21st century automotive icons...
Discussion
E-Type, DB5, Silver Cloud, classic Mini, Blower Bentley, series/Defender Land Rover, Range Rover are all automotive icons of the 20th century and that's far from exhaustive and just the British ones (I apologise for my knowledge of cars not extending much before the 60s).
However, would you consider any 21st century cars/designs to be iconic? I'm thinking possibly 911, Range Rover, MINI, Fiat 500 but these are all evolutions of 20th century designs. Is it too early to have an original, 21st century iconic design that people will still be talking about in 50 years time or are the constraints of modern manufacture too much to produce any more genuinely iconic designs?
Here's a few potentials.
Bugatti Veyron
I don't know what the plan is for its replacement but the quest for maximum speed seems to have stopped here.
Porsche Carrera GT
Arguably the last "analogue" supercar and we will probably never see its like again.
Aston Martin Vantage
It has been around a while, still looks fresh and took the fight to the Porsche 911.
Jaguar F-Type
Is is a 21st century E-Type?
Rolls Royce Phantom
I'm not sure whether I'm a fan actually but it's certainly distinctive.
However, would you consider any 21st century cars/designs to be iconic? I'm thinking possibly 911, Range Rover, MINI, Fiat 500 but these are all evolutions of 20th century designs. Is it too early to have an original, 21st century iconic design that people will still be talking about in 50 years time or are the constraints of modern manufacture too much to produce any more genuinely iconic designs?
Here's a few potentials.
Bugatti Veyron
I don't know what the plan is for its replacement but the quest for maximum speed seems to have stopped here.
Porsche Carrera GT
Arguably the last "analogue" supercar and we will probably never see its like again.
Aston Martin Vantage
It has been around a while, still looks fresh and took the fight to the Porsche 911.
Jaguar F-Type
Is is a 21st century E-Type?
Rolls Royce Phantom
I'm not sure whether I'm a fan actually but it's certainly distinctive.
This will go the same way as the 'facelift' threads. The brief will be ignored and it'll turn into just another favourite car thread.
For example - the Vantage? Very likeable and desirable, but iconic? Anonymous within its range, more like. The DBS might have been a better shout.
To be iconic means it is an instantly recognisable symbol of what it represents, even to people who would not otherwise be knowledgeable.
I'm thinking the OP nailed it with the first picture.
For example - the Vantage? Very likeable and desirable, but iconic? Anonymous within its range, more like. The DBS might have been a better shout.
To be iconic means it is an instantly recognisable symbol of what it represents, even to people who would not otherwise be knowledgeable.
Shiv_P said:
P1, LaF, 918
The fact that these three are always mentioned in the same breath dilutes any one of them being iconic.I'm thinking the OP nailed it with the first picture.
Edited by r11co on Thursday 4th February 07:36
Supercars are an obvious guess and a boring one at that although the veyron is a very good shout.
I'd strongly suggest the Ariel Atom/BAC Mono, Nissan GTR and R34 Skyline however as a bit of a crazy suggestion i'd also say the Audi R8 and Focus RS
I'd also say something like a Subaru Impreza but you could argue that has just evolved from its late 90's design
All depends how far you want to go as being classified as an original 21st century design compared to a 21st century design of a 20th century concept (like any Rolls/mini/bmw/911/etc/etc ever)
I'd strongly suggest the Ariel Atom/BAC Mono, Nissan GTR and R34 Skyline however as a bit of a crazy suggestion i'd also say the Audi R8 and Focus RS
I'd also say something like a Subaru Impreza but you could argue that has just evolved from its late 90's design
All depends how far you want to go as being classified as an original 21st century design compared to a 21st century design of a 20th century concept (like any Rolls/mini/bmw/911/etc/etc ever)
Veryon is the first that comes to mind for me..
Tesla Model S;
Prius (original was 97-03, but I'd argue it wasn't until the 03+ model that they became internationally known);
Enzo, Carrera GT, Ford GT, SLR McLaren;
Any of the 3 current 'hybrid-hypercars' I suppose you could argue the case for;
Zonda / Koenigsegg, whichever model;
Ariel Atom;
Hummer H2;
RR Phantom;
Nissan GTR;
TVR Savaris.
Just a few I think, for various reasons.
Tesla Model S;
Prius (original was 97-03, but I'd argue it wasn't until the 03+ model that they became internationally known);
Enzo, Carrera GT, Ford GT, SLR McLaren;
Any of the 3 current 'hybrid-hypercars' I suppose you could argue the case for;
Zonda / Koenigsegg, whichever model;
Ariel Atom;
Hummer H2;
RR Phantom;
Nissan GTR;
TVR Savaris.
