What do you think is the most perfectly designed car?

Kinja'd!!! "BiTurbo228 - Dr Frankenstein of Spitfires" (biturbo228)
10/09/2013 at 16:44 • Filed to: None

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Not necessarily the most beautiful, but the most flawless. It has to be good looking sure, but more than that it has to not have a single off-key in its symphony of design.

I reckon a lot of people would suggest the E-Type, but I'm not convinced. The windscreen is a little too vertical to be a smoothly flowing design, and the tail-lights don't quite look perfect sitting on top (S1) or below (S2 & 3) the bumper.

I don't think these details are detrimental, in fact the windscreen is part of the charm of the E-Type's design, but they are nonetheless tiny little flaws.

Personally, I'd nominate the Fulvia. It's such an achingly pretty little thing, and I can't find a single sour note in the whole design.

Not only that, but it's mechanically beautiful too, with it's little clockwork gem of a V4 and FWD when FWD was still something special.

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DISCUSSION (95)


Kinja'd!!! 505Turbeaux > BiTurbo228 - Dr Frankenstein of Spitfires
10/09/2013 at 16:47

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and ultimately this. Sorry it had to be said, for functionality, and a host of other reasons

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Kinja'd!!! Jagvar > BiTurbo228 - Dr Frankenstein of Spitfires
10/09/2013 at 16:49

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BMW E38 740i Sport


Kinja'd!!! Chairman Kaga > BiTurbo228 - Dr Frankenstein of Spitfires
10/09/2013 at 16:49

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The Fulvia is one of the prettiest cars ever. But even still, wrong Lancia.

(whatever car, it will almost certainly be Italian)

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Kinja'd!!! Babz > BiTurbo228 - Dr Frankenstein of Spitfires
10/09/2013 at 16:50

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I completly agree with you, I have a some kind of "crush" on the Fulvia coupe since my childhood and ot has been a dream car of mine ever since.

Also, unlike some people, I think "resto-modding" a Fulvia is wrong. By swapping the engine to get "some power" you're loosing one of the biggest (if not the biggestà appeal of it : That V4 engine. The sort of sounds it makes when properly tuned ... Just heavenly.


Kinja'd!!! RamblinRover Luxury-Yacht > BiTurbo228 - Dr Frankenstein of Spitfires
10/09/2013 at 16:54

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My vote actually goes in for the Mini. Not a traditionally pretty car, but by gum every piece of it is of a part with the rest, flawlessly. Its proportions are untraditional, but wholly consistent. Every line has purpose.


Kinja'd!!! TSLA > BiTurbo228 - Dr Frankenstein of Spitfires
10/09/2013 at 16:55

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Basically everything produced in the last 10 years.

[spoiler]not srs[/spoiler]


Kinja'd!!! Corey CC97, MAZDA DPI IS STILL BAE JOESTACTIV JOESTACTIV JOESTACTIV JOESTACTIV VISIT FLORIDA RACING LIVES FOREVER IN OUR HEARTS > BiTurbo228 - Dr Frankenstein of Spitfires
10/09/2013 at 16:55

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Kinja'd!!! Who needs sway bars anyway > BiTurbo228 - Dr Frankenstein of Spitfires
10/09/2013 at 16:58

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I think the Fulvia is a good choice but for me the one thing holding it back is the FWD, I don't think you can really have driving perfection with a FWD car. In terms of all encompassing perfection I would have to go with the Alfa GTV 2000 Its Beautiful, Balanced, a good driver it has a great motor and while it has a refined feel and quality it isn't overly complicated. Perfection.

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Kinja'd!!! Fed(oo=[][]=oo)uken > Corey CC97, MAZDA DPI IS STILL BAE JOESTACTIV JOESTACTIV JOESTACTIV JOESTACTIV VISIT FLORIDA RACING LIVES FOREVER IN OUR HEARTS
10/09/2013 at 16:59

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Well it does have pretty much everything you could possibly ask for in an automobile (including a kitchen sink), except maybe attractiveness.


Kinja'd!!! Tom McParland > BiTurbo228 - Dr Frankenstein of Spitfires
10/09/2013 at 17:01

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I think the F-type is pretty damn close.


