Are there any good Japanese designs anymore?

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thevonsteinery
Here in Chicago this morning, Acura unveiled the redesigned 2009 edition of its flagship RL sport sedan. One of the main criticisms of the current RL has been the anonymous face and rather bland overall styling. For '09, Acura has re-skinned the RL in an attempt to give it a more aggressive look with crisper contour lines and a much more prominent grille. According to Honda Sales EVP Dick Colliver, the face being shown on this car will spread to the rest of the lineup as the TL and TSX sedans are redesigned later this year. In spite of the sharpened focus, the overall profile of the exterior remains largely the same as the current model, which is not a bad thing. The handsome and functional interior is pretty much carried over, as well.

Under the skin, the new RL gets a new 3.7L V-6 with an upgraded VTEC valve-timing system boosting the output up to 300 hp and 271lb-ft. The Super Handling-All Wheel Drive system has also been revised with faster responses to changing conditions at each individual wheel to help improve the handling. One of the coolest features of the current RL and other Acuras is the AcuraLink system that can call up real-time traffic data to show you where there are accidents or road work in your vicinity. For 2009, the traffic data has been integrated into the nav system allowing it to automatically re-route you around congestion. We can't wait to try out that one during road construction season this summer.
http://www.autoblog.com/2008/02/06/chicago-2008-acura-reveals-2009-rl-more-style-more-power-mor/
2009-acura-rl-1280-25_opt.jpg


That new RL looks like crap. Lexus seems to be the only Japanese brand that is able to design attractive cars lately, maybe. Just the IS & GS I guess.
 
What was wrong with the old one? Am I alone in liking it? I think they could have gone without the WRX headlights and grille that looks like a mix of an Accord and a Transformer.

It does seem as though there aren't many good Japanese designs these days. It seems they lost their touch when they decided to make their cars German a couple years ago.
 
That thing looks terrible. I cannot see how this will at all improve its already poor RL sales, especially when the old design, although slightly outdated, looked far cleaner than this. Weak.
 
Yeah, it's awful. The hell is with the big shiny clump of angles in the grille? And the headlights are a jumbled mess. Even something as small as the foglights being shinier than the headlights just looks stupid. I really super hope this design is so bad it makes them rethink it like what happened with the Pilot.

EDIT: The silver press photos make the car is miles better than the auto show pics. Too bad it only looks good in silver, because the current design looks clean and fast in any color.

EDIT 2: It just now occurred to me that the spectacular design of the TL and TSX never quite made it to the RL. Why? Those are by far the two best looking cars in the lineup, and some of the best looking cars on the market, period. But then they came out with these new trucks that look all angry and agressive. The TL and TSX look clean, sharp, light, sporty, smooth and just awesome. I think Honda is beginning to suck.
 
The old RL was nice... same with most of Acura's range for as long as I can recall.

I like all of the Lexus designs I've seen. Infiniti's new G is nice looking as well. Altima coupe looks good I think. The new Accord and Camry I think look pretty good as well.

I dunno, I think most of what is coming Japan looks good these days. More so than what I see from VW or Chevy and such (New Malibu = bleh IMO). Maybe its a regional thing?
 
That new RL looks like crap. Lexus seems to be the only Japanese brand that is able to design attractive cars lately, maybe. Just the IS & GS I guess.

Did you forget that Nissan's Infiniti brand exsists?
 
-> Heres what I can say...

...Subaru, Honda, and Toyota; game over. You guys failed big time. :indiff:

-> Why can't Honda do it right? I mean the last good looking Honda on its current lineup is no other than the Honda Stream, others are crap (well, except the Fit and the S2000).

2007-honda-stream-silver.jpg


-> Oh, by the way, the Pilot concept was an embarrasment.

:indiff:
 
WTH happend? The old RL looked MUCH better. I really do wonder what the "stylists" at many of the Japanese auto makers are smoking these days...
 
Japanese manufacturers in general, I think they are doing OK. Toyotas are hated on this site, but as far as their N.A. lineup goes, I think both their cars and trucks look great. I also especially like the designs of cars from brands like Mazda, Nissan/Infiniti, Lexus. Acura TL's a beauty, and I also love the new Accord also.

I don't like this new RL, and Subaru designs seems to be in a self-destruct mode as of late. But in average, I don't think the Japanse "looks" are suffering anymore than their foreign competitors.
 
