New vehicle design

[Plasboy]

What is the deal with the front fascia on so many new vehicles. Even the new Mercedes GLS has got that pronounced Subaru like front.
I don’t think it is even close to attractive and the Toyota and Lexus designs are even worse.

[ZORA 69]

I here you Plasboy. I always drove Mercedes Sl class cars along with my Corvettes. The last good looking SL car was 2009. Haven't bought one since. And what is really scary is as much Criticism Mercedes gets for their cars they did not get it till last year when they started building their GT cars. Which have rear lines of the 50s 300 SL. They may be going backwards or starting all over again, NOT SURE

[John]

Aero, aero, aero has become every new vehicle’s mantra (just like the 3L’s for real estate). Was watching a designer of a SUV interviewed last summer about the new SUV he had just created (he was standing next to a production version of it at an auto show), and half of what he talked about was this aero feature and then the next one — all in the name of fuel efficiency. Same is true of the back of each new vehicle too, in that case getting the air to cleanly separate from its rear for better, wait for it though you know what is coming, fuel economy.

Equally true of electric vehicles.

Fuel efficiency has become IMO # 1; beauty has been relegated to # 2. Though as always, a fantastic designer can rise to the occasion and have his/her vehicle stand out and be gorgeous. Here’s to the C8’s designers having been able to accomplish that.

[Plasboy]

Aero, aero, aero has become every new vehicle’s mantra (just like the 3L’s for real estate). Was watching a designer of a SUV interviewed last summer about the new SUV he had just created (he was standing next to a production version of it at an auto show), and half of what he talked about was this aero feature and then the next one — all in the name of fuel efficiency. Same is true of the back of each new vehicle too, in that case getting the air to cleanly separate from its rear for better, wait for it though you know what is coming, fuel economy.

Equally true of electric vehicles.

Fuel efficiency has become IMO # 1; beauty has been relegated to # 2. Though as always, a fantastic designer can rise to the occasion and have his/her vehicle stand out and be gorgeous. Here’s to the C8’s designers having been able to accomplish that.

I fully believe that but you would think you could do that without such a grotesque look.

[fvs]

I think some designers and brands are looking for identifiability over beauty. Different to be different. May not be beautiful but it is recognizable. Unfortunately this ends up backfiring because other brands follow suit and all become homogenized anyway.

[John]

Beautiful form equals performance driven function!

Above quote comes from Corvette C7, now C8 Chief Exterior Designer Kirk Bennion. I have full faith that when we see the C8 that there will not be a single thing about it that is grotesque; in fact, au contraire, it will be gorgeous!

[Boomer]

I've noticed this "front fascia" fad also. If is " aero, aero, aero", I guess they're sure getting lotsa air thru those large front mouths:




Here"s another option they could try:

[meyerweb]

Most of the area behind those huge grills is blocked off. The actual radiator opening is tiny.

I think there are two reasons: One, Audi started the large grill thing a decade ago, and it turned out to be popular. Consumers seemed to associate big grills with luxury (poor man's Roll Royce?). Audi responded my making their grills ever bigger, until they became parodies of themselves, and still consumers lapped them up. So, naturally, other manufacturers followed suit.

And two, for some manufacturers it's an attempt to create a brand identify. Lexus' "spindle" grill, and then Toyota's version of it, for example. Chevy's moderately large grill with a horizontal break, for another. And BMW's ever more malignant "kidneys", culminating in this monstrosity. The GLS is positively reserved and subdued in comparison.

And I don't believe for a minute these massive maws are aerodynamically efficient.

[Frenzy36]

Check this out from 9 years ago

[Frenzy36]