Kinja'd!!! Corey CC97, MAZDA DPI IS STILL BAE JOESTACTIV JOESTACTIV JOESTACTIV JOESTACTIV VISIT FLORIDA RACING LIVES FOREVER IN OUR HEARTS > BiTurbo228 - Dr Frankenstein of Spitfires
10/09/2013 at 17:01

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Always the answer.


Kinja'd!!! Fed(oo=[][]=oo)uken > BiTurbo228 - Dr Frankenstein of Spitfires
10/09/2013 at 17:01

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e28? It's reliable, it's hoonable, it's easy to see out of, easy to work on, "classic," has a pretty good following, and seems to be appreciating quite nicely at the moment. Also I'm biased.

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Kinja'd!!! 190e30-Now with COSWORTH > BiTurbo228 - Dr Frankenstein of Spitfires
10/09/2013 at 17:07

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2002 Dodge Neon ACR. Hear me out.

A/C and radio were options. The seats were cheap, but very comfortable fabric buckets. It comfortably sat 5, and averaged 30 mpg. The engine loves to rev and pulls hard for a little 2.0 four cylinder. They only sold them in stick, so good for us. There's plenty of room in the trunk, so you could have things.

And then, when you took it to a track day/autocross, it was an animal. Adjustable rear dampers, oil-and power-steering coolers as standard, lightweight alloys, no sunroof, and very easily controllable and readable lift-off understeer, for those tight situations when you really want to just shove the nose in there.

So why is it the most perfect? It's a car for everyone and anyone. Your grandma could drive one. Your weird aunt could drive one. A ricer could drive one. A real driver could race one. No one would ever be dissatisfied with it, and it's cheap. You could buy it, use it how you want, and its cheap to deal with when it stops working.

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Kinja'd!!! SpeedSix > BiTurbo228 - Dr Frankenstein of Spitfires
10/09/2013 at 17:08

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Mercedes-Benz 190SL

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My dream car.


Kinja'd!!! SpeedSix > BiTurbo228 - Dr Frankenstein of Spitfires
10/09/2013 at 17:09

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Citroën SM


Kinja'd!!! Mikeado > BiTurbo228 - Dr Frankenstein of Spitfires
10/09/2013 at 17:09

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"Most Perfect?" Do I have to put 110% into coming up with an answer?

:-P

Anyway, to me the most cohesive design is a cliché choice, I'm afraid. But I simply can't find a single thing I'd change about the Lamborghini Miura's looks. The windscreen is unusually shallow-angled for the time, unlike the E-Type, the proportions are not what one normally expects for a mid-engined car - the cab is not forwards, but central - and yet they're somehow spot-on, because you get a long bonnet and a long, graceful tail... and a cabin that doesn't look squashed (A-pillar aside) because of that windscreen. There's no unwelcome mole or zit anywhere on this thing. It's witchcraft!

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What's more, the doors are bull horns and those wheels that look like they're inside-out perfectly sum up this design. They took the usual idea and then flipped it round.

So it's my choice. Today. If you ask me next week I might pick something else...


Kinja'd!!! J. Walter Weatherman > BiTurbo228 - Dr Frankenstein of Spitfires
10/09/2013 at 17:10

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Kinja'd!!! 505Turbeaux > J. Walter Weatherman
10/09/2013 at 17:13

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"Count" Albrecht did do a handsome job with that one in particular


Kinja'd!!! BiTurbo228 - Dr Frankenstein of Spitfires > J. Walter Weatherman
10/09/2013 at 17:15

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Great shout. Not sure I can find a flaw on that one.


Kinja'd!!! J. Walter Weatherman > BiTurbo228 - Dr Frankenstein of Spitfires
10/09/2013 at 17:18

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Yeah, I can't come up with anything to criticize about the design. They weren't particularly notable for their performance, but in terms of purity of design, they have to be at the top of my list.


Kinja'd!!! BiTurbo228 - Dr Frankenstein of Spitfires > SpeedSix
10/09/2013 at 17:18

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I think you might have won this.


Kinja'd!!! PushToStart > BiTurbo228 - Dr Frankenstein of Spitfires
10/09/2013 at 17:20

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Ferrari F40. It's sexy, and it's fast. One of the best cars to this day. Everything about it is pretty much perfect.

