Original Modern Designs
Discussion
Is it just me that think pretty much all cars on sale today are not interesting, orginal designs in anyway. Very few cars have adventurous designs anymore, because with a dull design they can't really go wrong. I think it's time to make a thread that praises all new or modern cars that are interesting. I'll get the ball rolling:
Citroen C6. Even though Citroen is in no way a prestige marque, and that in the six years that it has been on sale Citroen has sold not much more than 20,000 of them, which isn't even twice as much as the 12,000 DS's they sold on its launch day, they still make a very interesting executive car design.
Jaguar XF. Much more interesting than it's german rivals IMO.
Audi A2. A super-economical aerodynamic aluminium design that was way ahead of it's time.
Renault Avantime. I mean, who would sensibly buy a 3-door MPV?
Renault Vel Satis. See Citroen C6.
Vauxhall Signum. See Citroen C6.
Volkswagen Phaeton. A car that looks very dull, but is actually a top of the range luxury car available with a very interesting W12 engine.
Volkswagen Touraeg V10 TDi and Audi Q7 V12 TDi. Because massive diesel engines are awesome.
BMW 5-Series GT. I know, lets make a car that is a hatchback AND a saloon.
Toyota IQ. So pointless it's pointful.
Land Rover Defender. 63 years since the start of production, the original Land Rover continues to be built
Vauxhall VXR8. Because the demand for big, basic V8 saloons is so low.
I'm looking for mainstream (ish) cars here really, put post any good examples.
Citroen C6. Even though Citroen is in no way a prestige marque, and that in the six years that it has been on sale Citroen has sold not much more than 20,000 of them, which isn't even twice as much as the 12,000 DS's they sold on its launch day, they still make a very interesting executive car design.
Jaguar XF. Much more interesting than it's german rivals IMO.
Audi A2. A super-economical aerodynamic aluminium design that was way ahead of it's time.
Renault Avantime. I mean, who would sensibly buy a 3-door MPV?
Renault Vel Satis. See Citroen C6.
Vauxhall Signum. See Citroen C6.
Volkswagen Phaeton. A car that looks very dull, but is actually a top of the range luxury car available with a very interesting W12 engine.
Volkswagen Touraeg V10 TDi and Audi Q7 V12 TDi. Because massive diesel engines are awesome.
BMW 5-Series GT. I know, lets make a car that is a hatchback AND a saloon.
Toyota IQ. So pointless it's pointful.
Land Rover Defender. 63 years since the start of production, the original Land Rover continues to be built
Vauxhall VXR8. Because the demand for big, basic V8 saloons is so low.
I'm looking for mainstream (ish) cars here really, put post any good examples.
cheesyblob said:
Land Rover Defender. 63 years since the start of production, the original Land Rover continues to be built
The current Defender might be out dated and out performed these days, but it's still a pretty far cry from a petrol 1.6 80" original Series.And that aside, the Jeep Wrangler is still in production today and traces its routes back through the Jeep CJ and AgriJeep right back to the original WW2 GP1. The vehicles which inspired the Land Rover and had more than a bit of influence in its design.
Beautiful blend of modern chunky styling with homeage to times past but clearly 100% a Mustang and nothing else. Wonder evolutionary design. And one of the best penned vehicles of modern times IMO.
Proof you can build a fully modern in every way proper 4x4, yet still be able to retain all the good proven concepts and ideas of past proven models. Hydroformed chassis, advanced electronics, modern engines, all the trimmings, yet probably the best stock off road performance money can buy.
Not brand new, but hit the market with a storm in the US. Highly striking visually, even more so as in the US this is considered a budget vehicle. Lovely interior design and fantastic use of interior space where the parcel shelf can also be used as a central divider or a lowered ledge to load stuff on. The front seat even folds down so you can get an 8' foot plank in.
-sadly most on here hate it because it's American
Another car that is instantly identifiable, even by non car buffs. And looks like nothing else, but a Mini. And nothing else looks like it either.
Unique and effective simple design.
Still unique, still ahead of the game and still in production. Original and modern.
Proof you can build a fully modern in every way proper 4x4, yet still be able to retain all the good proven concepts and ideas of past proven models. Hydroformed chassis, advanced electronics, modern engines, all the trimmings, yet probably the best stock off road performance money can buy.
Not brand new, but hit the market with a storm in the US. Highly striking visually, even more so as in the US this is considered a budget vehicle. Lovely interior design and fantastic use of interior space where the parcel shelf can also be used as a central divider or a lowered ledge to load stuff on. The front seat even folds down so you can get an 8' foot plank in.
