How Japanese styling works

If that Lexus is enough to get your hackles up, then, enjoy your seizure:

/thread

No seizure; that actually tickles my funny bone. Like F Troop, it's so stupid it's funny.

I'm Ok with oddball designs if there's a unifying theme to it, and the functional compromises aren't too large. A squarish vehicle Such as an old Nova, Brick Volvo or Honda Element has an integrity in its pure functionality and lack of pretense. Heavily styled vehicles like recent Mazdas, Hyundais and the Bangle designs while sometimes jolting seemed designed by the same team with some sort of unifying vision. The reincarnated VW of a few years ago OTOH was basically a Golf with the back seat sacrificed for style. Too much compromise for me. I agree with the above posters in that the hourglass look has moved from interesting into self-parody

Trans_Maro wrote: I love 80's Japanese cars but I think this was the only tool the designers could afford:

wvumtnbkr wrote: Also... The 80s were awesome. Especially 80s wheels.

A scale? Good for measuring scale drawings....you know you never draw using this as a straight edge. Right? I think the Italians beat the Japanese to the straight line aesthetic.

But...

Wikipedia couldn't possibly be wrong!

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Straightedge

freestyle wrote:

Trans_Maro wrote: I love 80's Japanese cars but I think this was the only tool the designers could afford:

wvumtnbkr wrote: Also... The 80s were awesome. Especially 80s wheels.

A scale? Good for measuring scale drawings....you know you never draw using this as a straight edge. Right? I think the Italians beat the Japanese to the straight line aesthetic.

Keep in mind with all these designs we are working our way toward the millennium falcon.By then miata=x-wing.

Miata would be more of a A-wing

Sooo... The Japanese borrowed from this?

Or this?

More grill please. MORE....keep it coming...<img src="<a [URL=http://imgur.com/EXwIqTn][/URL]

The old Dodge Ram could also claim precedent, no?

And I like the old Audi concept car with the Auto-Union-esque grille in a reasonable proportion... seems the Bugatti Veyron did the same thing. I don't think it'd work on a sedan shape though, and I've not liked the gaping maw of the newest stuff so much. What was wrong with the old style classic Audi split rectangle? I mean the openings and shapes are still nearly the same language, just make the bumper face section body color instead of faux grille mesh.

In reply to freestyle:

So much grille, they wrapped it around the hood:

How japanese styling used to work: Design a beautiful and elegant car with good power and original design.

Even their commuter cars could look good back then... No really ripped off anyone design elements.... simple design.... good design. Ridiculous wing, overall attractive car. RB25 R33 skyline GTS-T. Simple yet elegant design.

What passes for Japanese design today obviously is seen in this thread.

Here's what that Skyline's great-grandson looks like Hideous.

Even their JRPGs are E36 M3 now.

I think design in general today is E36 M3. Look at the sci-fi robot reject that is the current Camaro. I won't just blame the Japanese. Even the "cool" and good enthusiast cars are ugly, look at the Fiesta ST for example. In the past a car like that would probably look more like that civic above not some weird angles ridiculousness you see in today's cars. It's like they took the sharp angles of 80s cars and just combined them with the smoothness of 90s cars and mashed them together to create something horrible.

It's because of people who decided that simple = boring. If it's not in your face, it doesn't exist.

Oh, and if I had drafted against the scale, my freshman architecture prof would have broken my fingers.

In your face? So Japanese stylists are making an automotive...Poochie?

"He's one rad dude."

Duke wrote: It's because of people who decided that simple = boring. If it's not in your face, it doesn't exist.

Yes, this. I thought the new WRX was an amazing looking car. Everyone else was whining that it's boring looking and needs to be more extreme.

What's funny is that this is the anti-point since the WRX is Japanese and looks nowhere near as ridiculous as a Charger or a Camaro.

Fits right above with those smooth 90s cars IMO.

Is this a new Corolla or a WRX?

Appleseed wrote: Is this a new Corolla or a WRX?

That's funny I glanced at my phone and said Civic.

Say what you will about Mazda's styling but at least I can identify it.

You know the world has turned upside down when SUBARU "design" actually looks decent compared to some others. Of course, they did this too....

[URL=http://s937.photobucket.com/user/MichaelYount/media/subaru-b9-tribeca-03_zps5a841a98.jpg.html][/URL]

At first I was meh about the Lexus spindle, but it grew on my and ended buying a CT200h F Sport with the BIG spindle. I like it. Seems many other people do as well, there are threads on the forums with people shelling out $2k to swap older bumper skins to get the giant grill with the fake openings. I think there was a good point made about the safety mandates requiring a tall front end. If you don't have a big grill you end up with carp face instead of large mouth bass. Lexus is selling record numbers of these spindley things so it can't be all bad.

Appleseed wrote: Is this a new Corolla or a WRX?

I can easily tell this:

...from THIS:

...yet both are reasonably handsome, proportionate sedans. The Camry is not my favorite but at least it's not actively hideous and lumpy. And, frankly, all the blue cars posted above aren't helping win the argument that some ugly over-designed front clip is going to make your car stand out from the others.

The funny thing is that the old GC Impreza nose looked a lot like a Camry nose.

Appleseed wrote: Is this a new Corolla or a WRX?

IMO that's like claiming that a S class Merc looks like a BMW. They are clearly identifiably different but people will claim they look the same regardless.

They have a similar shape but it's like saying a FC RX7 the Z31 300ZX look the same because they are both liftback wedge cars. Why is every car exempt from the criticism aside from the WRX?

I thought all japanese cars were designed as follows:

• Identify a monster to pattern after

• Figure out what the Germans are doing to make really heavy cars handle

• Somehow combine these two awesome things in a way that is completely wrong