Who is designing the best looking cars right now?

[motoyen]

My vote would be Aston Martin. I love the look of the DB9. Clean, understated, sleek, everything I look for in a good design.

http://www.wintonsworld.com/cars/a-cars-2005/2005-carpics/frankfurt-2005/aston-martin-db9-f.jpg

[Blakeoffire]

I'd have to agree with you there Anthony. Aston has been on a roll as of late with one of the greatest car designs I've ever seen (Ian Callum is a genius). Everytime I see one in person, I stare...and stare...and almost get into accidents as a result... :wave: . There's a Black DB9 roaming the streets of Vancouver and it's like I'm bowing down to the Dark Lord of the road everytime I see it...

Jag may be finally lifting itself out from its decades-long heritage-cloaked run of wood-lined poshness. If they actually build that new CX-F concept as a replacement for the rather ugly (and sales-wise, lacking) S-Type then I'd have to say that it would, once again...finally, be a grand step in a welcomed forward direction (once again, an Ian Callum overseen design). It may piss-off the purists but come on... the old MK VII and E-type weren't exactly a take on something already done. They were fresh, exciting, and like nothing else that had come from Jag before. They need this new blood to survive...

One car from a long-fledgling Italian maker has caught my attention though. The Alfa Romeo 8C Competezione. Granted, its obvious intentions of being built in a limited run (of only 500) to re-ignite some excitement within the company's brand may put it into the slaying field of cynics...but I like the fact that the designers of this car were also the engineers. Alfa actually hired on some of the old, retired Alfa-designers/engineers of yore to assist in the development of this simple, yet classic, menacing and stunningly sexy shape. I'd love to see one in the flesh someday.

http://www.we-todd-did-racing.com/files/995001_bm6jd/Alpha_8C_2car_photo_213757_5.jpg
http://www.we-todd-did-racing.com/files/995002_dimii/Alpha_8C_car_photo_213760_5.jpg

I've also always had a soft-spot for the British-built/German-engineered Weismann GT. There's something alluring about those exagerrated shoulders and long, curvy lines. Almost a dignified stoutness. Aggressive, yet politely murderous...

http://www.we-todd-did-racing.com/files/995004_vlrrh/weismann_gt_rt1.jpg
http://www.we-todd-did-racing.com/files/995005_tdxpm/weismann_gt_side1.jpg

Bashing session: The Toyota Supra and Honda NSX concepts are butt-f'ing ugly. Video-game inspired and completely silly. When will the Japanese learn how to mix passion and gorgeous lines within their reputable penchant for reliability...?

B.

[Al Canuck]

Blake, it's ALFA Romeo. That is all.

[Blakeoffire]

Blake, it's ALFA Romeo. That is all.

Right...! :lol: ...*hand smacking head*

I even had one of those moments where when you're typing something out and for some reason it didn't quite look right...but alas, my brain temporarily had the door-stopper still in place ...


B.

EDIT: And by the way Al...Happy Birthday.... :thumbs:

[Al Canuck]

I kinda figured you might of known the difference. Glad to hear it.

Oh, and to keep this on topic, I may be a little biased, but all the newer Volvo products are floating my boat these days. C30, C70, S40, and V50. Clean, slippery, subtle, but still a little muscular. Once I saw a V50 beside an E90 Touring, my mind was made up.

Al

[motoyen]

Yeah Alfa is definitely producing some good looking cars. The performance figure for this car may not be the best but I love the look of it. Speaking of fugly I had the new civic in the other day and what a design nightmare that has turned into. It's interesting that the Europeans are going for a more simplistic dash while the Japanese are going for the "lights of Tokyo" design.

http://www.mitoalfaromeo.com/html/brera.jpg

[kowalski]

I'd have to agree with you there Anthony. Aston has been on a roll as of late with one of the greatest car designs I've ever seen (Ian Callum is a genius). Everytime I see one in person, I stare...and stare...and almost get into accidents as a result... :wave: . There's a Black DB9 roaming the streets of Vancouver and it's like I'm bowing down to the Dark Lord of the road everytime I see it...

Jag may be finally lifting itself out from its decades-long heritage-cloaked run of wood-lined poshness. If they actually build that new CX-F concept as a replacement for the rather ugly (and sales-wise, lacking) S-Type then I'd have to say that it would, once again...finally, be a grand step in a welcomed forward direction (once again, an Ian Callum overseen design). It may piss-off the purists but come on... the old MK VII and E-type weren't exactly a take on something already done. They were fresh, exciting, and like nothing else that had come from Jag before. They need this new blood to survive...

