Are new cars ugly?

Are new cars ugly?

As a fan of classic cars, I am astounded by the dearth of new cars that are pretty. Most of them are just plain ugly. Certainly we can cite the recent stinkers like the Pontiac Aztec, but as for the rest of them, is there anything really to write home about? Classic cars by contrast are loved for their beautiful lines, their brightwork and beautiful designs. When you think about the most beautiful cars ever you think of Jaguar XKEs, Miuras, 250 GTOs and many others. Even the more pedestrian cars like the Alfa Duetto, Alfa GTVs, MGAs and other cars were shockingly pretty. The lowly Fiat 850 Spider is gorgeous by comparison to modern day cars.

I believe that CAFE standards and safety standards are pushing cars to be ugly. There are not many ways to make a car attain a .30 coefficient of drag. The same goes for crumple zones and cabin safety.

I’ve tried to think of modern cars that falls into the beautiful category. Certainly the details, and the finish are beautiful, but the exterior styling leaves me flat.

Some might argue that the Audi TT is a pretty car. However, compared to its spiritual ancestor, the Karmann-Ghia, it looks positively hideous. The Honda S2000 has nothing on a Lotus Elan (the original, not the front wheel drive Isuzu). Can anything on the market compare to the Volvo 1800? And these are the mundane, affordable cars. The supercars of the classic era are downright amazing!

I’ve mentioned mostly imports, but even domestics were prettier. The original Mustang fastback, the Galaxie 500 hard top, the 63 bullet-bird Thunderbirds, Corvairs, or the original Olds Toronado were gorgeous, original and lust inspiring cars where the beauty wasn’t just skin deep, but it went into the bone.

Sure, there were some stinkers in the classic era; the Edsel, the Avanti, the Saab 96, or even my personal favorite - the 914, were not the prettiest of cars. All of those cars had some traits that endeared them to their owners. These modern, melted bars of soap cars inspire few.

So please humor me and let me know what modern cars (2000 and newer) you think will be classics some day.

As far as common people's cars (i.e. not exotics, etc. even though most are still ugly) I think the Volvo C30 is a pretty car by today's standards*. It's no P1800ES. I can't think of anymore.

*disclaimer: I think my '91 Miata is pretty even though it looks like a tic-tac with a thyroid condition and I also think the 80's didn't get much better than a Peugeot 205 GTi. So, clearly my opinion is skewed.

The only car that springs to mind is the Alfa Brera, and even that's only really distinctive/attractive from the front.

I'm with the Kapt. I can't think of hardly any new cars that made me go "Wow, I've got to get me one of those!". The only ones that spring to mind are the Mustang and Challenger. Well, duh. They actually have styling, not just curves to conquer the wind tunnel. The best thing I can say about some new cars is simply that they aren't offensive to the eyes. I think the last non-retro car I really got excited about the appearance of was the Jag XK8.

My vote, this is beautiful...

The Jags. Porsche still makes a beautiful car, in my eyes, and I don't think that the Pontiac Solstice is bad looking.

Most of the rest? As Peter Egan called them "lozenge cars." The are shaped like a lozenge.

I really thought the BMW Z8 was great looking, the best BMW has ever done, but you're right, there aren't many new cars that I think are design standouts. Most that I think look ok are retro anyway, and the for the most part, are vastly overshadowed by the originals.

Having said that, here is my list; some of the newer TVRs are fantastic, the new Alfa 8C is simply stunning, and for a sedan, the big Mercedes looks nice, and I really like the Z4 Coupe. But give me an E-Type or 250GT SWB anyday, or for that matter, a nice Elan or Europa.

Bikesnrovers:

Is that Aston much different than this:

or this?:

Certainly, the mechanical bits differ, but the basic style is very similar.

Personally, I don't understand it. I have to believe that there is untapped market for cars with decent style. I know that mainstream cars are focus-grouped to death, but someone needs to make something pretty for a change.

Heck, I'd even accept a simple 2-box sedan with a decent greenhouse! Make mine RWD.

There are still great-looking 2008 cars!

We just can't buy them in the US.

2008 Morgan 4/4

How about the latest Corvette?

Kapt... yeah, you are right. The front of the Aston is unique. But you are right, they do kinda look the same.

That does it! I am taking back my deposit on the DB9!

I disagree. Some modern cars are beautiful and not all the classics are even decent looking.

I personally feel the new Jaguar XK, as well as the Aston Martin pictured above are beautiful. As has been mentioned, the Pontiac Solstice is quite fetching and is at least as beautiful as most afordable roadsters of the past. I even think the Jaguar X-Type is beautiful for a small sedan.

Perhaps there are fewer beautiful cars available today than at some points in the past, but there are still some beauties out there.

The Solstice is the first car in a loooooooong time that Pontiac hasn't festooned with body side moldings, spoilers, and other crap that made it look hideous. Name the last good looking Pontiac prior? I bet you can't.

I realize that beauty is in the eye of the beholder, but to me, the XK looks like a giant suppository. Just like the Aston, the Ferrari and the BMW a few posts above this.

