What's with the gaping maw that all cars must have now.

[Harry P.]

Aggressive, violent styling themes definitely seem to be the main direction in the last decade or so, beginning w/ the HUMMERs.

I agree with your previous observation about video games and such influencing today's stylists. And consumers are obviously also influenced by that, so my guess is the "agressive" styling trends we're seeing these days is what the auto makers assume the customers want and expect. Just as automotive styling reflected the "space age" and the public's fascination with space and rockets in the '50s, the trends today reflect the kind of stuff the general populace is exposed to today.

[Ace-Garageguy]

Two points:

1. Styling is subjective.

2. Car stylists have to be constantly coming up with something "new" to keep consumers interested. Let's face it, styling fads will come and they will go. Right now we seem to be in the "giant headlights that extend practically to the cowl" and the "gaping abyss" phase. It's a phase, and will disappear once the next "new" styling trends come along. Today's designs are no more or less "right" or logical than the rocket/jet/fins craze of the '50s or the "opera windows and padded landau roof" fad that came along in the '70s.

It's all ephemeral. It comes, it goes away, the next fad comes along, and so on...

Ah yes, but in the midst of all the "me too, me-too" styling fads with everyone copying each other in a desperate attempt to please the herd and still be different (without being TOO different), some truly inspired, clean and elegant pieces manage to sneak through...and not always in the rarefied atmosphere of the exotics, where the best designers usually play.

Edited May 25, 2015 by Ace-Garageguy

[Ace-Garageguy]

Aggressive, violent styling themes definitely seem to be the main direction in the last decade or so, beginning w/ the HUMMERs.

I think it started as a response to the pumped-up hysterical adolescent "attack" styling of the angry-catfish tuner-look. Sadly, it's a fad that's taking as long to die as rat-rods.

Apparently SOME car builders are emulating the rat-rod look too, if the rapidity with which many of GM's trucks are rusting away from the bottom is anything to go by.

Edited May 25, 2015 by Ace-Garageguy

[Rob Hall]

Ah yes, but in the midst of all the "me too, me-too" styling fads with everyone copying each other in a desperate attempt to please the herd and still be different (without being TOO different), some truly inspired, clean and elegant pieces manage to sneak through...and not always in the rarefied atmosphere of the exotics, where the best designers usually play.

Most of the exotics today look like they were styled by overly hyper 12 yr olds.. generally fecal and violent designs from Lamborghini, Ferrari, etc...

[Joe Handley]

Like the Lamborgini Vaneno Roadster, Rob?

[Ace-Garageguy]

Most of the exotics today look like they were styled by overly hyper 12 yr olds.. generally fecal and violent designs from Lamborghini, Ferrari, etc...

True, but not all of them...

Edited May 25, 2015 by Ace-Garageguy

[Rob Hall]

Like the Lamborgini Vaneno Roadster, Rob?

Yes..I find that car disgusting looking...looks like a bad Hot Wheels design...but that's just me.

Edited May 25, 2015 by Rob Hall

[Ace-Garageguy]

Yes..I find that car disgusting looking...looks like a bad Hot Wheels design...but that's just me.

I agree, but it probably is a REAL hit with the oil sheikhs who can afford it. They're not usually about subtlety and class.

[DrGlueblob]

..cough.."Edsel" ..cough...

[Rob Hall]

The Aston Martins are good looking, esp. the more subtle versions. Some of my favorite designs today are the 'mainstream' Porsches--Cayman, Boxster, 911..some what retro but modern and not nasty.

Edited May 25, 2015 by Rob Hall

[Harry P.]

I love the styling of the Tesla. Slick, clean, understated, elegant, not "in yer face," yet also not just another face in the crowd.

[Rob Hall]

I love the styling of the Tesla. Slick, clean, understated, elegant, not "in yer face," yet also not just another face in the crowd.

I love it too... I'm just drawn to more subtle designs..esp. for luxury cars, I don't like 'screamy' aggro designs..

[Harry P.]

Like the Lamborgini Vaneno Roadster, Rob?

That's just plain silly. Looks like a herd of 15-year olds were let loose in the studio...

[Aaronw]

I kind if thought it had to do with cooling. Cars today have a lot more power that cars or 10 or 20 years ago, that extra power creates heat. Due to aerodynamic improvements there is less air sneaking in outside of the grill opening.

You are seeing the same thing on big trucks since 2007. EPA requirements on diesels are making them run hotter, with a resulting need for bigger radiators, which in turn require a bigger grill.

Like the Lamborgini Vaneno Roadster, Rob?

Looks like a prototype for the next Batmobile.

