Cars that you thought looked good - and now don't
Discussion
J4CKO said:
cmvtec said:
Rover 800 Coupé. I can just remember these being available new, and I loved them. Now I can see them (and the facelifted saloon/fastback) for what they actually are - piss poor rehashes of the original clean cut, origami styled original, with awkwardly square doors going against the curved front and rear. I still love the original.
Edited by cmvtec on Thursday 25th July 19:46
Need to separate aesthetics from brand, desirability and fashion to an extent in these debates. I think Rover got tarnished and people view the cars with an extra mark down but that is still a well proportioned Coupé by any measure, it’s hard but load of new stuff is hideous and gets a pass out based on brand and want, BMWs new massive grilles for a start.
Calibra was ahead of its time, still a good looking car and has a lot of cues of more modern stuff, but not as developed.
cmvtec said:
I'm a Rover fan, underrated cars for me, but those late 800s are a let down in styling for me.
My favourite ad of all time:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pJ-DEi1LP50
My best mate and I quoted endlessly from it for years. We were never really certain whether it was intentionally funny or not.
paulguitar said:
cmvtec said:
Rover 800 Coupé. I can just remember these being available new, and I loved them. Now I can see them (and the facelifted saloon/fastback) for what they actually are - piss poor rehashes of the original clean cut, origami styled original, with awkwardly square doors going against the curved front and rear.
. They looked better in the metal, but the design hasn't aged well.cerb4.5lee said:
I remember really liking the looks of the first generation X5 at the time, but now it looks absolutely ancient and it hasn't aged well at all.
I'm the opposite. I saw an early one the other day and I thought it looked quite good. The new one looks like an inflated Tonka toy with a huge grille.
Edited by MC Bodge on Thursday 25th July 21:03
Joey Deacon said:
Pretty much every car that isn't the latest model. Agree about the Mercedes CLS, I thought they looked amazing the first time I saw one, now they just look old.
I had a Subaru Impreza back when they were cool and I remember people looking at me in it when I drove past. I saw one on the road yesterday with a big exhaust and it just looked embarrassing.
Went to a car show recently and there was a Ferrari 348, 308 and a Testarossa all in red parked next to each other. I actually though they all looked rubbish and I would be embarrassed to be seen driving any of them. I can imagine telling someone I owned a Ferrari, them excitedly asking if I would take them out it in and saying "ah...." when they see it.
Whilst we agree on the CLS, I am a fan of the 308...... even worse is that I love a 308 gt4 . One of my lottery cars would be a gt4 with 488 running gear!I had a Subaru Impreza back when they were cool and I remember people looking at me in it when I drove past. I saw one on the road yesterday with a big exhaust and it just looked embarrassing.
Went to a car show recently and there was a Ferrari 348, 308 and a Testarossa all in red parked next to each other. I actually though they all looked rubbish and I would be embarrassed to be seen driving any of them. I can imagine telling someone I owned a Ferrari, them excitedly asking if I would take them out it in and saying "ah...." when they see it.
MC Bodge said:
At 17, I really wanted a Mk3 or 4 Escort Van, (ideally in purple with an RS Turbo engine and wheels).
I saw a white one with body kit and alloys the other day.
25 years on, I didn't find it quite as desirable...
I used to get a lift to work in the back of one, sat amongst a set of clovers or whatever set of wheels he fancied that week. Xr3 engine as well, thought it was amazing in sunburst red.I saw a white one with body kit and alloys the other day.
25 years on, I didn't find it quite as desirable...
paulguitar said:
cmvtec said:
I'm a Rover fan, underrated cars for me, but those late 800s are a let down in styling for me.
My favourite ad of all time:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pJ-DEi1LP50
My best mate and I quoted endlessly from it for years. We were never really certain whether it was intentionally funny or not.
My mum had a Citroen BX when I was a kid, a top of the line I remember in white with what looked like the biggest spoiler I had ever seen, and I thought it was the dog's b
ks. Man I loved seeing that thing come down the road to pick me up on some lonely corner. Tried to kill her a couple of times though, and certainly hasn't aged the same way as other cars from the era! These days just resembles a letter opener or a cake server.
ks. Man I loved seeing that thing come down the road to pick me up on some lonely corner. Tried to kill her a couple of times though, and certainly hasn't aged the same way as other cars from the era! These days just resembles a letter opener or a cake server.Martin_Hx said:
Vauxhall Frontera
I loved these as an early teenager, not seen any on the roads for years. I have no idea why i liked them though!
I helped out as a driver for a Vauxhall dealer in Ealing called Carringtons - those Frontera's were gutless in diesel form, with an awful gearbox.I loved these as an early teenager, not seen any on the roads for years. I have no idea why i liked them though!
I thought the 1997 Astra looked good
until I got a TDS estate and realised how gutless it was...
I always thought the Maserati Quattroporte looked outdated even when it was being sold brand new. If you walked into a Maserati dealership in 2011 and asked for a Quattroporte, this is what you'd get:
Compare that with a 458 Spyder or Aventador, both being sold at the same time, and the age really shows. Especially the interior.
On a more current model, I've got a Jaguar E-Pace on the drive as a courtesy car while my F-Type's in for some warranty work. I thought the E-Paces looked quite nice in photos, but having driven one for a while, it's not brilliant. The looks are slightly gaudy, the Jaguar styling doesn't quite work with the baby SUV shape.
It also winds me up how a 200bhp 4-cylinder engine is given an R badge, even though it's just trim level. I suppose everybody's at it, with ST-line and AMG-line and M-sport etc.
Compare that with a 458 Spyder or Aventador, both being sold at the same time, and the age really shows. Especially the interior.
On a more current model, I've got a Jaguar E-Pace on the drive as a courtesy car while my F-Type's in for some warranty work. I thought the E-Paces looked quite nice in photos, but having driven one for a while, it's not brilliant. The looks are slightly gaudy, the Jaguar styling doesn't quite work with the baby SUV shape.
It also winds me up how a 200bhp 4-cylinder engine is given an R badge, even though it's just trim level. I suppose everybody's at it, with ST-line and AMG-line and M-sport etc.
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