Also, the McLaren F1. Similar deal. Sexy, fast, and it's awesome too. The design of it is genius, from the seating positions to the luggage compartments in the side.


Kinja'd!!! BiTurbo228 - Dr Frankenstein of Spitfires > Mikeado
10/09/2013 at 17:21

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Pedant ;) and it's 'most perfectly', so I think I'm clear (tenuously).

I will absolutely agree with the Miura. There isn't a single part that I think could be done differently and look better, the rear especially:

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Kinja'd!!! RMudkips > 505Turbeaux
10/09/2013 at 17:22

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If you look at it for a while, you find it's actually really nice looking, not in an exotic way, but more of a simple honest way.


Kinja'd!!! BiTurbo228 - Dr Frankenstein of Spitfires > Corey CC97, MAZDA DPI IS STILL BAE JOESTACTIV JOESTACTIV JOESTACTIV JOESTACTIV VISIT FLORIDA RACING LIVES FOREVER IN OUR HEARTS
10/09/2013 at 17:22

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I suppose it's flawless in that there isn't a single good looking part of it, so it's all one big flaw.

Perfectly ugly.


Kinja'd!!! 505Turbeaux > RMudkips
10/09/2013 at 17:23

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exactly


Kinja'd!!! BiTurbo228 - Dr Frankenstein of Spitfires > Corey CC97, MAZDA DPI IS STILL BAE JOESTACTIV JOESTACTIV JOESTACTIV JOESTACTIV VISIT FLORIDA RACING LIVES FOREVER IN OUR HEARTS
10/09/2013 at 17:24

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I would love to say this too, but there's just one little feature that I can't help but think would make it look better.

The rear bumper sticks out by about 5-6 inches from the rear of the car, and I can't help but think that if it was just a little bit less protruding (or even better, entirely flush) with the rear panel it'd look better.

Great looking cars, but not quite perfect. Maybe it's just me though.


Kinja'd!!! BiTurbo228 - Dr Frankenstein of Spitfires > RamblinRover Luxury-Yacht
10/09/2013 at 17:25

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Good shout, and if you take into account the ingenuity in its mechanical design and innovation it's even better.


Kinja'd!!! Mikeado > BiTurbo228 - Dr Frankenstein of Spitfires
10/09/2013 at 17:26

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I'm slightly certain that "most perfectly" would suggest a scale of absoluteness!

That Jota is as happy as people looking at it overtake them would be.


Kinja'd!!! 6cyl > BiTurbo228 - Dr Frankenstein of Spitfires
10/09/2013 at 17:27

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Kinja'd!!! BiTurbo228 - Dr Frankenstein of Spitfires > Fed(oo=[][]=oo)uken
10/09/2013 at 17:27

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I might have to agree with you there (much though it pains me as a diehard Alfisti). I can't pick out a single thing on an E28 that I'd change. It's not one of those classically curvy designs that frequently top '10 most beautiful cars' lists, but it's perfectly 80s.


Kinja'd!!! BiTurbo228 - Dr Frankenstein of Spitfires > Chairman Kaga
10/09/2013 at 17:28

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Damn, now I'm torn. The Stratos is batshit in every element of its design, yet so perfectly cohesive that I wouldn't change anything.


Kinja'd!!! BiTurbo228 - Dr Frankenstein of Spitfires > Babz
10/09/2013 at 17:31

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I get what you mean about engine swapping one. Part of its appeal is the little clockwork jewel at its heart, and how it fits the car's character so perfectly.

Swapping it out for something else would lose some of that character.


Kinja'd!!! FireSpittingV12 > BiTurbo228 - Dr Frankenstein of Spitfires
10/09/2013 at 17:32

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Kinja'd!!! BiTurbo228 - Dr Frankenstein of Spitfires > Tom McParland
10/09/2013 at 17:33

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Great suggestion, and one of the few truly modern cars that I think could qualify for being a perfect design.

I'd also nominate the 2nd gen Audi TT. Not a bad line on that car.


