Looks are everything
Discussion
I was looking at Autocars pictures of the new Porsche Cayanne and throughout the article they were saying that the car drives great and is well engineered but the looks are very plain. It ends with an "until you drive it" summation which got me thinking.
BMW Z3: nice looking, boring drive, sold well
Cobra: nice looking, lethal to drive, sold well
Viper: nice looking, drives like a cobra, sold well
Morgans: you can see where this is going...
New Impreza: restyled even though it drives well as it didn't sell
BMW 7 series: great car, looks cr@p, isn't selling well
New beetle, selling well, current Golf, not selling well. Same mechanicals, different body.
The 911 still exists when the 944 died.
I put it to you, ladies and gentlemen, that looks are the A1 highest priority when you build a car, as a fair few other things can be ignored provided it looks good.
BMW Z3: nice looking, boring drive, sold well
Cobra: nice looking, lethal to drive, sold well
Viper: nice looking, drives like a cobra, sold well
Morgans: you can see where this is going...
New Impreza: restyled even though it drives well as it didn't sell
BMW 7 series: great car, looks cr@p, isn't selling well
New beetle, selling well, current Golf, not selling well. Same mechanicals, different body.
The 911 still exists when the 944 died.
I put it to you, ladies and gentlemen, that looks are the A1 highest priority when you build a car, as a fair few other things can be ignored provided it looks good.
MMmmmm yes, I'll agree with the 406 Coupe.... poor man's 456GT IMHO.... if only it was RWD!!!.... but thats got nothing to do with style..... depends what you like really... Some argue the new Holden Monaro is beautiful, personally I think it looks like a lardy commodore with the rear doors welded shut. I must say I like the Alfa 156GTa and 147GTA thogh... never been a HUUUUUUUUUGE alfa fan but I'll give them something for trying and being mildly successful.... I'll take a 156GTA Sporthatch thanks.... best looking "wagon" around.... even though it's no more practical than a hatch.
williamp said:
Basil Brush said: Well this theory has kept the American car industry going for quite a while.
When was the last time you saw a genuinely good looking "normal" car??
One to rival something from peugeot (406 coupe anyone???)
I meant American cars drive like sh*t but they still buy them.
Like to agree (and can do up to a point) but there are an awful lot of butt ugly cars on the road...Fiat Multipla anyone?
There is actually a site www.uglycars.co.uk
I think maybe looks count for more once you're away from the shopping trolley end of the market, where cars are just regarded as a means to get from A to B. I do think for sports cars they could well be everything, hence the debate on the FBS Census on here a while back.
There is actually a site www.uglycars.co.uk
I think maybe looks count for more once you're away from the shopping trolley end of the market, where cars are just regarded as a means to get from A to B. I do think for sports cars they could well be everything, hence the debate on the FBS Census on here a while back.
the "problem" is that most people buy something they like the look of, rather than something that drives well. And some people go for practicality eg 47 cup holders and a boot that can store a horse. Then there is also the image...
snag is if you think that something is good in some way that is high priority for you, you'll convince yourself over time that it looks great. eg if ultimate power is your thing you might convince yourself that a 3 box saloon like the skyline is actually a thing of beauty. *shrug*
snag is if you think that something is good in some way that is high priority for you, you'll convince yourself over time that it looks great. eg if ultimate power is your thing you might convince yourself that a 3 box saloon like the skyline is actually a thing of beauty. *shrug*
I had a look at the invintica(!) at the motor show and I cannot see anyone buying them as the styling is not worth £80K. It may be hot snot around corners and make wonderful noises but it doesn't look good enough.
When the Tamora came out I was in two minds about the looks (still am) and I read somewhere that they aren't selling as well as TVR hoped.
There was a small sportscar that came out a few years ago (can't remember the name). Reynard chassis. Bike engine. Pug ugly. It failed and the company sank. You could argue that it was its lack of practicality was its downfall but look at the ariel atom!
