What is it, that makes certain cars special?

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I know various answers, but I am interested in what other people come up with. What makes certain cars special? What makes them dilate your pupils, what makes them bite your lip, what makes you star at them for minutes on end, what you buy a poster of them and put it on your wall, what makes you claim loyalty for a car that you do not even own, what makes you take certain routes just you can see a nice car, what is it that captivates your heart, what makes a car have "soul" the second you look at it, and what makes a car memorable?

The reason I ask is because, as novel as it may seem, my dream has never been to simply look at cars, but rather create them, or at the very least be at the center of their creation.

So what makes a Lamborghini Countach, Ruf Yellow Bird, Ford GT40, Ferrari F40, Mini Cooper, Shelby Mustang, Pagani Zonda, special? And by special I mean anything. From design, to sound, to literally anything about the car you can perceive through your senses.

I figure, that if all these things can be captured and expressed in some way, they would create something indeed truly memorable.




Sorry if I got a little Jeff Bridges, out there...:crazy:
 
^ I agree with you on this. If we could capture the purest essence of these cars and make one car with all the good traits of memorable cars on the whole spectrum(From the common lowly Civic all the way to the Lambo Reventon) it would be a truly amazing car.
 
There are 3 ways to make a car 'special' (in my opinion anyway).

1.Limited production, insane price, and well engineered (different from durable) to be a super car. Think Zonda & McLaren F1

2.Pedigree. It has to win a bunch of races and have a long history of improving the breed. Think 911 instead of Corolla.

3.Charm...think Mazda Miata, muscle cars, E30 M3, etc. I'm not sure this can be designed or engineered though.

...

All are quite difficult to pull off. Every few years or so there is some super car that comes along and never quite makes it. Pedigree is probably the most difficult to achieve and is quite easy to lose. It takes a long time to build an outstanding reputation and it only takes a quick glance at the Lancia website to see how you can destroy that.

Charm? That's quite subjective. But if I see a similarity between the cars that have a bit of charm about them, it's that they tend to be simple and durable. No one likes a car that has window motors that keep frying, seats that stop moving, or that's in a shop more often than a garage. People hate those cars. You get an emotional attachment to a car that you enjoy driving, not a car you drive to the mechanic's shop. Engineers, actually...the accounting staff, tend to correlate features and specs to driving enjoyment. To put a numerical value on 'specs' such as a sub 5s 0-60, LSD, Brembo brakes, and a spoiler is wrong b/c you cannot add them up and get 'fun'.

Look at the E30 M3. It's a miserable car by today's standards, when talking about specs and features that is. But look at the used market for a good E30 M3 and it's probably around the price of a good E46 M3. No doubt the E46 is more comfortable, more spacious, safer, and quicker. It's better in every metric, yet, people willingly buy the old 80's model for over $20,000 when they can get a newer model for a similar price.

Why is that?

A: Charm

How do you engineer that? I have no idea. A marketing or PR person would say otherwise though
 
The sound of a Lancia Delta with mild tune and stock transmission... gurgly sexiness!!

The way a Golf RM runs the Nurburgring Nordschleife as if it was a slot car on a toy track... awesome joy!!

The way the Lexus LFA howls like a banshee in heat at top speed... pure thrills!!

The moment you get your CTR Yellow Bird tune right and the car obeys your driving wishes... flat six heaven!!

I could go on and on about a bunch of different cars, but I sure others will have their own opinions. But many of the cars in the game have their own personality, and it's up to the driver to adapt to each car's style and get the most out of it. I love finding a car with a personality in GT5.
 
I could go on and on about a bunch of different cars, but I sure others will have their own opinions. But many of the cars in the game have their own personality, and it's up to the driver to adapt to each car's style and get the most out of it. I love finding a car with a personality in GT5.

All well and good, but I expect the OP is talking about real cars rather than digital ones in GT5...
 
A car is special if you are aroused by looking at it ;)
Purely from a visual design standpoint, of course, but in all seriousness that's what a beautiful car should do :) Obviously not "physically" aroused but, if you roll that way....
 
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Dude, you posted that backwards. You have the end thread tag before you posted the 911 badge. Unfortunately, you've rendered your own response invalid!
 
You must be seeing things. :sly:
 
Weight distribution.

It determines everything from handling, traction, aerodynamics, chassis rigidity, appearance, cockpit layout, driver position and visibility.

