Which cars are classy these days?
Discussion
DonkeyApple said:
Raudus42 said:
DonkeyApple said:
What's the opposite analogy to 'you can't polish a turd'?
t on a Savile Row suit.'?I think a car like Rolls Royce proves my general view of the problem was th modern cars. The Rolls is clearly a thing of beautiful craftsmanship and has the potential to be very stylish and 'classy' (albeit that is a ghastly word that like 'executive' is typically applied to things that are clearly not) but whether it is deemed so is wholly dependent on the people associated with the product.
There have always been slimeballs (visually and publicly ghastly people) driving around in Rolls Royces but for many years they were the minority of the clientele but there is a tipping point at which the percentage of these people becomes sufficient to dominate the brand perception. I think we have reached that point with not just Rolls Royce but almost every premium car brand, if not the majority of all premium products. The 'consume and display' culture is so dominant now that almost all premium goods are associated with vulgarity and tastelessness.
These brands then start to change their core values to cater for their new and dominant client demographic and so start adding 'bling' as standard and becoming even less premium until they reach the point of total charade. Which many premium products have. If you take something like the Audemars Royal Oak it was once famed for the slimness of the movement and the general balance of the watch along with its quiet subtlness, whereas today it has morphed into some bloated pastiche of a gypsy timepiece, the equivalent of a mock Georgian Essex new build called Dunrobin Mansion.
We live in a world where you can by a basic car with all the body trim of their premium, performance model but you can't buy the premium, performance model and specify that you want the base trim for its exterior. If I were wanting to buy an M3 I would not want it with all the Barry panels but would prefer it to just look like a base 3 series. I actually wouldn't mind buying a Focus RS as I think they are wonderful cars but they won't sell one that looks like a base model. We are a screaming 'Look at my wad!' society to the point that it simply isn't commercially viable to even attempt to cater for the minority who don't wish to partake.
Going back to Rolls Royce it has genuinely reached a point that you are taken aback to see someone disgorge from one and not be a temple to gypsy bling followed by a rented silicon sex carrot.
But like all fashions there will at some point be a strong reversion away from this hideousness and only then will we start to actually see 'classy' new cars again.
See also: Bentley since the Continental GT, and Barbour/Belstaff jackets
DonkeyApple said:
Raudus42 said:
DonkeyApple said:
What's the opposite analogy to 'you can't polish a turd'?
t on a Savile Row suit.'?I think a car like Rolls Royce proves my general view of the problem was th modern cars. The Rolls is clearly a thing of beautiful craftsmanship and has the potential to be very stylish and 'classy' (albeit that is a ghastly word that like 'executive' is typically applied to things that are clearly not) but whether it is deemed so is wholly dependent on the people associated with the product.
There have always been slimeballs (visually and publicly ghastly people) driving around in Rolls Royces but for many years they were the minority of the clientele but there is a tipping point at which the percentage of these people becomes sufficient to dominate the brand perception. I think we have reached that point with not just Rolls Royce but almost every premium car brand, if not the majority of all premium products. The 'consume and display' culture is so dominant now that almost all premium goods are associated with vulgarity and tastelessness.
These brands then start to change their core values to cater for their new and dominant client demographic and so start adding 'bling' as standard and becoming even less premium until they reach the point of total charade. Which many premium products have. If you take something like the Audemars Royal Oak it was once famed for the slimness of the movement and the general balance of the watch along with its quiet subtlness, whereas today it has morphed into some bloated pastiche of a gypsy timepiece, the equivalent of a mock Georgian Essex new build called Dunrobin Mansion.
We live in a world where you can by a basic car with all the body trim of their premium, performance model but you can't buy the premium, performance model and specify that you want the base trim for its exterior. If I were wanting to buy an M3 I would not want it with all the Barry panels but would prefer it to just look like a base 3 series. I actually wouldn't mind buying a Focus RS as I think they are wonderful cars but they won't sell one that looks like a base model. We are a screaming 'Look at my wad!' society to the point that it simply isn't commercially viable to even attempt to cater for the minority who don't wish to partake.
Going back to Rolls Royce it has genuinely reached a point that you are taken aback to see someone disgorge from one and not be a temple to gypsy bling followed by a rented silicon sex carrot.
But like all fashions there will at some point be a strong reversion away from this hideousness and only then will we start to actually see 'classy' new cars again.
Raudus42 said:
DonkeyApple said:
Raudus42 said:
DonkeyApple said:
What's the opposite analogy to 'you can't polish a turd'?
t on a Savile Row suit.'?I think a car like Rolls Royce proves my general view of the problem was th modern cars. The Rolls is clearly a thing of beautiful craftsmanship and has the potential to be very stylish and 'classy' (albeit that is a ghastly word that like 'executive' is typically applied to things that are clearly not) but whether it is deemed so is wholly dependent on the people associated with the product.
There have always been slimeballs (visually and publicly ghastly people) driving around in Rolls Royces but for many years they were the minority of the clientele but there is a tipping point at which the percentage of these people becomes sufficient to dominate the brand perception. I think we have reached that point with not just Rolls Royce but almost every premium car brand, if not the majority of all premium products. The 'consume and display' culture is so dominant now that almost all premium goods are associated with vulgarity and tastelessness.
