car design thread

I like the front end. Distinctively Alfa to me, but a bit on the aggressive side. I was disappointed with the 4C, though. Funky proportions. It wasn't until I saw one in person that it looked... weird to me. Straight side shots show the squished effect most.
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I know a lot of guys who have them and love them, though.

 

I'm not letting this wheel thing drop so easily. When I came of age in the '60s, sports car were small. Think MGs. The biggest I can remember was a Jag XKE. I even saw a Porsche 904 parked in the front yard of a house. Even as a kid, I knew there was no way I'd fit in the car. We all have our personal bias point, but too me, sporty cars today and their wheels are too damn big. Put a '60s Camaro next to the current version, and I believe you'll see my point. A big part of the problem is the beltline has to be so high to accommodate, I'm sure, those ugly ass big wheels.

My DD is a 2005 C55. I don't have a pic of my car handy. But, for me, it is a perfect size 4-door sedan. Moreover, every SVU mom who has driven my car loves it. They all say they didn't realize how easy it is too drive around, particularly in urban/suburban areas.



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I think it's become a case of "because we can." Why did windshields wrap around and over in the late 50s? Because glass manufacturers figured out how to bend the stuff, so car companies took it to its maximum conclusion, because they could. Why did cars of the late 50s have such wild sheetmetal? Because they figured out how to make the dies that made complex curves possible, and car companies took it to its maximum conclusion, because they could. Why did cars get so freaking big in the late 60s/early 70s? Well, you get the idea.

 

You must have never spoken to the automotive suspension guys in engineering. They rightfully blame design and marketing for this. These large wheels are terrible for NVH. There was no bent wheel repair business when they were reasonably sized. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Noise,_vibration,_and_harshness

 

I'm not a fan of the huge wheel/no sidewall trend either. I actually sold the 18" Barchetta wheels that came on my 456M and replaced them with the stock 17" version. Far better ride, and those modular wheels weigh a ton. Isn't unsprung weight supposed to be bad? I'm 6'/2" and can press 430 Bowflex rods, and those puppies were a bear to mount. The ride was greatly improved with the additional sidewall. The look seems more, "reasonable" this way.
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well i am in the goldilocks camp of big wheels.
george, your 18" wheels are now on my mother's car - thanks ! and i had the same kind on my 456mgt in geneva, and i thought it made the car look great. but they were not 20" or higher, they were just 18", and that size was the right compromise of form and function.

dale, one of the reasons the beltlines are high now is due to regulations. and to offset that, you need bigger wheels.

those 19's on the cts coupe look perfect imo

 

then i stand corrected. thanks

 

While it isn't directly caused by regulations, don't the regulation regarding the distance require between the engine and the hood have an effect? When the hood is higher, the beltline must be as well to preserve the continuity of line. Otherwise you get that 80s, glass cut down into the door look. Maybe I am wrong, of course--I write books, I don't design cars.

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I was going to ask what was behind it. Makes it look like a car is wearing an old man's jumpsuit.

 

You read my mind; I was going to ask you about fender skirts before with the other drawings you shared but I didn't.

That black Eldorado is sweet!

 

Part of it was also the character of the car with the 456M. I love the modulars on my 360! But I put 27K miles on the 456 in 5.5 years, so I did a few epic vacations in it. The first one with the modulars is what inspired me to get the stock wheels. The car was much better for touring with the 17" wheels. I know, I'm thinking practicality for a Ferrari. Laughable.

 

Yes, while RAM 'watered' down their design while others... (Ford, Toyota, etc.) mimicked it... so it's not so striking... The new one one looks like it almost has the right sheetmetal but ruins it with the 1-ton of chrome on the front.

 

Yeah, sorry, not a "stopping offense" but if you park in Chicago they'll ticket you for it. I've received many over the years. At some point I just relented and put the front plate on. Because I had too many occasions to park in the city.

 

I guess one of my problems is form hurting the function of cars. For 99.99% of drivers, low-profile wide tires result in a worse ride. Not all of us routinely drive on race tracks.

 

Glad you are enjoying yourself here.

 

I love those dog leg lines where the high hood transitions to the lower beltline.

 

I would like to see the return of the dropped side glass. The glass area has become just a slit.

Don't know when it will happen but there will be a change as this fad runs its course. Go back to the 1970s to see when BMWs were about 1/2 side glass to sheetmetal.

 

Mercedes tried to do larger glass with the GLK, but something about that car just looked weird.

I can't articulate it very well, but it was a weird shape and the proportions didn't seem right.

All the best,
Andrew.