Ahem ...

[Octavarium]

The new Smart Concept #1. Also available in lime essence ...

[ExecutiveAction]

You can see where they are going with this, and it’s not pretty. The Mercedes haters will be here shortly!

[AdamV12V]

Looks like the bas-tard love child of the a mini clubman and the current Vantage....

I assume its going to be battery powered, hence my lack of enthusiasm to google any further information.

[BiggaJ]

It's a Mini with a new front end. Not a good looking car.

[oilit]

Seems like a reasonable outcome from the technology sharing agreement:-

AM gets the controversial engine & infotainment
MB gets the controversial Vantage grilles

Ironically I don’t think that looks too offensive for a shopping trolley

Edited by oilit on Wednesday 8th September 06:53

[Jon39]

There seem to be more examples these days, of very sad looking car front designs.
Why are the designers doing it?
Ì want to be happy on the road.

[Octavarium]

AdamV12V said:

Looks like the bas-tard love child of the a mini clubman and the current Vantage....

I assume its going to be battery powered, hence my lack of enthusiasm to google any further information.

Indeed it is/will be battery powered. No further googling necessary.

[Bobajobbob]

I actually prefer it to the front end of the new Vantage. At least they have resolved the shut line across the nose by integrating it with the lights. That particular design feature I like. Otherwise it’s an electric Mini Countryman so take it or leave it.

[thebraketester]

Why do they have to make these cars look so st?

[Jon39]

Bobajobbob said:

I actually prefer it to the front end of the new Vantage. At least they have resolved the shut line across the nose by integrating it with the lights. That particular design feature I like.

There are quite a few examples of Aston Martin models having clearly noticeable bonnet forward shut lines, including the much revered DB5.
The new Vantage was unfortunate to directly follow a predecessor, which has a cleverly concealed forward shut line.

[macdeb]

thebraketester said:

Why do they have to make these cars look so st?

Because they are.

[Bobajobbob]

Jon39 said:

There are quite a few examples of Aston Martin models having clearly noticeable bonnet forward shut lines, including the much revered DB5.
The new Vantage was unfortunate to directly follow a predecessor, which has a cleverly concealed forward shut line.

This is one of my bugbears. Many cars have shut lines across the nose and in most cases it compromises the aesthetics significantly (in my opinion). I would not say that the DB5 is one of them. It has a bonnet cut out section that sits in a single front end section including wings and bonnet. The shut lines of the bonnet sit flat, do not cross light to light and do not clash with the lines of the car.

I've never much like the front end of the DB7 and Vanquish for the same reasons. The cut through the nose is horrible to my eyes.



Here's another although the smaller panel gaps improver it a little.



The new Jag F Type is another stinker. What were they thinking? They put so much obvious effort into the design of the car and then slash a perpendicular slash across the most obvious surface.



Ferrari are guilty too but mitigate the impact by having much tighter panel gaps.





If you ignore all the other styling differences you see what the designers probably originally intended for the Vantage before the practicalities of an opening bonnet interfered. Still not the best looking Astons but much better to my eyes.

[GingerMunky]

ExecutiveAction said:

You can see where they are going with this, and it’s not pretty. The Mercedes haters will be here shortly!

Ford used the Aston grill on everything when they owned the AM, seems fair Mercedes can do the same. Not great for AM

[Toby Tram]

I might have to buy one just so that I can stick some sharp teeth on that ‘radiator grille’ just to make it look like Jaws!!!😂

[Agent57]

I agree with the shut line point which was resolved on the DB9 / V8V by extending the bonnet to the edge and on the DB11 they had a complete clamshell.

Ian Callum wanted a clamshell on the DB7 but it was too complex / expensive at the time.

[8Tech]

Jon39 said:

There seem to be more examples these days, of very sad looking car front designs.
Why are the designers doing it?

Because they dont need to consider/engineer-in airflow for cooling so it gives them free reign to make them as awful as they want.

[LTP]

8Tech said:

Because they dont need to consider/engineer-in airflow for cooling so it gives them free reign to make them as awful as they want.

This only applies, in part at least, to EV’s