Take any iconic car and it's most unique aspect will be the way it achieves it's weight distribution.
 
I think personal experience has a bit to do with it too, at least for making certain cars special to certain people. The first hotwheels car I ever had was a 911 and I still love those to this day. My favorite model car to play with as a kid was a 1957 Corvette, and I still am a big Corvette fan.

But that's probably more fanboyism than making cars special.
 
Muscle cars - hearty big block V-8's, 4 speed trannies, posi rear ends.

That's special.
 
Performance and character. A car's value is in how it drives. It should be fast, corner well, and give you all that you need to fly around a track yet never hold your hand. In other words, Dodge Viper.
 
I think passion is VERY important - which (usually) can be directly translated into beauty. Cars have to be individual - I can't stand stuff like 'corporate noses' which have ruined too many cars to list! You can always tell when someone poured their soul into a car - be it a $20,000 or a $200,000 one - as opposed to a 'design by committee' or a rushed, impersonal job.

Passion, of course, is subjective and non tangible or quantifiable, but you can know immediately whether or not someone was impassioned. Even if you don't like the car, you can usually tell. To me, it's better to design a love/hate car than a blah one, even though blah cars sell in much higher volumes.

If it were up to me, each and every car would be a bespoke commission of the highest quality, with gobs of passion and eccentricity. THAT'S what draws me to the cars I love, and possibly explains why I love cars like an AMC Pacer and a Jaguar XK equally, though in different ways.
 
In a nutshell, the car has to be unique... A bit different... A little odd... To be considered special. If you aren't looking to stand out in a crowd, what is the point? Certain brands have been able to do wonders in that regard, ones like Citroen, Volkswagen and Subaru all come to mind with their quirky design, engineering execution, and clientele they cater to.
 
There are, in my opinion, dozens of different reasons that can make a car special, and not all of them have to apply to a given car to make it special.

For some cars, it's the design that makes them so special (Citroen DS), for some, it's the performance (Radical SRSomething), for others, their simplicity (Mazda MX-5). Some cars are special because of their balance (AE86), some are special because they're legendary (Skyline GT-Rs). Some cars are status symols (Veyron), some are super comfortable (Continental GT), some cars are special because of the community that goes with them (VWs) and some are great bang for your buck (Mustang). And for some cars, a lot of those reasons are applicable (Porsche 911).

In the end, a car has to be somehow outstanding to be special. The Hachiroku is probably my favourite example:
The reason it's special is because it's a rear wheel driven car in a world full of front wheel drven cars in its class.
 
"Special" depends on what you look for in a car. Some people may want snazzy styling, luxury, lots of power, tons of grip and drift-worthy antics...

Me? I've always considered anything with a Mazda badge to be pretty special. I've driven 300-500 horsepower sportscars and some pretty snazzy looking luxo-mobiles, but I have a very soft spot in my heart for the humble Mazda2. Even the cheapo base 1.3 liter car was a hoot-and-a-half in my last trip up to a lake up in the mountains. Three-wheeling and oversteering all the way down a snaky mountain road to pick up gasoline for a weekend of jet-skiing.

Special isn't about what other people tell you about the car. It's about how you, personally, feel. Which makes one gearhead's carbage another one's gold.
 
I think it's the badge. So may speak of the the e30 m3 or 911 or ZR1 but if those where badged as mitsubishi or seat they would rank much lower I'm afraid.
 
Me? I've always considered anything with a Mazda badge to be pretty special. I've driven 300-500 horsepower sportscars and some pretty snazzy looking luxo-mobiles, but I have a very soft spot in my heart for the humble Mazda2. Even the cheapo base 1.3 liter car was a hoot-and-a-half in my last trip up to a lake up in the mountains. Three-wheeling and oversteering all the way down a snaky mountain road to pick up gasoline for a weekend of jet-skiing.

Special isn't about what other people tell you about the car. It's about how you, personally, feel. Which makes one gearhead's carbage another one's gold.

What this guy said.

For me? Mazda gets "it" as well... You can have my 6 when you pry the switchblade out of my cold, dead hand; they've managed to make a family sedan that is absolutely excellent to drive (though I've never driven a Miata so...), makes a good noise after about 10 minutes under the hood and another 15 under the front bumper, and looks good.

It's hard to say what makes any given car special but to me... It's a soul. Many cars are designed by engineers who just want to meet the criteria laid out by the higherups and nothing more, others done with some sort of passion in regards to how the car acts. Mazda is, seemingly, the only manufacturer to do the latter consistently.
 