-sadly most on here hate it because it's American
Another car that is instantly identifiable, even by non car buffs. And looks like nothing else, but a Mini. And nothing else looks like it either.
Unique and effective simple design.
Still unique, still ahead of the game and still in production. Original and modern.
Edited by 300bhp/ton on Saturday 16th July 22:37
300bhp/ton said:
cheesyblob said:
Land Rover Defender. 63 years since the start of production, the original Land Rover continues to be built
The current Defender might be out dated and out performed these days, but it's still a pretty far cry from a petrol 1.6 80" original Series.And that aside, the Jeep Wrangler is still in production today and traces its routes back through the Jeep CJ and AgriJeep right back to the original WW2 GP1. The vehicles which inspired the Land Rover and had more than a bit of influence in its design.
PaulFontaine said:
The defender crushes the jeep wrangler I have owned one but I have hope for the newer wranglers coming out. I have even seen that new truck kit they have for it. Wranglers are cool and i wouldn't mind getting one someday due to the fact that it can be endlessly modified to ones desire
Was it as YJ or a TJ?Defender, or rather Ninety One Ten is superior to a YJ I admit. But pretty on par with a TJ. The Landy does better at hauling and towing, ie being a work vehicle. Whereas the Jeep is better at the fun, lifestyle and SUV approach.
JK is in a different league IMO, esp the Rubicon. And in truth I'm a Landy man at heart too.
300bhp/ton said:
Beautiful blend of modern chunky styling with homeage to times past but clearly 100% a Mustang and nothing else. Wonderful evolutionary design. And one of the best penned vehicles of modern times IMO.
Proof you can build a fully modern in every way proper 4x4, yet still be able to retain all the good proven concepts and ideas of past proven models. Hydroformed chassis, advanced electronics, modern engines, all the trimmings, yet probably the best stock off road performance money can buy.
Not brand new, but hit the market with a storm in the US. Highly striking visually, even more so as in the US this is considered a budget vehicle. Lovely interior design and fantastic use of interior space where the parcel shelf can also be used as a central divider or a lowered ledge to load stuff on. The front seat even folds down so you can get an 8' foot plank in.
-sadly most on here hate it because it's American
Another car that is instantly identifiable, even by non car buffs. And looks like nothing else, but a Mini. And nothing else looks like it either.
Unique and effective simply design.
Still unique, still ahead of the game and still in production. Original and modern.
Did you miss the words 'Original Modern Designs' in the thread title? Proof you can build a fully modern in every way proper 4x4, yet still be able to retain all the good proven concepts and ideas of past proven models. Hydroformed chassis, advanced electronics, modern engines, all the trimmings, yet probably the best stock off road performance money can buy.
Not brand new, but hit the market with a storm in the US. Highly striking visually, even more so as in the US this is considered a budget vehicle. Lovely interior design and fantastic use of interior space where the parcel shelf can also be used as a central divider or a lowered ledge to load stuff on. The front seat even folds down so you can get an 8' foot plank in.
-sadly most on here hate it because it's American
Another car that is instantly identifiable, even by non car buffs. And looks like nothing else, but a Mini. And nothing else looks like it either.
Unique and effective simply design.
Still unique, still ahead of the game and still in production. Original and modern.
A Mustang 'recreation', a Mini 'recreation', a 40s hotrod lookalike, another Corvette with distinct cues from the 70s one and a Jeep?
I'll give you the Smart's they are original.
and
300Bhp/Tonne said:
-sadly most on here hate it because it's American
If you're seriously suggesting that's the only reason to hate it, it doesn't says a lot for the state of American cars...As a design it's rather quirky, but not original (trying to look like a 40s hotrod) as a car it's 100 times worse...
BTW on the topic of Jeeps and Land Rovers... When TG were doing their love fest for the Land Rover they want about how it was unique in being 4WD, but weren't WW2 Jeeps 4WD? Surely the Land Rover was just a British Jeep?
M.
Edited by marcosgt on Saturday 16th July 22:55
I think modern or evolutionary designs as pointed out by 300 count. Was the new t-bird influenced by the old yes? Ditto the 911, the new GT the Camaro etc. While heavily influenced they are stand alone designs. I would say it is a different story for something like a kit car that is trying to be a replica
marcosgt said:
Did you miss the words 'Original Modern Designs' in the thread title?
Did you? As you've manged to post zip to do with the OP. 
marcosgt said:
A Mustang 'recreation'
That is 100% b
ks and you know it if you were to step back and look a bit.1. The Mustang has been in continual production since its creation, thus making no more a recreation than a MKVI Golf GTI is. And making this current modern FULLY modern.