Just a few I think, for various reasons.
r11co said:
This will go the same way as the 'facelift' threads. The brief will be ignored and it'll turn into just another favourite car thread.
For example - the Vantage? Very likeable and desirable, but iconic? Anonymous within its range, more like. The DBS might have been a better shout.
To be iconic means it is an instantly recognisable symbol of what it represents, even to people who would not otherwise be knowledgeable.
Granted. I wasn't sure about the Vantage but it is AM's first foray into that market in the modern age and one could argue that it's the only current Aston that doesn't look a bit like a DB9. Plus, I wanted one when they first came out and I still want one now 10 years later, which must count for something!For example - the Vantage? Very likeable and desirable, but iconic? Anonymous within its range, more like. The DBS might have been a better shout.
To be iconic means it is an instantly recognisable symbol of what it represents, even to people who would not otherwise be knowledgeable.
Edited by r11co on Thursday 4th February 07:36
Judging by what some people are saying on other threads at the moment, the BMW 330Ci (E46) was a glaring omission from the OP
richatnort said:
http://thumbsnap.com/sc/Cm9SgfRi.jpg
got to be up there as one of the most bonkers cars of the 21st century
Iconic means that it is known everywhere and is instantly recogniceable, not nessacarily that it is the best of its type. How many people who aren't supercar fans knows about Koenigsegg? It is not something that have truly defined this eras style like the original Mustang or the Mini and have changed the way cars are designed. got to be up there as one of the most bonkers cars of the 21st century
I think as far as benchmarks for the future, the current trio of LaF, P1 and 918 will absolutely be seen as icons, they raised the benchmark for performance and the tech they use.
The Veyron will be there as well for the same reason, albeit the top speed benchmark.
The Zonda I believe is certainly an icon for this century, certainly for sheer drama in the way it looks and goes. Of course you then have the Enzo and Carrera GT too. The Carrera GT perhaps more so considering it is almost infamously dangerous.
The Nissan GTR could make the list, especially given what you can do when you start adding to the base product, not that it was slow in stock form.
It's a very contentious issue, but the fact is we have so many brilliant cars now it's quite difficult to define what is or isn't iconic.
The Veyron will be there as well for the same reason, albeit the top speed benchmark.
The Zonda I believe is certainly an icon for this century, certainly for sheer drama in the way it looks and goes. Of course you then have the Enzo and Carrera GT too. The Carrera GT perhaps more so considering it is almost infamously dangerous.
The Nissan GTR could make the list, especially given what you can do when you start adding to the base product, not that it was slow in stock form.
It's a very contentious issue, but the fact is we have so many brilliant cars now it's quite difficult to define what is or isn't iconic.
I think it's too early to say, but still.
The Veyron is the obvious choice, but I think it's impact was limited - for all it's remarkable talents, it's remember for its top speed, but to most people that's 20th century "more is more" thinking and I think it's reign as bedroom wall poster king was short lived.
I think in years to come we'll be thinking more about cars like the GT86, cars that stopped making sense 'on paper' - a set of boring facts and figures you could win top trumps with, and starting making sense in the real, tangible world.
Tesla too, made Electric Cars exciting and desirable - G Wiz to Ludicrous mode in a few short years.
The LaFerrari, 918 and P1 - they're awesome, exciting cars, and yes they have hybrid elements to them - but really they're 'old school' an evolution of the Enzo, Carrera GT and F1 and no doubt a lot of people will argue with that - there might be another set of petrol driven hyper cars in 10 years’ time, but I very much doubt there will be a follow up to them.
The Veyron is the obvious choice, but I think it's impact was limited - for all it's remarkable talents, it's remember for its top speed, but to most people that's 20th century "more is more" thinking and I think it's reign as bedroom wall poster king was short lived.
I think in years to come we'll be thinking more about cars like the GT86, cars that stopped making sense 'on paper' - a set of boring facts and figures you could win top trumps with, and starting making sense in the real, tangible world.
Tesla too, made Electric Cars exciting and desirable - G Wiz to Ludicrous mode in a few short years.
The LaFerrari, 918 and P1 - they're awesome, exciting cars, and yes they have hybrid elements to them - but really they're 'old school' an evolution of the Enzo, Carrera GT and F1 and no doubt a lot of people will argue with that - there might be another set of petrol driven hyper cars in 10 years’ time, but I very much doubt there will be a follow up to them.
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