Good responses so far. Keep em coming. And if you feel so inclined, be as specific and as personal as possible.
 
Special is a relative term as so there can never truly be an ultimate. That said, I like the term kakeyoro (i think). The fun factor is where special is found... Just as it can be fun to ride in a limo it can be fun to drive a lambo.
Usually this comes down to individual cars and what makes them different from the masses. This is easy to see with a lambo in the city but at a lamborghini meet things aren't so simple.
Right now my stck si feels special and so relativity is the deciding factor once again.
 
This is one of the tougher questions in life. What makes a car special?
I l.o.v.e. the F40. To me it's the definition of driving (although I have never
experienced this pleasure IRL). Just you, a wheel and some pedals to throw it around at insane speeds.
This and the fact that is has pedigree makes it special.

I don't like new cars. They don't have charisma. Actually I think they could have all been designed by 1 man, because they all look the same.
However, they're safe. en friendly to the birds and the trees. But will we ever remember
the 2nd generation Prius? Or, let's say, the 4th gen VW Polo? No.
What is special? Maybe it's the origin of species. The Countach. The F40. The 300 SL Gullwing. The E30 M3. Bugatti Type 35. VW Golf I GTI. The Beetle. 2CV.
MX-5 NA. Was it design? Sometimes. Was it the engine? Probably. But what if it has neither? How about that Ford Escort 1.1.?
Maybe it's the first car you've ever driven (as in my case). Nothing special to an Escort, but it turns my head every time I see one :)

I think it's what you've experienced in life which makes a car special.
 
Another thing that makes a car special to me - tradition. Improving on old engineering is just impressive. Porches still having their engines hangin out their 🤬 makes no logical sense and yet they still continue to put em there and make it work perfectly :) Or the s2000 built with the same base engineering as the s600 or s800's of old :D
Beauty is in the eye of the beholder but performance can't be denied.
 
to many answers to your question, if you look at specific car types...muscle, Japanese sports, supercars etc. you will find they all have a common thing that makes them special, but for each car type the common thing they share/that makes them special will be different

question basically opens a can of worms :) good question as it would generated loads of discussion from everyones views/opinions.
 
I think the Mazda aspect can be described like this: How does the driver connect with the road through the car relative to the expectations of the car?

Why is a good handling sedan special? Well, it's vanilla family hauler; you won't get it unless you drive it. The expectation is not there in the eyes of most people, but those who drive it and can identify why it's dynamics are so good are going to bond with that car.

I think that kinds of ties in with another way to make a car special: quirks - something that challenges you or is different about the car compared to others in it's class. This could be something like massive turbo lag and a huge kick when you finally get boost or a front wheel drive car with the uncanny ability to spin the rear end around corners.

This all gets a bit difficult when you start talking about something like a dime a dozen 350z, which is a car that I love, but doesn't do anything spectacular. Some might say, its slower in the bends than an S2K or a Mustang will kill it in the straights but it's the middle road that can give the driver a bit of what the competition can't. It won't hug the bends telepathically, but it won't kill you and will hardly understeer. It won't blind you with speed but downshifts aren't always required to get the power. The expectation is a world class car, but maybe it's downfalls are the quirks that make it work. It's not the best and that's why its so good.

And really that throws everything else out the window. So I can only conclude that nothing makes a car special. It's how we feel about the car that makes it special.
 
Why talk so large here.. All I see is a bunch of car names..

You don't need a couple of hundred grands worth of metal to have a special car.. It probably helps though.. If a car is a little rough around the edges, needs driver focus and involvement, passion to be ran, makes nice sound and is low to the ground, in other words it's pure and not common i.e it sticks out from other cars on the road, it's special to me..
 
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To me, it's gotta look good, or go fast, or handle well, or do what you want.

There has to be something polarizing about it. It has to grab you and make you not want to let go. I love Mustangs, due to the vast aftermarket, and the aura around them. They, until recently, were a mostly no frills car, built to have fun with. They look mean, and sound great.

It's hard for me to appreciate any completely stock car. But I've seen a mid '00s Hyundai Elantra, lowered, on some nice wheels, and thought it was beautiful. Stance makes or breaks a car in my mind. A stock Elantra is absolutely nothing special, but with just a little love it's transformed.
 

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