Kinja'd!!! FireSpittingV12 > BiTurbo228 - Dr Frankenstein of Spitfires
10/09/2013 at 17:36

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Kinja'd!!! BiTurbo228 - Dr Frankenstein of Spitfires > Jagvar
10/09/2013 at 17:36

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Oh good thought.

Easily the most menacing car I've ever had stuck behind me. Not in an 'argh I'm scary' way, but in the vein of 'talk softly and carry a big stick'.

I'd actually go out of my way to say that this is the best looking modern BMW. The Z8's not far from, but the fact that it borrows so heavily from the 507 knocks it down a peg.


Kinja'd!!! BiTurbo228 - Dr Frankenstein of Spitfires > PushToStart
10/09/2013 at 17:37

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Utter functionality in design, good suggestion. The only gripe I'd have is that the pop-up headlights look odd, but I think that's more that I had no idea they were popups before I saw them in action and they took me by surprise.


Kinja'd!!! Chairman Kaga > BiTurbo228 - Dr Frankenstein of Spitfires
10/09/2013 at 17:44

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I know. It's beautiful AND purposeful.

I also have to mention the Miura SV and the GT40 mk II as contenders. Cars never got better looking that the late 60s, did they?


Kinja'd!!! BiTurbo228 - Dr Frankenstein of Spitfires > Who needs sway bars anyway
10/09/2013 at 17:47

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I will wholeheartedly agree with the Alfa 2000 GTV (although I might be swayed a little more to the 1750 GTV, which is the car first pictured). I can't fault these at all.

I will challenge the bias against FWD though. I understand that it's your personal preference, but the idea that RWD is supreme is an entirely modern thing. For a great proportion of history, FWD was an interesting technological developement. It's only its association with boring A-to-B boxes that has sullied its name.

Yes it's harder to get a good weight distribution, but it's not impossible. It's also slower to launch as the weight transfers away from the driven wheels during acceleration. However, it's better in the snow as there's more weight over the driven wheels (and also the ones doing the braking and steering too), and there's significantly lower drivetrain loss than a RWD and especially AWD setup (which is more pronounced at lower power levels, like the ones the GTV and Fulvia inhabit). In fact, the losses are enough that my 2.5l 187bhp 156 will out-drag my 2.5l 189bhp 325i, despite the higher peak torque and greater ability to launch of the BMW.

Each setup has its advantages, and if you're going for high power then RWD or AWD is the only way to go, but many cars aren't going for high power, and FWD can be just as elegant a solution.


Kinja'd!!! BiTurbo228 - Dr Frankenstein of Spitfires > 190e30-Now with COSWORTH
10/09/2013 at 17:50

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Very interesting idea. I was going more for perfection in style, but there's a whole other avenue of thought when you start thinking about 'perfection for purpose'.


Kinja'd!!! BiTurbo228 - Dr Frankenstein of Spitfires > Chairman Kaga
10/09/2013 at 17:52

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I do wonder whether it's just that in the current day and age we're going through an era where 60s design ideas are the most popular, but then I count the sheer number of drop-dead gorgeous (and even plain good looking) cars that came out of the 60s and think 'nah, that's definitely not it'.


Kinja'd!!! Milky > 190e30-Now with COSWORTH
10/09/2013 at 17:56

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"No one would ever be dissatisfied with it"

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Kinja'd!!! BiTurbo228 - Dr Frankenstein of Spitfires > 505Turbeaux
10/09/2013 at 18:00

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If you'd posted that 6 months ago I'd have laughed at you, but since then I've actually had a good hard look at the 140 series and seen that they're actually really great looking cars. They still have the Swedish box Volvo character, but they've got the delicate features of the 60s and early 70s intermixed.

As RMudkips said, not exotic like a model, but just perfectly honest like the girl next door.


Kinja'd!!! Milky > BiTurbo228 - Dr Frankenstein of Spitfires
10/09/2013 at 18:05

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I have a few suggestions, some of which have all ready been suggested.

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Kinja'd!!! BiTurbo228 - Dr Frankenstein of Spitfires > FireSpittingV12
10/09/2013 at 18:06

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Another of the few modern cars worthy of being called perfect.

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Kinja'd!!! BiTurbo228 - Dr Frankenstein of Spitfires > FireSpittingV12
10/09/2013 at 18:07

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Imaged nibbled, what was this?


