Modern car designs ugly?

[Neddo]

Are these days cars that ugly? Why are they ugly? Are they unoriginal in designs? Why do people whenever a new model comes hate the design with words like fugly? Is the peak of car desings 60's? Do all good looking cars look like more modern versions of their ancestors of 60's? Is it wrong to follow spirit of an legendary car?
In my opinion, many cars from Europe look good enough. But nothing special. Japanese cars are becoming very repetitive and it's annoying when you look at all those tuners of just ten years ago. But in my opinion, Americans make worst looking cars. They're bland, fat and they eat gas.
I don't know but I have like 20 newer cars I really like so I don't care about other cars. But cars really got fat and rounded comparing to sharp yet thin cars we had before. But to fit all that technology and safety I guess that design took a smaller relevance.
Here I'll post good lookin current modern cars (no particular order)

 

[Slash]

I feel like most modern cars are simply overdesigned. There's too much going on, they try to hard to make them look angry and pissed off. Some of it seems like a lack of taste; Lexus has the worst grilles I've ever seen for example. There are some things you just don't do, and that's one of them.

I suppose the same could have been said about other eras at the time they were happening; you'll never please everyone. Someday we'll probably say these cars are beautiful and future cars (which will be new someday) will be fugly.

 

[1241Penguin]

Taste is subjective obviously. Designs evolve throughout the years. Some people are better at handling change than others.

Most of my favourite cars are modern, so I don't get overly ecstatic about old cars like some of the older members here.

 

[INEEDNAWZZZ]

^ This.

The time it came out is a big factor in whether its deemed good looking or not. The Mk. II Jag for instance was deemed ugly by motoring press and buyers at the time, yet is now considered one of the most beautiful cars to have ever come out of Britain. Some cars are just polarising at the time of their launch and take time for them to be seen as a good design (such as the aforementioned Jag), whereas others are just straight up ugly and will continue to be for the rest of existence (Pontiac Aztek, Subaru B9 Tribeca).

That said, I share Slash's sentiments on most new cars trying to incorporate too many features. It's especially noticeable on the trendy retraux throwbacks, like the Mini (especially the brand new model).

 

[Legro]

Out of the cars posted in the OP. Note these are my opinions.

1. Not even the best looking cars Jaguar makes today and not even close the best looking car Jaguar has made.
2. Luxury Nissan Juke. One of the worst looking cars you can buy today.
3. Okay, but can't beat the C2 or C1.
4. Not as good looking as the original.
5. Meh. There are better looking cars.
6. Worse than the Lexus.
7. That picture doesn't do favor to the car's looks, but still isn't as good as the cars from the past.

No, modern car design isn't all bad and there are some really good looking cars launched every year, but those aren't really the cars that I like to look at.

 

[RocZX]

Yes and No.
They look nice when they are come out but after an year or two they just seem outdated. And after 5 years or so, most of them look old like they been around for many more years then that.

 

[ProjectWHaT]

I think all modern cars look better and better with each new generation. All of those cars in the OP are magnificent.

 

[Pseudopod]

I don't like most of those examples OP posted, but I don't think new car designs are generally terrible. There are lots of pretty and beautiful cars that have been designed after year 2000.

 

[Lucas]

I feel like most modern cars are simply overdesigned. There's too much going on, they try to hard to make them look angry and pissed off. Some of it seems like a lack of taste; Lexus has the worst grilles I've ever seen for example. There are some things you just don't do, and that's one of them.

Fully agree with this part of your post. The 2nd and last two cars in the OP are cars I personally don't like, as I feel they are over-designed. I don't claim to understand aerodynamics, so there's a chance the "over-design" is actually useful for aerodynamics, but just because it's useful doesn't mean I won't find it ugly, as from a purely aesthetic point of view: they look like 🤬.

Cars are quickly becoming the strange and futuristic cars I used to see on films and on TV. And I don't like it one bit.

 

[ProjectWHaT]

Fully agree with this part of your post. The 2nd and last two cars in the OP are cars I personally don't like, as I feel they are over-designed. I don't claim to understand aerodynamics, so there's a chance the "over-design" is actually useful for aerodynamics, but just because it's useful doesn't mean I won't find it ugly, as from a purely aesthetic point of view: they look like 🤬.

