Big Car/Little Car

[Junkman]

I see Junkman is a libertarian except when it comes to things he doesn't like.

I'm merely an observer.

 

 

Do any modern cars eschew aggressive or chunky styling?

Is it possible to design a delicately styled mass produced car that meets all of the crash safety requirements?

That's what I'm wondering, too.

I bet it is, but the current automotive fashion doctrine is to make cars look as intimidating as possible.

The Germans invented the term "Überholprestige" for which I'm unable to find an English equivalent.

Literally tanslated it would be overtake prestige, but I'm not sure this conveys the meaning correctly.

I have a suspicion that making the cars ever bigger in conjunction with aggressive styling

are the two fundamental ingredients for creating Überholprestige.

[chodweaver]

'Imposing' strikes me as a possible equivalent.

 

'Rear view monster' also works.

 

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[John F]

I'm merely an observer.

 

[looks at Junkman's post count... ]

[chodweaver]

And as an example of 'imposing' but in this case also synonymous with 'butt ugly', I noticed that when the Seat Toledo was resurrected in 05, the result reminded me of the more challenging aspects of the Renner Vel Satis...

 

http://www.parkers.co.uk/seat/toledo/hatchback-2005/review/photos/

 

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[chodweaver]

The arse end in particular...

 

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[Junkman]

'Imposing' strikes me as a possible equivalent.

 

'Rear view monster' also works.

 

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Yes, that's pretty exactly what it means.

Now coin a catchy expression for it that makes it sound like it were a good thing and you have it.

[Junkman]

And as an example of 'imposing' but in this case also synonymous with 'butt ugly', I noticed that when the Seat Toledo was resurrected in 05, the result reminded me of the more challenging aspects of the Renner Vel Satis...

 

http://www.parkers.co.uk/seat/toledo/hatchback-2005/review/photos/

 

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You know, these plastic buckets tourists in Mallorca booze Sangria out of through straws,

why do Seats always look like one of those after having molten in the sun?

[Junkman]

[looks at Junkman's post count... ]

 

Yeah, but the majority are in the eBay and my own cars threads.

[Cleon-Fonte]

Small cars used to be a welcome oasis of calm amongst their bigger counterparts - which seem to have been members of the 'fuck you school of design' for ages now - mainly because it seems ridiculous for such cars to look aggressive, but even the smallest city cars have succumbed to aggression now. It's patently ridiculous, why on earth does a Smart Fortwo need to look like it's about to punch me in the face?

 

There are two current exceptions, the Renault Twingo and the Fiat Panda, which still present a friendly, cheery face to the world.

 

 

 

I'd include the Fiat 500 as well, but it's been around for so long it can't really be considered among the latest batch of new cars, and its styling is cribbed from a much older design anyway.

[Sir Snipes]

That Twingo looks pretty pissed to me.

[Lacquer Peel]

[UltraWomble]

The one on the left looks like a limp penis.

[John F]

Rusty Sills, on 27 Sept 2017 - 1:12 PM, said:

That Twingo looks pretty pissed to me.

 

Nope, it doesn't look at all drunk IMO.

[Junkman]

There are two current exceptions, the Renault Twingo and the Fiat Panda, which still present a friendly, cheery face to the world.

 

Renault_Twingo_Dynamique_(III)_–_Frontansicht,_24._Oktober_2015,_Münster.jpg

 

fiat-panda-13_0_0.jpg

 

Note how aggressive the driver of the Fiat looks though. It's something I notice often when driving my old chod.

What those friendly looking small cars lack in aggressiveness is offset by their drivers.

 

 

 

The one on the left looks like a limp penis.

 

 

Were it looking like an erect penis, it wouldn't pass car/pedestrian interface legislation.

[Ghosty]

That Twingo looks pretty pissed to me.

You would be too if the current Smart was a blood relative.

 

That said I like the Twingo and it's nice that it's RWD, a RenaultSport one would be lols.

The current Smart manages to look worse than even the ruddy AM Cygnet...

[John F]

You would be too if the current Smart was a blood relative.

 

How would that get you drunk??

