What is this called and how to we stop it?

The way to stop it is by not buying new cars. Newest thing I own will be 29 years old next month.

I does show you how derivative most designs are.

I am not sure if they are just copying, or are afraid not to follow what they see as a popular trend.

TurnerX19 said:

The way to stop it is by not buying new cars. Newest thing I own will be 29 years old next month.

Lol, I get your point, but I haven't bought a new car ever and it doesn't seem to have had much effect. 

The Alfa SUV pictured has perhaps the most mild interpretation of that trend.  I give that a pass.  

The new Chevy truck is just ridiculous.  Hard no.  

I'm just glad the new Mustangs and Camaros have actual trunks so the mouth breathers stopped calling them hatchbacks. They have always been coupes for the love of Pete.

TurnerX19 said:

The way to stop it is by not buying new cars. Newest thing I own will be 29 years old next month.

Actually, no, that's not how you stop it.  Because 90% of the buying public doesn't give a crap, and will continue buying whatever is offered in their price range that has the most features.

See also: death of the manual transmission, death of the station wagon, and impending death of the sedan.

Duke said:

wae said:

T.J. said:

I dislike how many new cars have a vertical surface around the wheel wells. That drives me nuts. It's like they want to give the impression of larger wheel openings when the tires/wheels are already huge compared to 15 years ago. I've been unsuccessful at figuring out the name of this styling element, but I don't like it.

It is like zero width flares. Seems like they designed the bodies for larger wheels/tires and then had to add an inch all around the opening to fill in the gap when they realized they couldn't get away with 22" wheels or something.

There was a jalopnik(?) article about this a day ro two ago, actually.  Apparently the answer that came back was that the flat spots are there to provide structural rigidity to the stamping.

I, too, am not a fan.

Luckily, they've been going out of style for a while.  The real heyday of that wheel arch bit was maybe 10 years ago, right about the time Subaru took one of the handsomest mid-level sedans ever made and turned it into a steaming garbage scow.

Not sure about it going out of style. Almost all of the cars pictured above have them. It seems like they could have the lip be horizontal and go inward instead of being vertical. I don't think I've ever gone to Jalopnik unless I was following a link, but I'll try to find that article.

EDIT: Here it is

Hot take: I like how they dictate the overall shape of front bumpers to prevent cars from having weak-looking chins. There's a reason why everyone puts front lips on cars from the early 2000s.

If I was in an argumentative mood, I'd argue that Cadillac started all this mess back at the end of the last millennium with the Evoq concept car and the resulting XLR and CTS.  I would also argue that they did a decent job styling both of those cars.  As for what it's called, GM used the term "art and science design language."

Mostly, I don't care.  I think Audi still sells some of the prettiest cars I see on the road, and my new Mazda CX-9 gets compliments from time to time.  Most people drive cars that look like butt, and I don't mean that in a good way.

T.J. said:

Duke said:

wae said:

T.J. said:

I dislike how many new cars have a vertical surface around the wheel wells. That drives me nuts. It's like they want to give the impression of larger wheel openings when the tires/wheels are already huge compared to 15 years ago. I've been unsuccessful at figuring out the name of this styling element, but I don't like it.

It is like zero width flares. Seems like they designed the bodies for larger wheels/tires and then had to add an inch all around the opening to fill in the gap when they realized they couldn't get away with 22" wheels or something.

There was a jalopnik(?) article about this a day ro two ago, actually.  Apparently the answer that came back was that the flat spots are there to provide structural rigidity to the stamping.

I, too, am not a fan.

Luckily, they've been going out of style for a while.  The real heyday of that wheel arch bit was maybe 10 years ago, right about the time Subaru took one of the handsomest mid-level sedans ever made and turned it into a steaming garbage scow.

Not sure about it going out of style. Almost all of the cars pictured above have them. It seems like they could have the lip be horizontal and go inward instead of being vertical. I don't think I've ever gone to Jalopnik unless I was following a link, but I'll try to find that article.

But most of them these days include a little feature line that tucks in and accentuates the lip of the wheel arch a bit.  They've moved away from this detail:

In reply to Nick Comstock :

Who is Pete ?

I actually have speculated that most of this is dictated by design and wind tunnel testing and aerodynamic computer testing.  Even though the various manufacturers probably use different test programs the laws of physics with respect to drag and how air interacts with moving objects is the same and there computer programs and the designers are coming up with the same answers.  On a good note it looks like the various manufacturers computer simulations are coming up with teh same answers and as such the designs are similar.

EastCoastMojo said:

TurnerX19 said:

The way to stop it is by not buying new cars. Newest thing I own will be 29 years old next month.

Lol, I get your point, but I haven't bought a new car ever and it doesn't seem to have had much effect. 

If no one bought a new one 29 years ago, you wouldn't have a car. Something to think about.

Get off my lawn. It went downhill after 1972   

The Golf/GTI looks alright to me. FWIW, I parked next to a Caddy xt4 in that exact color earlier today and I do have to say it is kinda sharp and doesn't look as bad as some others in this post..

bobzilla said:

I've been calling toyota and honda's styling "origami meets anime". 

The term you are looking for is "mecha" and I've thought that since I saw the last gen celica.

TJL said:

I cant get past the trend of front ends that look like predators mouth or a gulping ugly fish. 

I’m glad i have no intention of buying a new car. I’ll stick to cheaper older stuff with much better styling and no predator face. 

Came here to say the Predator bit

bobzilla said:

I believe this is known as the "Get off my lawn!" styling elements. Old people hate them. 

It works.  I pretty much like no new cars made today. 

Yeah, its terrible.  I mean of all the things to worry about, why did they have to do that?  Honestly.....

Or maybe, just maybe, it just isn't to your taste and perhaps you can just not buy a car that is styled like that.

I blame Arnoltt>

Type "floating roofline" into a Google Search and see how many different manufacturers have adopted this cliche. My wife is getting tired of my grousing but it's on everything from Bolts to Infinitis. One or two, okay, interesting. Every other new car? Oy!

its the current generational trend.  Notice alot of cars of similar eras have similar styling.  Just where we are at, this moment.  Someone will try something new soon and it will stick and everyone else will follow suit, and over and over again

It's progress. You can't stop it.

Old styling will come back into vogue, just like how all of the CUVs are trying to look like modern takes on the "ugly and plain" cars from the 40s.