I can't see TVR making many of the Tuscan R as its not a cohesive beauty (even worse in the flesh). Whereas the 350T will probably shift huge numbers.
When I look at the latest British independent hope for a small volume sports car, the first thing I grade it on is looks as if they are not there 100%, you can guarentee the firm will fail within 12 months.
When the Tamora came out I was in two minds about the looks (still am) and I read somewhere that they aren't selling as well as TVR hoped.
There was a small sportscar that came out a few years ago (can't remember the name). Reynard chassis. Bike engine. Pug ugly. It failed and the company sank. You could argue that it was its lack of practicality was its downfall but look at the ariel atom!
I can't see TVR making many of the Tuscan R as its not a cohesive beauty (even worse in the flesh). Whereas the 350T will probably shift huge numbers.
When I look at the latest British independent hope for a small volume sports car, the first thing I grade it on is looks as if they are not there 100%, you can guarentee the firm will fail within 12 months.
Thing is Fatbut that looks are subjective, you see I thought the Invicta looks pretty good in fact I had it up there with most of the good looking fast GT/Coupes. I also happen to love the looks of the Tuscan R (oops T440R). I agree about the Tamora and reckon the T350 looks excellent, just what a small TVR GT ought to be - a real 60's Griffith/TuscanV6 for the 21stC.
The only fly in the ointment for this argument as far as I can see is that... I am looking right now, on the floor of my study, at a copy of 10th Feb 1993 Autocar which has a stunning little new Porsche on the cover, a real stunner. We all know what the real thing tuned out to look like once the homoginators got their hands on it, yet it still sells by the shed load! Rich...
The only fly in the ointment for this argument as far as I can see is that... I am looking right now, on the floor of my study, at a copy of 10th Feb 1993 Autocar which has a stunning little new Porsche on the cover, a real stunner. We all know what the real thing tuned out to look like once the homoginators got their hands on it, yet it still sells by the shed load! Rich...
I think you may be referring to the Strathcarron, in which case it was sunk by changing legislation with regards to bike-engined production cars rather than its looks.
fatbutt said:There was a small sportscar that came out a few years ago (can't remember the name). Reynard chassis. Bike engine. Pug ugly. It failed and the company sank.
I have tried to like the looks of the FBS but it just doesn't work for me. I spent about ten minutes at the NEC Stand trying different angles etc. If it were cheaper then the looks would not be as important.
I felt the same about the Strathcarron which I saw up for sale at Titty Ho Motors.
I think thats where Lotus got it right with the Elise - Its in the details and thats somewhere that the likes of Julian Thompson etc are experts in.
I also had a look at the new Marcos (My girlfriends dad has a Mantula Spyder), again hideous - it just looks striped of any of the muscle that a Marcos has traditionally had.
I think that TVR's tamora can get away with slightly dodgy styling (its just that backend!) because it has heritage etc and makes the right noise! If it only had a 2 litre engine and didn't have the throaty exhaust anymore it would be like the Marcos...
I felt the same about the Strathcarron which I saw up for sale at Titty Ho Motors.
I think thats where Lotus got it right with the Elise - Its in the details and thats somewhere that the likes of Julian Thompson etc are experts in.
I also had a look at the new Marcos (My girlfriends dad has a Mantula Spyder), again hideous - it just looks striped of any of the muscle that a Marcos has traditionally had.
I think that TVR's tamora can get away with slightly dodgy styling (its just that backend!) because it has heritage etc and makes the right noise! If it only had a 2 litre engine and didn't have the throaty exhaust anymore it would be like the Marcos...
AlexH said: Like to agree (and can do up to a point) but there are an awful lot of butt ugly cars on the road...Fiat Multipla anyone?
There is actually a site www.uglycars.co.uk
From the site
In order to reduce their long waiting lists, Morgan had the choice of either increasing supply or reducing demand. They chose the latter. The Morgan 8 is actually a normal Morgan which is heated to melting point and crashed into an oak tree on the Malvern Hills.
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