[Lacquer Peel]

How drunk were Peugeot 308 buyers? What a fugging gargoyle

[Ben_O]

I was following some big mercedes crossover thing the other day and it was so wide, i was struggling to see past it!

[Guest Hooli]

Small cars used to be a welcome oasis of calm amongst their bigger counterparts - which seem to have been members of the 'fuck you school of design' for ages now - mainly because it seems ridiculous for such cars to look aggressive, but even the smallest city cars have succumbed to aggression now. It's patently ridiculous, why on earth does a Smart Fortwo need to look like it's about to punch me in the face?

 

There are two current exceptions, the Renault Twingo and the Fiat Panda, which still present a friendly, cheery face to the world.

 

Renault_Twingo_Dynamique_(III)_–_Frontansicht,_24._Oktober_2015,_Münster.jpg

 

fiat-panda-13_0_0.jpg

 

I'd include the Fiat 500 as well, but it's been around for so long it can't really be considered among the latest batch of new cars, and its styling is cribbed from a much older design anyway.

 

They both look like they've got downs syndrome to me.

[bramz7]

My mum has a Panda 4x4 (current shape) and it's about the right size. The boot is tiny though, I genuinely think I'd fit more in an AX.

I've often thought Japanese cars tend to buck the enlargement trend, the previous model Forester for example looks tiny for an actual off roader. Not keen on the current one though, and the Legacy has got quite big...still would though.

My friend recently purchased a 14 place 3 series and it's colossal. So big I keep thinking he got a 5 series.

[rantingYoof]

Volvo S60 vs Fiat '500'L

 

 

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[The_Equalizer]

As an aside, I'd love to know if house builders are making garages that much bigger too. Then again, most people see a garage as an extra shed.

[UltraWomble]

As an aside, I'd love to know if house builders are making garages that much bigger too. Then again, most people see a garage as an extra shed.  Bedroom

[Junkman]

I've often thought Japanese cars tend to buck the enlargement trend,

 

Japan has a unique way to indirectly tax cars based on size, also, the maximum measurements for car categories are legislated,

see for example Kei cars. At the time Japan began to be mass motorised following WWII, the Government and the car industry

moguls sat together at a table, established the standards together and they became the Japanese Government's Road Vehicle Act

of 1951.

Of course, these standards were periodically updated, read making cars bigger was allowed. Safety, you know.

However, meanwhile hardly any Japanese cars sold in Europe are actually made in Japan and thus don't have to meet

the standards there. In fact, most Japanese cars sold outside Japan are not available in Japan.

[rantingYoof]

As an aside, I'd love to know if house builders are making garages that much bigger too. Then again, most people see a garage as an extra shed.

 

It's quite common nowadays for authorities to not allow developers to count garages towards off-street parking provision essentially because the majority of vehicles can be kept outside all year round without succombing to death (present company notwithstanding) and because most people view a garage as additional storage. This is particularly acute since new builds stopped having any kind of storage built into them...

 

So off-road parking for new build estates is often taken care of via tandem drives or rear parking courts. Generally speaking, one to three bedders should have two spaces and four and above three plus one visitor.

 

When I'm dealing with an application for a new garage, and if this garage is being built into a space which reduces the parking provision from two to one, the current guidelines for a 'formal' garage space requires the internal dimensions to be 6m x 3.3m. Ideally internal head height should be 2.5m. Only if it met these dimensions would I allow the development as I could argue that current off-street parking provision was being retained (in accordance with the current applicable guidance).

 

If you're still awake, the Fiat 500L thing above is shorter but wider and taller than my Volvo. I honestly felt like I was in some low-slung convertible parking next to it. I can't wait* for the X7 to be released. That's going to make pulling out of any junction or parking space fun**.

[puddlethumper]

The next Fiat 500 is going to come in xl, xxl and morbidly obese.

[Cleon-Fonte]

Volvo S60 vs Fiat '500'L

 

 

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That's a 500X, which ironically is based on the Fiat Small platform, apparently. 

[UltraWomble]

Is it possible to design a delicately styled mass produced car that meets all of the crash safety requirements?

[Lacquer Peel]

Previas are pretty cool.

[Yoss]

Parked together on my delivery today. Sums it up nicely.