One car from a long-fledgling Italian maker has caught my attention though. The Alfa Romeo 8C Competezione. Granted, its obvious intentions of being built in a limited run (of only 500) to re-ignite some excitement within the company's brand may put it into the slaying field of cynics...but I like the fact that the designers of this car were also the engineers. Alfa actually hired on some of the old, retired Alfa-designers/engineers of yore to assist in the development of this simple, yet classic, menacing and stunningly sexy shape. I'd love to see one in the flesh someday.

http://www.we-todd-did-racing.com/files/995001_bm6jd/Alpha_8C_2car_photo_213757_5.jpg
http://www.we-todd-did-racing.com/files/995002_dimii/Alpha_8C_car_photo_213760_5.jpg

I've also always had a soft-spot for the British-built/German-engineered Weismann GT. There's something alluring about those exagerrated shoulders and long, curvy lines. Almost a dignified stoutness. Aggressive, yet politely murderous...

http://www.we-todd-did-racing.com/files/995004_vlrrh/weismann_gt_rt1.jpg
http://www.we-todd-did-racing.com/files/995005_tdxpm/weismann_gt_side1.jpg

Bashing session: The Toyota Supra and Honda NSX concepts are butt-f'ing ugly. Video-game inspired and completely silly. When will the Japanese learn how to mix passion and gorgeous lines within their reputable penchant for reliability...?

B.

i saw the second one in switzerland. It was the owner of a sex shop or strip club, i can't remember which... he drove it around really fast though.
PS: i hate the front of every alfa romeo.

[VtwinVince]

Agreed, Aston Martin is tops, followed by anything other than a BMW.

[porschegt1]

I believe that the new designing of the high end Nissan/infiniti's deserve credit. Especially if you look at the new GTR. Porsche has done an excellent job at redesigning the 997 911's, I truly cannot wait to see what comes of the new GT2. I also agree with Al on the Volvo's ever since FORD took them over they have been coming out with some nice designs. Austin Martins have always been ahead of the game when it comes to designing thier cars i still remember the old DB's and how they played in the old James bond films (memories)

Lexus(not toyota) also has changed their entire look this year and I believe that next year we will all be shocked at what comes out thier doors.

[Blakeoffire]

Lexus(not toyota) also has changed their entire look this year and I believe that next year we will all be shocked at what comes out thier doors.

I remain quite skeptical of their design efforts though. That new IS-F 4-door saloon has some rather disproportionate humps and sweeps...the front looks like Moby Dick (yes, the whale) with that fat, bulging bonnet and the stacked quad tail-pipes look kind of ...well, wrong. All I see is a restyled 5-series. I could go on and on here... They're obviously trying to challenge BMW/AUDI/VW in the Euro market with this upcoming V10 monster ('monster' remains to be seen/heard/driven though...) and judging by Lexus' recent gradually escalating Euro sales figures, they just might be cracking a few more converts as a result.

Still though, my main problem with most Japanese styling (especially when they're trying to tap-into a new market) is that it always ends up being just a re-styling of something that has already been done, yet made better, with tokened reliability and a cheaper price tag. They've been doing it for decades...

Plus, all it'll take these days is some chumpy rap-star to drive around in some rimmed-up hybrid version of one in some waste-of-$$ music video before everyone goes nuts and the monkey-see/monkey-do public mindset takes hold and the Lexus brand adopts a whole new persona as a result.


B.

[Blakeoffire]

PS: i hate the front of every alfa romeo.

Oh pshh... No you don't.

[img]http://www.we-todd-did-racing.com/files/995524_an9lt/33t.jpg

.... :bowdown:


B.

[go4carter]

I don't mind the look of the Lexi (Lexus plural, anybody?) IS-series but it won't go down in history. I especailly like the lines of most recent Mercedes products... it's a type of car I don't want to own but I like to look at. AMG S55 is straight-up mean looking.
Ferrari, forever... of course.

That ALFA coupe is lovely, but those wheels are ASS. Someone needs to get choked-out with a skinny Italian tie.

I also think that, for the most part, "we" are inheritly a group of car lovers that prefer to look back at classic designs... I generally need 10 years with something before I feel I can say, "yeah, that was well done".
Except the Porsche Cayman... I know it looks good and will for a while.

Ugliest car I've seen recently: the new Camry. There has to be a problem when the Americans are making better looking cars.

[kowalski]

Oh pshh... No you don't.

[img]http://www.we-todd-did-racing.com/files/995524_an9lt/33t.jpg

.... :bowdown:


B.

haha this one is fairly nice but that stupid ugly ass grill just ruins every car they touch. That car would look a lot better without that nasty infestation.

[porschegt1]

I remain quite skeptical of their design efforts though. That new IS-F 4-door saloon has some rather disproportionate humps and sweeps...the front looks like Moby Dick (yes, the whale) with that fat, bulging bonnet and the stacked quad tail-pipes look kind of ...well, wrong. All I see is a restyled 5-series. I could go on and on here...

B.

agreed, the IS-F concept is a bump in their design but if you look at the new IS and the 460 they are showing some excellent styling cues. Yes derived obviously from the euro's but I believe they have done a better job at showing the hard angles then BMW and Audi have accomplished.