today more women than ever before are buying cars, and more cars than ever before are designed (also) with women's needs in mind. Some models are designed to look intimidating, the typical customer for an Escalade or an S-Class probably wants something imposing, aggressive looking. But the generalization in your analysis seems oddly personal. Design changes so much because people expect a new look to motivate a new purchase. Making designs that will look obsolete as soon as the new one comes out is a huge part of selling the new model even if the technology under the hood (literally and figuratively) may not have changed much.

themitigating 4y ago
Do you have evidence that cars are purposefully designed to be obsoleteM
- buran77 4y ago
  > Do you have evidence Ironic request given the lack of any evidence in your previous very definitive statement that it's: > part of a trend in car design to cater to those awash with masculine insecurities or being told by the media they need to be more "manly" But if you now tell me (below) that it's just "your opinion" and not a matter of fact then it's perfectly fair to call it "projection" (taking your personal feelings and generalizing them to others). This isn't a PhD thesis. But fine, every other aspect of product design has been proven beyond doubt to be subject to planned obsolescence. It's not only reasonable to assume that aesthetics won't be an exception, it's also the best area to do it as it cannot be regulated in any way. It appeals to people's inherently subjective tastes. You can probably find even better resources than these a short internet search away: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Planned_obsolescence#Perceived_obsolescence https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Planned_obsolescence#Perceived... https://uxdesign.cc/planned-obsolescence-in-aesthetics-ad73cfce9338 https://uxdesign.cc/planned-obsolescence-in-aesthetics-ad73c... https://www.motorbiscuit.com/car-companies-use-planned-obsolescence-consumers-buy-more-cars/ https://www.motorbiscuit.com/car-companies-use-planned-obsol...
  - themitigating 4y ago
    I don't have to provide evidence of my opinion about design. You have to provide evidence when you claim that a company is doing something for a specifc reason
spockz 4y ago
What are “woman/women needs” in a car???
- buran77 4y ago
  For example women are shorter on average than men (and subsequently have shorter arms, legs, fingers) so everything has to be sized and placed appropriately, like seats and seat belts, steering wheel, stalks, buttons, pedals, etc. This is not a given especially in big cars. The dash and pillars also have to be designed to maximize visibility for short drivers. Then there are the smaller things like storage spaces, being able to pull open the door handle without breaking longer nails, or to get in and out of the car even when wearing a tight dress. Things along these lines. Ask any woman who was driving 20+ years ago, they probably have a more exhaustive list.

DiggyJohnson 4y ago

Is this sarcastic?

themitigating 4y ago
No, why do you think people buy lifted pickup trucks?
- DiggyJohnson 4y ago
  Because they like them? Because their friends think they’re cool? Do you not buy anything that you like but not need? Are you tasteful in everything your purchase? You’re coming across as more of an ideologue than the sorts of people you’re so comfortable lumping together. You’re extremely comfortable making sweeping assumptions of people on the grounds that you don’t relate to them. This comment of mine is significantly more negative than what I like to see on Hacker News, but I think it’s important to question needless callousness and divineness.
  - themitigating 4y ago
    If I asked someone why they did something and they say "I like it" I'm going to press for details. I also don't find your comment to be negative at all. As for creating divisiveness, I want that. The status quo is unacceptable. I do hate most pickup truck owners because 1. They creates a dangerous dependancy on oil that can causes economic issues since oil is needed for many but also used for fun. 2. They also pollute more and waste gas even though the vast majority don't use their truck for it's abilities as compared to a car. 3. Lifted trucks are less stable therefore more likely to be involved in an accident If their reasoning is that they like it or think it's cool that's not good enough for me considering the down sides.

jcampbell1 4y ago

Have you also noticed the hot colors are all military these days. Navy gray, desert khaki, marine corps green. I see it as little more than a trend, but it does offer you more ammo to diss.

UIUC_06 4y ago

Hey. I had an old Miata. A friend said it looked like a jellybean. Maybe that's feminine; I don't know. I also haven't seen any current ones, I don't think. An awesome car. A MG Midget / Triumph but with great engineering.

CocaKoala 4y ago
The current Miata (ND) has some fairly aggressive headlight styling but still maintains the wide grin "mouth" for the front grill: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mazda_MX-5_%28ND%29#/media/File:2016_Mazda_MX-5_Sport_NAV_1.5_Front.jpg https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mazda_MX-5_%28ND%29#/media/Fil... They look pretty neat in person, it's a very nicely designed car.
- UIUC_06 4y ago
  There was a safety reason why they got rid of the flip-up headlights. https://www.cnet.com/roadshow/news/mazda-mx5-miata-history/ https://www.cnet.com/roadshow/news/mazda-mx5-miata-history/ still, those were super-cool. You could flip them up without turning on the lights, and one Miata driver would greet another one in the oncoming lane by doing that.
  - themitigating 4y ago
    When people complain about modern car complexity I think of headlights with electric motors and I realize their hypocrisy
    - UIUC_06 4y ago
      Well, those never had any problems, while all four window regulators on my 2002 BMW had to be replaced, at $900 each.
      - themitigating 4y ago
        Every single popup headlight never had issues. In the winter they could freeze shut due to ice, then unsuspecting people would attempt to operate them sometimes damaging the motor. Another key thing to note is, unlike other luxury features if this breaks you absolutely have to get it repaired.