Cars are quickly becoming the strange and futuristic cars I used to see on films and on TV. And I don't like it one bit.

From my limited knowledge of aerodynamics, a majority of modern sports/super car designs are based around aerodynamics and safety.

 

[Lucas]

From my limited knowledge of aerodynamics, a majority of modern sports/super car designs are based around aerodynamics and safety.

Yeah, I thought so. I want to believe the emphasis is aerodynamics over beauty, because otherwise, I don't get how these cars even exist.

 

[ProjectWHaT]

McLaren P1 is a great example of aerodynamics before design (even though I love how the P1 looks)

 

[Slash]

There comes a point where there's a difference between the aerodynamic benefit and ridiculousness.

McLaren P1 is a great example of aerodynamics before design (even though I love how the P1 looks)

It would probably be way more aerodynamic if all that black crap on the doors was gone.

 

[Legro]

I think that the Jaguar F-Type is the best looking new car.

 

[Neddo]

I think I'm the only person who likes split lights of Lexus lol I agree that cars are overdesigned these days. I really like when car makers keep it elegant like SL55 AMG or Continental Supersports. Many cars share bases and many mixed results come. It's rare to see 2 totally different cars with same bases. Take note that FT1 and CX75 are concepts and abstract lines flow nicely.

example of design i hate with passion

 

[Slash]

I think that the Jaguar F-Type is the best looking new car.View attachment 252240View attachment 252241

I get that some cars have vents for specific reasons, but there's a point where there is too many and it ruins the flow. This car is a prime example IMO.

 

[Neddo]

Jaag has evil back comparing to happy front. A pure gradient

 

[ProjectWHaT]

I get that some cars have vents for specific reasons, but there's a point where there is too many and it ruins the flow. This car is a prime example IMO.

There's one main vent and a small vent on either side of it which a wall splitting it. Then there's a smaller, almost unnoticeable one below the main one. There's a small vent for design on the side and two on the hood. I wouldn't say that's too many.

 

[Lucas]

View attachment 252241

Not going to earn any Photoshop awards, but...

This looks better to me.

 

[Neddo]

There's one main vent and a small vent on either side of it which a wall splitting it. Then there's a smaller, almost unnoticeable one below the main one. There's a small vent for design on the side and two on the hood. I wouldn't say that's too many... comparing to Veneno lol

 

[Legro]

I get that some cars have vents for specific reasons, but there's a point where there is too many and it ruins the flow. This car is a prime example IMO.

I agree that there is a point where the vents ruin the car, but in my opinion the F-Type is one of the few new sports cars that doesn't have that problem.

 

[ProjectWHaT]

Not going to earn any Photoshop awards, but...

This looks better to me.

The vent feels too small now and looks too flat and bland.

 

[Lucas]

The vent feels too small now and looks too flat and bland.

In the end, it's in the eye of the beholder. I definitely didn't want them to be any bigger (could have just as easily pasted the bigger vent over it), and without them the front looks empty. I like the cars as simple as possible. Almost as if you could draw them from memory without too much trouble.

 

[Tornado]

While I would absolutely argue that most manufacturers seem to be in an arms race to create the most overly fussy styling elements shoved into as many gun emplacement-shaped vehicles as possible (sorta like a retread of late 1950s excess but with more advanced building techniques), I do find it very amusing that one of the examples used to try to purport the idea is the Dodge Challenger.

 

[Odnomre]

This one takes the cake for being ugly IMO. Together with everything Seat and KIA throw out of their design department.

 

[Neddo]

There were times when Citroen tried harder (last time with C4 when they made a very sexy frog)

 

[Legro]

The Citroën wouldn't be bad if those headlights wouldn't have another pair of headlights above them. It's almost like they had designed 2 separate fronts and couldn't agree which had better headlights so they added both.

 

[Slash]

This one takes the cake for being ugly IMO. Together with everything Seat and KIA throw out of their design department.

This is right up there with it.

What in the 🤬 is going on with that front end.

 

[Neddo]

vs

 

[Slash]

Jeep....oh god.