Kinja'd!!! BarryDanger > BiTurbo228 - Dr Frankenstein of Spitfires
10/09/2013 at 18:08

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Because it's fully committed to the 80s in every single way.

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Kinja'd!!! Sinanigans > BiTurbo228 - Dr Frankenstein of Spitfires
10/09/2013 at 18:09

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Ferrari 456gt. Pre modificata... Just simple elegant design


Kinja'd!!! Blondude > BiTurbo228 - Dr Frankenstein of Spitfires
10/09/2013 at 18:09

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The only flaw is that they didn't make more. Then again, that's why we have replicas.

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HNNNNGG!!


Kinja'd!!! BiTurbo228 - Dr Frankenstein of Spitfires > 6cyl
10/09/2013 at 18:12

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Just yes. I'm going to use this as an excuse to post some more Stradale pics.

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Kinja'd!!! BiTurbo228 - Dr Frankenstein of Spitfires > Milky
10/09/2013 at 18:15

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I can't believe I forgot about the V8 Vantage (although your pic is of the V12 if I'm not mistaken). I cannot fault a single millimetre of its design.

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Good shout with the Viper as well. Another car I can't fault.


Kinja'd!!! BiTurbo228 - Dr Frankenstein of Spitfires > BarryDanger
10/09/2013 at 18:17

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Nibbles being nibbles again. No pic :(


Kinja'd!!! feather-throttle-not-hair > BiTurbo228 - Dr Frankenstein of Spitfires
10/09/2013 at 18:18

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They look so right it almost hurts.

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Kinja'd!!! BiTurbo228 - Dr Frankenstein of Spitfires > feather-throttle-not-hair
10/09/2013 at 18:21

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Very good suggestion. It looks like the grew them rather than built them it's such an organic shape.


Kinja'd!!! revrseat70 > BiTurbo228 - Dr Frankenstein of Spitfires
10/09/2013 at 18:23

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My runners up would be an FD RX-7, Original Nissan GTR, E30 M3, or a Datson 240z. I'm not sure if I fully understand your question. But to me, although those designs are all very different, the overall themes of those cars are sown throughout so well that your can follow lines on them for a long time.


Kinja'd!!! revrseat70 > J. Walter Weatherman
10/09/2013 at 18:26

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These remind me of another good choice.


Kinja'd!!! BiTurbo228 - Dr Frankenstein of Spitfires > revrseat70
10/09/2013 at 18:29

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I can't fault any of those suggestions, especially the Pantera. In pictures they look fantastic, but even that doesn't do them justice.


Kinja'd!!! 6cyl > 6cyl
10/09/2013 at 18:30

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That first photo is one of my favorites.

The second to last one is amazing though. It really shows how perfect this car is. The 8c is a very, very pretty car but next to the 33 is looks like a fat plastic turd.


Kinja'd!!! BarryDanger > BiTurbo228 - Dr Frankenstein of Spitfires
10/09/2013 at 18:33

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...lame. answer was Ferrari 288 GTO.


Kinja'd!!! 190e30-Now with COSWORTH > Milky
10/09/2013 at 18:34

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Clearly you've never driven one before then


Kinja'd!!! Tom McParland > BiTurbo228 - Dr Frankenstein of Spitfires
10/09/2013 at 18:36

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Thanks...and great question! Should be a QOTD on the FP but I'm not sure that crew could handle it.


Kinja'd!!! BiTurbo228 - Dr Frankenstein of Spitfires > BarryDanger
10/09/2013 at 18:38

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Agreed wholeheartedly. Definitely my all-time favourite Ferrari.


Kinja'd!!! BiTurbo228 - Dr Frankenstein of Spitfires > Tom McParland
10/09/2013 at 18:39

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Thanks :) I'd hate to have to pick out a top 10 for the AOTD.

If it was me, I might just try and compile an enormous picture thread of the most gorgeous pictures I could find of all the cars posted and hope that mollifies the masses.