YMMV

Here's my opinion. Car design is subjective. I personally like a lot of the new designs coming out of Europe, Asia and yes, even Detroit. Cadillac has made a tremendous turnaround in design during the past decade. Good stuff. Just as it was 40-50 years ago, today you know a new Cadillac when you see one. That wasn’t the case in the 70s 80s and 90s. I think it’s a good theme. At BMW Chris Bangle has had an overall positive influence despite early criticism. Just as with Cadillac, you know you’re looking at a new Bimmer when you see one. Kudos to Bangle for that. At Mazda, we’ll be seeing some good stuff coming out over the next 5 years as a result of former design head Franz von Holzhausen’s influence. He unfortunately left Mazda for Tesla a few months ago, but his designs will be seen on some of the new Mazda models. Mercedes, Lexus, Infinti … a lot of good designs there. Even some of the Hyundai models are appealing. Have you seen the new Genesis coupe? Excellent shape! But, again, it’s all subjective, so please, no attacks.

Cadillac is definitely charting a different course. The folded paper, origami look with sharp creases and such. It is certainly different from the other cars out today, but is it beautiful?

I dislike just about everything "stylistically" from BMW. The cars are fabulous machines, but they have no character. The 1-series is a prime example where they could have really knocked the ball out of the park, but they chose not to. The Z-series (not sure if those are Bangle era cars or not) are simply horrible.

The last decent Mazda was the RX-7 G3 and the MX-6. The RX7 was truly pretty and MX-6 was much in the mold of the Opel Calibra (another car, like the Alfa Brera that we didn't see stateside) that was really easy on the eyes.

Hyundai really needs some help. While I appreciate the rear-drive chassis and the fact that they see a market for a 2+2 coupe that's affordable and fun to drive, it ain't pretty.

While I'm on it, the Nissan GTR is so homely, its a good thing it's so damn fast so no one will get a good look at it.

It's as if all of the designers are gay bodybuilders. NTTAWWT but the cars are muscular, bulging, etc... All male attributes. What ever happened to svelte, lithe, voluptuous??

KK,

At first I took a little offense at the "gay bodybuilders" comment, then I started to thinks about it and what you meant... since most car designers are men (I'm guessing), but I think it maybe that they lack the muscles and "good" bulges so they over compensate by putting them on cars and trucks. Chrysler maybe the biggest violator of this.

You mentioned earlier that the Toranado was your example of a beautiful car, sorry, but I think that one is ugly. Along with the Corvair and the Galaxie not topping my list of beautiful cars.

So I guess it is in the eye of the beholder.

Right. It's subjective. It's all good design (except for maybe the Pontiac Aztec and Fiat Multipla). It just appeals to people differently. Besides, who am I to criticize a design by a professional with a degree in transportation design from Art Center College of Design, College for Creative Studies, Coventry University, Royal College of Art, Pforzheim, etc.?

Bikes - did you miss my disclamer? NTTAWWT (Not there's anything wrong with that)

I think it's also fair to say that American cars generally lagged behind their European competitors in the classic era in terms of style.

But Gary, isn't that the wonderful thing about beauty? It is in the eye of the beholder. It's an opinion. There are some with a more informed opinion, but that doesn't matter in the area of taste.

Regardless, I think my original thesis still holds some water. There seems to be only so much a designer can do these days when it comes to production automobiles to make them pretty. CAFE standards, safety standards and focus groups seem to make new cars clones of each other, and for that I am saddened.

The C6 is finally a good looking Corvette. I have zero interest in any of the preceding versions until you get back into the 1960s. Kudos to the stylists on this one.

One other trend that is related--supercars. It used to be that Ferraris, et al were designed by stylists who pushed themselves to make something truly stunning. Now, they are all just working to make them wind-tunnel friendly with F1 styling cues. I haven't been excited about a Ferrari in a decade. The only exotic I really even remotely like is the Noble. All the rest look like spaceships. Oh, for the days of actual styling:

Was driving home in the dark last night, looked in the rear view, and thought I was being chased by a damn jack-o-lantern!!

I panicked.

Turns out it was only a new Audi with those angry looking amber colored eye-brow lights over the headlights

The car might be good looking, but those angry amber eye-brow lights are ugly!

Beauty certainly is in the eye of the beholder. What I find attractive, others may not. There were plenty of ugly cars back then, and plenty of bland ones today.

I do find the Porsche Cayman to be drop dead sexy, and the new Audi R8 presses the right buttons for me. Alfa is currently making some beautiful cars (147, 8C) but they don't sell them here.

Of course nothing made today can compare with the elegant beauty of my AMC Eagle!

Elegant? No. Rubenesque? Maybe.

I like the looks of the Honda S2000 and something about the new Accord 2 door coupe appeals to me. I am not fond of the new Miata but the new Mazda 6 appeals to me. Other than that, there's not much out there that I like. My wife is looking forward to getting her third Subaru Outback before too much longer!

I'd agree with Joe on the Cayman. And the latest 911 still makes my head turn. The proportions are still just spot on.

Well, they can't all look as good as this classic:

Or this one:

Or this:

(no offense meant to Hudson, Citroen or Austin owners)

I see lots of attractive new cars, but most of them lack the character that made classics so great.

Fins, character lines, and chrome have given way to wind tunnel designs that are still attractive to me, but for wholly different reasons. I think the ratio of pretty to ugly cars has probably shifted toward the ugly side, though.