Seeing that this is a general complaint thread, I've decided it should be in the general forum.
If this were about the RL only then I'd say it's fine in the news section but based on the first post it seems to me this is a thread for complaints about late model japanese cars using the newest RL as an example.

Let me know if I've got it wrong! :cheers:
 
I agree, the last gen (well current) RL looked alot better....
Acura-RL_1.jpg


Course the rear end looks very bland and a bit similar to the BMW 7-series....
LeftRear.jpg
 
JCE
Did you forget that Nissan's Infiniti brand exsists?
I'm not such a fan of the FX and EX's. The M and the G sedan are alright, but I think they ruined the coupe.
Japanese manufacturers in general, I think they are doing OK. Toyotas are hated on this site, but as far as their N.A. lineup goes, I think both their cars and trucks look great. I also especially like the designs of cars from brands like Mazda, Nissan/Infiniti, Lexus. Acura TL's a beauty, and I also love the new Accord also.

I don't like this new RL, and Subaru designs seems to be in a self-destruct mode as of late. But in average, I don't think the Japanse "looks" are suffering anymore than their foreign competitors.
I had forgotten about Mazda, they do make some pretty cars, the new Atenza and RX-8 are nice. The trucks aren't so great, but not unbearable. Nissan is out due to the new Muarno alone and the look of the new RL is being spread across the line-up, so the TL and TSX are out. Just five years ago, I think every Japanese car-maker had a better looking lineup, except for Mitsubishi and Mazda maybe.
Seeing that this is a general complaint thread, I've decided it should be in the general forum.
If this were about the RL only then I'd say it's fine in the news section but based on the first post it seems to me this is a thread for complaints about late model japanese cars using the newest RL as an example.

Let me know if I've got it wrong! :cheers:
That's fine, I've got no problem with it.
 
You know, most cars style for the new era (roughly 2003 and onward) from automakers globally are completely mundane and utterly B.O.R.I.N.G.

You know, as in they all overuse the sharp, cutting-edge look. As if every auto designer in the world decided to design cars after their razors.

There's no personality in them anymore.
 
I know, it's like soon after Cadillac began with the sharp look everyone else decided to use it.

General shape timeline:
50's: Swoopy with fins
60's: Square and muscular
70's: Square and "mushy"
80's: Square and boring
90's: Square with rounded edges
00's: Roundy into sharp and jagged
:lol:
 
Just five years ago, I think every Japanese car-maker had a better looking lineup, except for Mitsubishi and Mazda maybe.
I forgot about Mitsubishi. I like their looks too, and I'm not even a big fan of the new Lancers. They might actually come out average, after offsetting their lineup with their full size pickup & Galant. :p
 
^ But the Prototype-S beat the Eclipse and the Evo on the styling department:

proto-s-inline.jpg


^ I love the proportions, better than Mazda's 3.

-> I also like the way Suzuki's are styled too. Take note, what I'm implying are THE REAL SUZUKI's, not those re-badged Daewoos and Chevys!

060905002.jpg


gbgrdvitara5drsbas.jpg


news.jpg


-> The worst hit on this design monstrosities are:

- Subaru

ImprezaJDM_15.jpg


- Mitsuoka

MitsuokaOrochi.jpg


- Acura

0001acura_chi.jpg


- Honda

0706_z+2008_honda_accord+blue_sedan_rear.jpg

^ Only implies to the USDM Accord sedan

:dunce:
 
Apparently no-one cares about Mazda any more...

mazda_6.jpg

2008 Mazda6

mazda-kabura-concept-rear-above.jpg

Kabura/MX-3 concept

14304_super.jpg

Furai concept

07_mazda2_1.jpg

2008 Mazda2

post-1493-1156938689_thumb.jpg

RX-9 Concept​
 
^ Actually, we were posting about Japanese car design failures (aka. ugly cars). Obviously Mazda was never been considered ugly since 2000. That why I'm leaving Mazda alone from my constant bickerings, and so does Nissan/Infiniti (well except the new Murano). ;)
 
Are they gonna seriously make the Kabura/MX-3 concept??

As far as I'm aware. I hope they don't call it "MX-3" though.

It always irks me when manufacturers resurrect a name - especially one 10 years dead and from a car never all that popular in the first place. Not least because I own one (currently).
 
Would not this thread be more appropiately titled 'Are there any good designs but Japanese anymore?'
 
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