Kinja'd!!! BarryDanger > BiTurbo228 - Dr Frankenstein of Spitfires
10/09/2013 at 18:39

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Kinja'd!!! Zohaibman72 > BiTurbo228 - Dr Frankenstein of Spitfires
10/09/2013 at 19:02

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Obviously the 2008 Camry. No Bias at all.

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No but in all seriousness, I completely think the DB9 hits the marks for me.

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I think the design flows really well, and looks really amazing from any angle. It's not my favorite car, it's not even in my top 10, but it's one bveutiful car, with a flawless, and timeless design.


Kinja'd!!! BiTurbo228 - Dr Frankenstein of Spitfires > Zohaibman72
10/09/2013 at 19:06

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Agreed. The DB9 is so perfect its defined what an Aston looks like for the past decade (and I don't see them changing that any time soon).


Kinja'd!!! Zohaibman72 > feather-throttle-not-hair
10/09/2013 at 19:07

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Along with my post I completely agree with this.

Alot of people bash japanese cars for copying this or that, but this looks quite orginal to me, and it's hard to believe it was made in 1992. Nothing at all I can find wrong on the design.

I wanted to add the 300ZX. I really looks like a sequel to the Z cars, unlike the 350z, which doesn't look like it's in the Z-car line that much.


Kinja'd!!! Milky > 190e30-Now with COSWORTH
10/09/2013 at 19:13

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A car being all things to all people, does not mean its "the most perfectly designed car". Wether I've driven one or not.

Maybe it does to you, but not to me or anyone who thinks design correlates to aesthetics.

Also the all thing to all people argument is a good one to make. But why would you pick a rare model of a not so great base car? Esp. when things like the original mini exist.


Kinja'd!!! LeadfootYT > BiTurbo228 - Dr Frankenstein of Spitfires
10/09/2013 at 19:29

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Designed? E24 BMW. Endlessly reliable, and a wonderful driving experience that can also carry you for thousands of miles in comfort on long road trips. Plus a great body, hindered slightly by US bumpers, but with a core of timeless elegance.

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Styled? E9 BMW. Although to be honest, it has many of the same qualities as the E24 mechanically.


Kinja'd!!! feather-throttle-not-hair > Zohaibman72
10/09/2013 at 19:34

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Funny, the other car i was going to suggest (besides the RX-7) was the V8 vantage, which looks more than a little bit like the DB9.

However i'd argue that the shorter wheelbase of the Vantage just gives it slightly better, more aggressive and sports car like proportions. This is of course splitting hairs, but to me the Vantage is the better looking car.

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Kinja'd!!! Cloud81918 > Mikeado
10/09/2013 at 20:06

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It looks great, but what about the shared oil issue. Seems like a breaker to me.


Kinja'd!!! RotaryLover > SpeedSix
10/09/2013 at 20:22

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You took my choice! :(


Kinja'd!!! Cloud81918 > BiTurbo228 - Dr Frankenstein of Spitfires
10/09/2013 at 20:52

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I'm going to put this in the running. 89 Civic Si hatch.

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I don't own one, but have been allowed to use one both off and on an autocross course. Amazingly well done car. Sure it isn't the most beautiful car, but it is stylish and functional. The lines are not lustworthy, but it does the job and that in itself has beauty. The rear hatch is as wide as the interor, so anything that you could fit in the car can fit in the car (lots of hatches screw that up).

The mechanical aspects of the car are really beyond compare and they are the reason for my nomination. The suspension is a double wishbone system, the engine is very understressed and has much more to give than how it was setup when it left the factory. Sightlines are wonderful. Controls are direct and pure. Gauges are simple and effective.

Some may claim the it is FWD, but it has great balance for a car driving the "wrong" wheels. And to whole car responds amazingly well to modification.

Some may think a Honda doesn't deserve to be on this list, but I think it would be a crime for it to be missing. In many ways it is outrageously well designed, especially from an engineering stand point; It is close to perfect. It is lite and functional, offering great performance from a small external package and efficient use of internal space.

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Kinja'd!!! tanuki after dark > BiTurbo228 - Dr Frankenstein of Spitfires
10/09/2013 at 20:57

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Oh and there is a better fulvia

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Kinja'd!!! slomaro > J. Walter Weatherman
10/09/2013 at 20:57

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For the first time ever, I see Fisker here. Well, the other way around, but you get me, right?


