Designs you were wrong about

Anyone else remember thinking a car had awesome styling when it came out, only to find it either horrible or ungainly now? Obviously a lot of cars need to be assessed as the product of their time and trends move on. But there are some cars that I made the mistake of rating highly against their contemporaries, only for the model I liked to fade into oblivion while the rivals remained desirable.

One example would be that I thought the late 90s Lexus GS400 was better looking than the 5 Series and E Class of the day. Ten years on that Lexus looks like a bit of a shapeless blob, similar to a few Koreans of the day. Meanwhile the E39 5 has remained a taut, crisp shape that holds its own in mordern traffic.

It works both ways. I hated the Tribeca when it came out but the styling seems to fit right in with today's swoopy BMW, Lexus and Porsche 4WDs.

As a 9 year old I preferred the squarer shape of the Ford Capri to the softer MX5. But I put that down to being a 9 year old and thinking every car needed angles like a Countach or F40.

I remember when I was a kid, and the N-body Grand Ams first came out, I thought they were some of the most awesome looking cars on the road.

In hindsight though...

i used to like the early-mid 90s pontiac grand prixs. they looked so cool back then.

I actually can't think of any, There are plenty of cars that i thought were ugly when i was younger, but i now like them.

Infiniti J30 I thought it looked good back when,.

Actually the front still looks good, but the back....

Honor wrote:i used to like the early-mid 90s pontiac grand prixs. they looked so cool back then.

Still do.

Benfolio wrote:

Honor wrote:i used to like the early-mid 90s pontiac grand prixs. they looked so cool back then.

Still do.

agreed thats still not a bad looking car

Dodge wrote:

Benfolio wrote:

Honor wrote:i used to like the early-mid 90s pontiac grand prixs. they looked so cool back then.

Still do.

agreed thats still not a bad looking car

Triple agreed. I still remember my buddies parents GTP with the 5-speed.

i was considering getting one for my first car but i ended up getting a 25th anniversary camaro instead.

i thought the geo storm looked awesome when it came out.

VS wrote:i thought the geo storm looked awesome when it came out.

and????


are you trying to say it doesn't look awesome now?

yes. a thousand times yes.

i think the front of the delorean has aged better than the rear.

Honor wrote:i think the front of the delorean has aged better than the rear.

Do you read "Ate Up With Motor?" This was a good article: http://ateupwithmotor.com/sports-cars-and-muscle-cars/254-delorean-dmc-12-history.html

Swerve wrote:Anyone else remember thinking a car had awesome styling when it came out, only to find it either horrible or ungainly now? Obviously a lot of cars need to be assessed as the product of their time and trends move on. But there are some cars that I made the mistake of rating highly against their contemporaries, only for the model I liked to fade into oblivion while the rivals remained desirable.

One example would be that I thought the late 90s Lexus GS400 was better looking than the 5 Series and E Class of the day. Ten years on that Lexus looks like a bit of a shapeless blob, similar to a few Koreans of the day. Meanwhile the E39 5 has remained a taut, crisp shape that holds its own in mordern traffic.

It works both ways. I hated the Tribeca when it came out but the styling seems to fit right in with today's swoopy BMW, Lexus and Porsche 4WDs.

As a 9 year old I preferred the squarer shape of the Ford Capri to the softer MX5. But I put that down to being a 9 year old and thinking every car needed angles like a Countach or F40.

Strage, the capri was the first thing I thought of after reading the first line.

That is very strage indeed considering I didn't think of the Capri until just before hitting send.

Dodge wrote:yes. a thousand times yes.

The front looks identical to the Grand Prix posted above it. Although I suspect the GP is a much larger car.

It's just completely proportionally wrong

Swerve wrote:

Dodge wrote:yes. a thousand times yes.

The front looks identical to the Grand Prix posted above it. Although I suspect the GP is a much larger car.

Yeah, the Storm was a reworked Isuzu Gemini. The Grand Prix was more of a D-segment car.

never! all cars i have ever liked are still mega awesome!

you know I just cant quite put my finger on where they got that design idea from

Lamborghini?

i don't think it looks like a 240SX, if that's what you're saying...


and I'm sure there are a lot of designs I've missed the mark on, but none spring to mind right now. you're asking me to actually remember things...

What about the Isuzu VehiCross???

I think they still look cool. They are not too common still, so every time I see one it's kinda cool. They look like the Futuristic version of 2-door Isuzu Rodeo.

Yeah, I've always thought the Vehicross looked cool, and I still do.

The early 2000's Hyundai Sonata with the Jaaaaaaaag-like styling. When it first came out, despite it being highly derivative, I thought it was a strong, well-styled design that stood out compared to the other cars in its class and really gave that illusion of appearing upscale.

I don't know if I liked it that much because it looked so much better than the one that came before it, but it just does not hold up well at all. Especially considering the one that came after was so much better looking, and the new Sonata is gorgeous.

Turbojett wrote:i don't think it looks like a 240SX, if that's what you're saying...


and I'm sure there are a lot of designs I've missed the mark on, but none spring to mind right now. you're asking me to actually remember things...

not even a little?

Swerve wrote:What about the Isuzu VehiCross???

I always thought that was ugly.

Dodge wrote:

Turbojett wrote:i don't think it looks like a 240SX, if that's what you're saying...


and I'm sure there are a lot of designs I've missed the mark on, but none spring to mind right now. you're asking me to actually remember things...

not even a little?

well, maybe from the back, I can see it, but I always thought 1G DSM, Olds Cutlass Supreme coupe or Ford Probe.


HEY! There's a design i was wrong about!


I still kinda like these second-generation ones, though. kinda FD-ish.

I was gonna mention the ford probe too. All these 90's domestic coupes.

the the whole reason for the probe was leaving the Mustang for dead. It just never died.

but like I said. I kinda like the later ones. I'd draw one, but I don't think I'd ever want to own one.

I think they 2nd gen probes (wow what a terrible name) were sharp looking cars, too bad they didn't have the balls to back them up..why on earth anyone would want one of those over the japaneese competition is beyond me

well, what it was was little more than a badge-engineered MX6 (well, reskinned at least). So technically it was still the foreign competition, as done by Ford.

you mean the company owned and mostly controlled by ford at the time

surely they were better off ditching the RX7 for the mx6, way to go ford. way to go.

well they made the RX7 all the way up to 2002.
just not for US consumption....

My brother got one of those 2nd gen Probe's when he turned 16. Wrecked the fuck out of it...

The second gen probes weren't bad. A friend of mine in college had one with the V6 w/ 5-speed. It was pretty quick. He had it slightly modded and with the exhaust he had on it, when he'd pass you at speed, it sounded like a Ferrari. That wasn't a bad engine either.

Unfortunately it was that horrid teal color that was rather popular.

Speaking of the Mx-6, I thought they looked ok until I found out it was the same as the Probe. Jesus what a dull looking car.