These brands then start to change their core values to cater for their new and dominant client demographic and so start adding 'bling' as standard and becoming even less premium until they reach the point of total charade. Which many premium products have. If you take something like the Audemars Royal Oak it was once famed for the slimness of the movement and the general balance of the watch along with its quiet subtlness, whereas today it has morphed into some bloated pastiche of a gypsy timepiece, the equivalent of a mock Georgian Essex new build called Dunrobin Mansion.
We live in a world where you can by a basic car with all the body trim of their premium, performance model but you can't buy the premium, performance model and specify that you want the base trim for its exterior. If I were wanting to buy an M3 I would not want it with all the Barry panels but would prefer it to just look like a base 3 series. I actually wouldn't mind buying a Focus RS as I think they are wonderful cars but they won't sell one that looks like a base model. We are a screaming 'Look at my wad!' society to the point that it simply isn't commercially viable to even attempt to cater for the minority who don't wish to partake.
Going back to Rolls Royce it has genuinely reached a point that you are taken aback to see someone disgorge from one and not be a temple to gypsy bling followed by a rented silicon sex carrot.
But like all fashions there will at some point be a strong reversion away from this hideousness and only then will we start to actually see 'classy' new cars again.
And the same car after someone decided it was too subtle for them. Apparently it resides in Marbella now.
Edited by Raudus42 on Friday 3rd March 15:57
J4CKO said:
Jesus, that is a bit over the top, they can look nice with some subtle mods but looked way better standard, some people seem to lack any kind of restraint with their tastes but I think we need the extremes, to me a Phantom should be as discreet as two and half tonnes of 20ft long Roller can be, I think a lot is cultural and different cultures have different tastes, leaning to the more colourful side, where perhaps they see us as boring and a bit dowdy in our tastes, there is no right and wrong, just right and wrong for the individual.
And that is as true on a personal taste level, as it is on a cultural level. The problem (if it is a problem) is new money with different taste. So what we really have here, is lots of judgment of people who have become wealthy while having taste many think dodgy, and being ill deserving of their wealth.
There are many different definitions of "classy". It all becomes about perspective.
Tough one this:
Audi has all but destroyed their "thinking man's BMW" image
Saab are gone and lost their class years ago.
Modern Volvos are pretty classy is guess - New V90 is a definite contender.
Range Rovers are pure chav these days
Mercs are nothing too
I'd agree with Land Rovers over Range rovers but really in terms of big cars I'd say BMW really are doing it for me these days - the 5 series and 6 series are great its only the sea of small diesel engined models destroying the image namely in the 1 and 3 series but Audi are no better in this respect.
I'd say Alfa are pretty classy these days too, Jags as well
Audi has all but destroyed their "thinking man's BMW" image
Saab are gone and lost their class years ago.
Modern Volvos are pretty classy is guess - New V90 is a definite contender.
Range Rovers are pure chav these days
Mercs are nothing too
I'd agree with Land Rovers over Range rovers but really in terms of big cars I'd say BMW really are doing it for me these days - the 5 series and 6 series are great its only the sea of small diesel engined models destroying the image namely in the 1 and 3 series but Audi are no better in this respect.
I'd say Alfa are pretty classy these days too, Jags as well
MarshPhantom said:
DonkeyApple said:
MarshPhantom said:
Rolls and Bentley used to be fairly understated.
When was that? 
DonkeyApple said:
We live in a world where you can by a basic car with all the body trim of their premium, performance model but you can't buy the premium, performance model and specify that you want the base trim for its exterior. If I were wanting to buy an M3 I would not want it with all the Barry panels but would prefer it to just look like a base 3 series. I actually wouldn't mind buying a Focus RS as I think they are wonderful cars but they won't sell one that looks like a base model. We are a screaming 'Look at my wad!' society to the point that it simply isn't commercially viable to even attempt to cater for the minority who don't wish to partake.
Very TrueI present.
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With each generation there is just more and more stick on tat.
The originals were virtually indistinguishable from the original models.
DonkeyApple said:
How do you think the Shadow contrasted with other cars when it launched? How many cars over the last few decades years have slapped a monumental mock Roman temple on the front of their car and whalloped a scantily clad bint on top of it?
Are you Gerry MC Govern?That is a brilliant and highly accurate way to describe Rolls' styling
BMW got it just right with the original M5. It was so understated that it looked not unlike a 518 with a set of posh wheels.
I think part of the problem is that a lot of us gre up in the era of L GL and Ghia, where a bit of silver trim round the grille made one model vastly superior to the model below.
Our 1984 3-Series BMW had steel wheels and no hubcaps. That was a big deal to me as a kid. I saw a similar model at a car show in the summer, it looked really great and understated.
I think part of the problem is that a lot of us gre up in the era of L GL and Ghia, where a bit of silver trim round the grille made one model vastly superior to the model below.
Our 1984 3-Series BMW had steel wheels and no hubcaps. That was a big deal to me as a kid. I saw a similar model at a car show in the summer, it looked really great and understated.
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