Cars that you thought were Ugly, but now like..

[wanacoop]

I was just thinking today whike stuck in traffic looking at the e60 5 series how I quite like the look of them, and remembering how badly I though Bangle had cocked it up for BMW when the thing came out! Anyone else thought the same about any cars?

[J4CKO]

Ditto, wasnt sure at first but think they are a handsome thing now.

Made a similar point about the new XJ the other day, bit unconventional but I think its very
special, might take those with more conventional tastes a little while to appreciate.

[djt100]

That BMW and the new XJ, BMW thought is was ugly in the flesh when it was first released, but now really like it. And the XJ every picture it was ugly, but in the flesh, it's so nice.

[RobM77]

Cars that I thought were awful but I quite like now:

BMW 5 series. I think it's ok now, but when it first came out I thought it was dreadful.

BMW Z4. I thought it was a bit horrible when it came out, but I now own a Z4 Coupé and think it looks rather good. I also now understand the flame surfacing because I've seen my car parked up in the sun, and the light reflects really nicely off the bodywork, accentuating the shape, which you don't get with most cars.

Ferrari 458. I thought this looked horrible when I first saw it, but it's growing on me.

Cars that I thought were awful when I first saw them but never did grow on me:

TVR Tuscan. Looks like a metal sculpture of a phallus. Dreadful thing. Shame, because I'd love to own one!!

BMW 1 series. My ideal car, but I just couldn't bring myself to own one.

Lambourghini Miura. The design is totally out of balance from front to rear, the lights look awful angled back on the bonnet, which deprives the car of a face, and the eyelashes look ridiculous.

[Jgtv]

Agree 5 and 7 Series BMW's and new big jags ( good looking cars but get better every time I see one)

[Fittster]

I still hate everything ever done by Bangle (including the fiat coupe).

ubiquity doesn't equal good design.

Edited by Fittster on Tuesday 10th August 17:12

[aka_kerrly]

RobM77 said:

.

BMW Z4. I thought it was a bit horrible when it came out, but I now own a Z4 Coupé and think it looks rather good. I also now understand the flame surfacing because I've seen my car parked up in the sun, and the light reflects really nicely off the bodywork, accentuating the shape, which you don't get with most cars.

agree,

is it wrong to find myself looking at Z3s to...

[Dunclane]

Dad had one of these as a company car when it first came out, I didn't like it at first but it grew on me.
+1 for the 5 series
+1 for the Z4

[Harry Flashman]

- E60 5-series
- new XJ
- Morgan Aero (cross eyed one) - so much so that I bought one
- Bangle Z4
- Audi R8 (looked a bit like a TT in pictures, then saw one in the metal and was blown away)

[Muzzer]

Another for the E60 5 series.

Like most modern BMWs, I didn't like it at first but as soon as I saw a sport model, it grew on me.

E90 3 series aswell took a bit of time, as did the current model C-Class Merc.

[braddo]

The MX5 when it came out in '89 (although it was the late 80s, when anything retro was uncool, and I was only a kid). I really like them now.

[bernies]

I was not impressed when I first saw the photos, but I now think it looks better in the flesh.

[Tsippy]

Hated the RX8 when it first came out, but then bought one a few years later

Also I have found that the new Impreza is looking less ugly, yet when it first came out I thought "yuk!"

[sinizter]

6-series/M6 - Hated them at first sight, took a few years to get around - Now quite like them, although they are not the best.

E9x M3 to a certain extent, grew on me very quickly.

[12gauge]

I find the last generation 5 series looks better the more specced up it is. Still looks meh in basic trim though. Although the estate version has grown on me a bit.

[DBaldwin]

Jaguar S type, thought they were hideous. now think they look very classy

[nsmith1180]

+1 for the S-Type
+1 for the 5 series

Lamborghini Murchialgo was one for me. Thought it looked bulbous and ill formed in pictures. Then I met one and thought Ohhhhhhh.

[g3org3y]

Admittedly this:

[bikemonster]

RobM77 said:

BMW Z4. I thought it was a bit horrible when it came out, but I now own a Z4 Coupé and think it looks rather good. I also now understand the flame surfacing because I've seen my car parked up in the sun, and the light reflects really nicely off the bodywork, accentuating the shape, which you don't get with most cars.

Thing is, the Z4 coupé is gorgeous. The Z4 convertible is fussy and over-styled but somehow the coupé just resolves all the excesses of the convertible and it all works. The stubby tail is just right on the coupé, but on the convertible, especially with the roof up, the rear of the car is somehow just not right. The later Z4, with the folding roof omits a lot of the Bangle-y-ness and the result is a car that looks as interesting as a jelly mould.

I have a personal theory along these lines: whenever a car manufacturer produces a coupé out of a car that was previously a convertible, the results are always pleasing. When they produce a convertible out of a car that was originally designed as a hardtop, they end up with something that looks a lot like a pram.

[Liquid Knight]

New WRX, still think it looks like a Focus.