2. It looks like a Mustang, it DOESN'T look like a 1960's one, hugely different. Sure they could have just made a blob of a car and stuck a Mustang badge on... but they didn't.
marcosgt said:
a Mini 'recreation'
Which amazingly shares exactly ZERO with the orignal in terms of components. So 
that would make it not a recreation. But yet ask anyone what it is and they'll tell you it's a Mini!marcosgt said:
a 40s hotrod lookalike
Try Google mate, you might be surprised. Partly in the fact that that isn't the concenus and the fact that's 40's hot rods look nothing like the PT Cruiser. marcosgt said:
another Corvette with distinct cues from the 70s one
And again - a continual production model since the 50's....
marcosgt said:
and a Jeep?
How is it not original? It created the sector and the market and the Land Rover. The latest one is the best and most capable and there is nothing else on sale like it.marcosgt said:
300Bhp/Tonne said:
-sadly most on here hate it because it's American
If you're seriously suggesting that's the only reason to hate it, it doesn't says a lot for the state of American cars...
Come on now, as an owner of two oddball cars, you should be well aware PH forum opinion and folk lore have little bearing on how good the cars can actually be and how original.
marcosgt said:
As a design it's rather quirky, but not original
Care to show me anything in recent production that's even close to it???
marcosgt said:
(trying to look like a 40s hotrod)
:cough: :cough:I have to say, I struggle to see the similarity...
marcosgt said:
as a car it's 100 times worse...
In US press it always recieved positive views. It also had a huge waiting list for the first 2 years of production, despite Chrysler building 100,000 of them each year. Waiting lists for "budget" cars in the States is almost unheard of.The 2.4 TURBO R/T version went pretty well too making it a comparable large hot hatch.
marcosgt said:
BTW on the topic of Jeeps and Land Rovers... When TG were doing their love fest for the Land Rover they want about how it was unique in being 4WD, but weren't WW2 Jeeps 4WD? Surely the Land Rover was just a British Jeep?
M.
Correct.M.
Edited by marcosgt on Saturday 16th July 22:55
Maurice Wilks of Rover cars in 1947 had an ex-army General Purpose 1 (GP1), aka a WW2 Jeep. He used it on his farm in Anglesea. This gave way to the idea of a Rover product. And indeed the first Land Rover prototypes where actually built on a Jeep chassis with mostly Rover P4 running gear.
Maurice Wilks famous quote is often cited as "and PTO's everywhere". PTO, as in Power Take Off for farm equipment. Now the history books don't state this, but Willis had not only been selling the CJ (Civilian Jeep) since before the end of WW2, but they had also been selling an ArgiJeep since 1944 with PTO's and aimed at exactly the same market as the Land Rover was. Coincidence??? Well maybe
Yes they where 4wd. 2wd high range and a no centre diff AWD for use on slippery surfaces. This is the same for the Landy and Jeep.
Oddly if you trace through the histories of both companies its amazing how similar they are. Jeep extended the wheelbase of their CJ's, and the Series Landed matched them. Jeep did cab over forward control trucks, so did Landy a few years later. Jeep even did the whole Range Rover thing pushing on for 10 years earlier than Land Rover did.
As an example of how similar they remain. A Defender 90 has a wheelbase of 92.9", a YJ/TJ Wrangler is 93.1"
Edited by 300bhp/ton on Saturday 16th July 23:27
RX-8 certainly. Commonality may have made them a bit ordinary, but when they were launched they were (and still are) a true WTF step out on a limb.
Other notable creations are Jaguars decision to kill the last of the Lyons-esque Jags for their new XJ-
The Bangle E60 5 Series:
And the Fiat Multipla:
Other notable creations are Jaguars decision to kill the last of the Lyons-esque Jags for their new XJ-
The Bangle E60 5 Series:
And the Fiat Multipla:
glazbagun said:
davepoth said:
Nissan Juke.
I hate it, but it was quite prescient I think.
Forgot that one. Especially from the rear, I think it's really cool. Shows up the X6, I think:I hate it, but it was quite prescient I think.
Conceptually I think it has to give way to the HR-V in terms of modern cross overs and going back further the AMC Eagle.
300bhp/ton said:
Visually it's certainly original I agree.
Conceptually I think it has to give way to the HR-V in terms of modern cross overs and going back further the AMC Eagle.
I think in terms of crossovers stopping being something that people bought because they had to, to being things people bought because they wanted to, it was in the vanguard. Witness the Mini Countryman, and the Evoque.Conceptually I think it has to give way to the HR-V in terms of modern cross overs and going back further the AMC Eagle.
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