Unsuccessful facelifts

[caffeine]

Don’t necessarily think that the revised front end looks bad, as such - in isolation at least, just that looks like it belongs to a different car, a clash of two disparate ‘design languages’ and I can’t ‘unsee’ it.

[Mrcento]

1 hour ago, caffeine said:

Don’t necessarily think that the revised front end looks bad, as such - in isolation at least, just that looks like it belongs to a different car, a clash of two disparate ‘design languages’ and I can’t ‘unsee’ it.

I'm sort of the opposite again, i can't really see it that starkly, but i do know what you're meaning, it's probably more that it still works fine together regardless for me. There's just enough there that connects the 2 ends.

But i will say, i think the facelift front ties in with the estate rear a little better than the hatch (And i'd argue as far as it actually works better than the original did on the estate), think it's the fact the estate rear lights have more shape to them and wrap around into the rear quarters, angle similarly, blend into the bumper line etc, which is similar to how the headlights of the facelift blend up into the bonnet shut line, little things like that.

[Sham]

9 hours ago, matt79 said:

The E type went from this -

To this-

 

The rear is even worse, from this -

 

To this -

The e-type is one of the ugliest cars ever made to start with, with roller skates wheels on a far too narrow track, a badly proportioned body and it's only saving grace was that glorious engine that they didn't think to cool properly.

 

How it came to be so revered is completely beyond me.

[Rocket88]

1 hour ago, Sham said:

The e-type is one of the ugliest cars ever made to start with, with roller skates wheels on a far too narrow track, a badly proportioned body and it's only saving grace was that glorious engine that they didn't think to cool properly.

 

How it came to be so revered is completely beyond me.

Totally agree… I hate them with a visceral passion 

[Dick Cheeseburger]

1 hour ago, Sham said:

The e-type is one of the ugliest cars ever made to start with

[Sham]

If I'd have said 'the ugliest car' you'd have a point... Instead, I said 'one of the ugliest cars'.

And beauty is in the eye of the beer holder.

[ETCHY]

On 13/07/2024 at 07:24, Sham said:

The e-type is one of the ugliest cars ever made to start with, with roller skates wheels on a far too narrow track, a badly proportioned body and it's only saving grace was that glorious engine that they didn't think to cool properly.

 

How it came to be so revered is completely beyond me.

When I see an E-Type I always think of a Clowns shoe..

[Mrcento]

How about an unsuccessful arse lift?

Ford Explorer.

This 1 is probably more me than it is right to be fair 😂

They more or less changed nothing substantial on the 'facelift', but weirdly, the arse was the only thing they really altered looks wise.

There's nothing 'wrong' with the arse lift per-se, but the original is pure 100%  1990's Yank tank 4x4.

I think people probably didn't like the offset plate we got over here (The US versions with the plate in the bumper recess are a lot neater to be fair. i kinda get it),

The neater US spec, Note also the lighting regs for europe v US means no additional lights in the bumper means they were already making different specs of bumper for various markets, so really, they could have gave us the US spec from the off if it was that unpopular just by changing the bumper to accommodate EU style plates, But i'm totally into the offset plate spec one, so meh 😂)

The arse lift is just.... it could be anything Japanese or Korean. Lost a lot of its character.

[lesapandre]

Long ago. Standard - produced the Vanguard in the late 40's - with the then fashionable 'bathtub' look. Quite a well proportioned effort.

But as the style went out of fashion they redesigned the rear of the car to produce a clumsy 'booted' three-box version...only produced for three years. Grim.

[goosey]

2 hours ago, Mrcento said:

How about an unsuccessful arse lift?

Ford Explorer.

This 1 is probably more me than it is right to be fair 😂

They more or less changed nothing substantial on the 'facelift', but weirdly, the arse was the only thing they really altered looks wise.

There's nothing 'wrong' with the arse lift per-se, but the original is pure 100%  1990's Yank tank 4x4.

I think people probably didn't like the offset plate we got over here (The US versions with the plate in the bumper recess are a lot neater to be fair. i kinda get it),

The neater US spec, Note also the lighting regs for europe v US means no additional lights in the bumper means they were already making different specs of bumper for various markets, so really, they could have gave us the US spec from the off if it was that unpopular just by changing the bumper to accommodate EU style plates, But i'm totally into the offset plate spec one, so meh 😂)

The arse lift is just.... it could be anything Japanese or Korean. Lost a lot of its character.

I always thought the European ones looked “overarched” with those wheel arch extensions 

[MantaGTE85]

22 hours ago, goosey said:

I always thought the European ones looked “overarched” with those wheel arch extensions 

Uncle Henry's answer to the P38 Range Rover. I'm sure I remember seeing the earliest UK models with '90s-bling chromed-up directional 3-spoke alloys.

[egg]

Saab 9000 - what do we think?

[MantaGTE85]

Gosh, the top 9000 is a very early one, and the paint looks like Metallic Beryllium.. It would be a C or D reg if it was a UK car. It was launched solely as the Turbo, and was on sale for a while before they started bringing the Base models in, but I can't remember when exactly.

That white base CD saloon model is absolutely mint. They do look a bit bland without the extra glass around the rear though.

[caffeine]

The dreaded 'corporate face' strikes again, this time on the W212 E-Class.

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Unfortunately a sign of things to come for the next generation model - the adoption of this new ‘design language’ to me feels pivotal in Mercedes’ transformation from a brand once synonymous with understated, slightly austere teutonic elegance to one characterised by excess, chintzy brashness and interiors that look like a cross between an iPad and a nightclub bathroom…
 

[goosey]

2 hours ago, caffeine said:

The dreaded 'corporate face' strikes again, this time on the W212 E-Class.

From...



To...

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Unfortunately a sign of things to come for the next generation model - the adoption of this new ‘design language’ to me feels pivotal in Mercedes’ transformation from a brand once synonymous with understated, slightly austere teutonic elegance to one characterised by excess, chintzy brashness and interiors that look like a cross between an iPad and a nightclub bathroom…
 

Loved those flared rear wheel arches on the pre face lift w212 

[caffeine]

One for ‘unsuccessful arse-lifts’ - the F56 Mini.

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Wouldn’t say I was ever a dyed-in-the-wool fan of BINIs, in particular, but the Union flag tail-lights, to my eyes, plunged it into maximal tackiness, not to mention feeling like a cruel joke on what is basically a German car.

I was initially under the impression that it may have been part of some specific styling package, but no, standard - which seemed a strange business decision  - a sure way to alienate potential customers in other countries, many of whom I doubt would be thrilled at the prospect of being forced to have a British flag adorning their vehicle.

If ever I ended up with one these I think I would be forced to subvert convention by retrofitting the older style rear lights.