[aurfalien]

http://asset1.cbsistatic.com/cnwk.1d/i/tim//2010/03/29/34041463_OVR_610x407.JPG

The French designer hired by Nissan to do the Cube called it "Pig with sunglasses"

Edited May 25, 2015 by aurfalien

[cobraman]

I remember similar things were being said when the 72 Torino was released. I remember one car magazine said it looked like a land locked Tuna sucking wind. I always liked it.

[Joe Handley]

I kind if thought it had to do with cooling. Cars today have a lot more power that cars or 10 or 20 years ago, that extra power creates heat. Due to aerodynamic improvements there is less air sneaking in outside of the grill opening.

You are seeing the same thing on big trucks since 2007. EPA requirements on diesels are making them run hotter, with a resulting need for bigger radiators, which in turn require a bigger grill.

If you look at a lot of these modern cars with grill that big, it seems like half the openings are blocked off and/or blocked by crash structure (like Audi), it's almost like we're going back to the era of tall, Superfly grills on most of what was being built..........only with an hideous and anime-ish twist?!

[Ace-Garageguy]

I love the styling of the Tesla. Slick, clean, understated, elegant, not "in yer face," yet also not just another face in the crowd.

Agreed 100%. Hard to do a car that's that clean, and still a standout...which is why so many cars have all the crapp plastered all over them. It's easy to hang junk on, make odd lines and silliness. Sort of the later Barris-school of thought.

First time I saw a Tesla, I chased it down to find out what it was; assumed it would be a big Jag or Maserati, was pleasantly surprised to read the badging. Fine, fine work on that car.

[Ace-Garageguy]

I kind if thought it had to do with cooling. Cars today have a lot more power that cars or 10 or 20 years ago, that extra power creates heat. Due to aerodynamic improvements there is less air sneaking in outside of the grill opening.

Lotsa power from liquid-cooled engines doesn't require stupid looking vents, troughs, flaps, scoops and ducts all over the place...especially not in the name of aerodynamics.

Edited May 25, 2015 by Ace-Garageguy

[Lovefordgalaxie]

Lotsa power from liquid-cooled engines doesn't require stupid looking vents, troughs, flaps, scoops and ducts all over the place...especially not in the name of aerodynamics.

Well, you can't compare airplanes to cars. A airplane will never get stuck in the traffic, or wait for a signal to open. The airplane's prop will generate a super fast laminar airflow trough the radiators and oil coolers, that and the fact the air is super cool at high altitudes will help the cooling a lot. cars will depend of the electric or mechanical fans to force, or suck air trough the radiator.

[Joe Handley]

But for the size and power of those engines, those were pretty small openings.

[lordairgtar]

https://encrypted-tbn2.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcSBt1CV3mK1I20SeEhclQshkv4yOD-1idCrgDTsCBDhrrPY_POkOA:img.gawkerassets.com/img/17j9h0es5mla2jpg/original.jpg

[Joe Handley]

Not sure which would be a bigger tragity, ruining the look of that Lowey design with that maw, or ruining the Packard name by putting it on something that looks like that.

[Ace-Garageguy]

Well, you can't compare airplanes to cars. A airplane will never get stuck in the traffic, or wait for a signal to open. The airplane's prop will generate a super fast laminar airflow trough the radiators and oil coolers, that and the fact the air is super cool at high altitudes will help the cooling a lot. cars will depend of the electric or mechanical fans to force, or suck air trough the radiator.

Oh really? No.

The airflow at the openings to the cooling elements on most aircraft is particularly dirty, turbulent and not anywhere near laminar...especially behind the prop. The WINGS of the P-51 were among the first laminar flow designs to make it to combat aircraft, but the rest of the ship just isn't laminar.

And aircraft are required to be able to maintain non-destructive engine temps while taxiing slowly, sometimes in lines, waiting for takeoff clearance...sometimes rather long lines in old combat situations.

The P-51 designers did such a fine job of managing airflow through the cooling system that it was almost zero-loss in drag, due to the acceleration of the airstream after the radiator from the added heat energy of the engine coolant...a feat that was absolutely astounding for the time, well before the massive computing power it would take to approach similar results today with CFD (computational fluid dynamics). In maximizing the performance of sport and racing planes (with which I have some little experience) one of the big first-steps is looking to minimize drag and turbulence due to the engine cooling requirements.

Silly open-catfish-mouth grilles just are NOT required for surface-vehicle cooling...if the designers and engineers are competent.

Edited May 25, 2015 by Ace-Garageguy

[Ace-Garageguy]

But for the size and power of those engines, those were pretty small openings.

Exactly...even though at speed a significant airflow for cooling is achieved simply due to that speed, it won't overcome poor opening and duct design.