Kinja'd!!! Sn210 > BiTurbo228 - Dr Frankenstein of Spitfires
10/09/2013 at 21:55

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NSX?

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Kinja'd!!! Fed(oo=[][]=oo)uken > BiTurbo228 - Dr Frankenstein of Spitfires
10/09/2013 at 22:09

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That's exactly it, it's hard to fault it on anything, and it's a beautiful bit of engineering, especially if you've had a chance to tinker on one.


Kinja'd!!! Desu-San-Desu > BiTurbo228 - Dr Frankenstein of Spitfires
10/09/2013 at 23:13

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For me, it just doesn't get any better than the MK1 Toyota Celica GT RA28.


Kinja'd!!! Mikeado > Cloud81918
10/10/2013 at 03:17

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Meh, all old cars have issues (particularly old Italian sports/supercar s) but there are still people who run them regularly. I wouldn't get a car that I can't afford to maintain.


Kinja'd!!! BiTurbo228 - Dr Frankenstein of Spitfires > Desu-San-Desu
10/10/2013 at 06:36

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Good suggestion.

There was a quote I heard about the Japanese car industry pre-90s that I thought was rather good. It said something along the lines of 'the Japanese automakers never really invented anything new, but what did was take elements of other automakers' cars, improve them and put them together in such a way that the end product was nothing short of fantastic'.*

That certainly fits with the Celica. There's nothing actually new or novel about it, even the styling is derivative of the Mustang, but it's been improved so much that it's made it its own. The whole is so much more than the sum of its parts.

*The only exception I can think of is Mazda and their rotaries.


Kinja'd!!! Sn210 > Sn210
10/10/2013 at 07:02

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Nibbled


Kinja'd!!! BiTurbo228 - Dr Frankenstein of Spitfires > tanuki after dark
10/10/2013 at 08:15

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Good suggestions. The Fulvia Zagato has probably the best rear end of any car ever made, but the front is a bit polarising. I rather like it, but it could have been done better.


Kinja'd!!! BiTurbo228 - Dr Frankenstein of Spitfires > Cloud81918
10/10/2013 at 08:31

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You know I was thinking how one of these was a good candidate last night. Not only is it vvery well engineered, but it's a really elegant design. Nothing I would change on this either.


Kinja'd!!! Sn210 > BiTurbo228 - Dr Frankenstein of Spitfires
10/10/2013 at 09:36

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I'd also like to share my love for the e90 BMW 335i coupe. I think it's underrated and gets lost in the M3's shadow. It's a smoother design over the M3 but it still retains some aggressiveness in the headlights.

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Kinja'd!!! AMC/Renauledge > BiTurbo228 - Dr Frankenstein of Spitfires
10/10/2013 at 11:29

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Jaguar XKSS

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The Fulvia is right up there for me. Probably the S2, though. But since you've already effectively taken my answer, I'm going to post the Fiat Dino Spider.

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As for American cars? The 1965 Buick Riviera.


Kinja'd!!! BiTurbo228 - Dr Frankenstein of Spitfires > AMC/Renauledge
10/10/2013 at 14:01

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Great suggestions, especially the Riviera. Most menacing car in the world, and perfectly proportioned.


Kinja'd!!! SwedishMachine > BiTurbo228 - Dr Frankenstein of Spitfires
10/10/2013 at 14:59

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Volvo 850 turbo estate/850R
By far the best looking wagon ever made, introduced the iconic tower tail lights that everyone has copied in recent days, and it's the perfect blend of classic Volvo boxy styling with a modern flair. It was actually penned by the same man who did the legendary 120, 140, 240, 700 and 900 series Volvos and took almost 25 years to design and bring to market, making it one of the largest Swedish engineering efforts of all time. The 850 was a test bed for new Volvo tech, and it's DNA resides in all modern Volvos. The 850 is Volvos first 5 cylinder front wheel drive vehicle in the US, and has the distinction of being the last 100% Volvo engineered, built and designed vehicle before the 1998 sale of Volvo cars to Ford. As the 850 is a vehicle of firsts for Volvo, it was the first car in the world with side impact airbags. Since these cars are from the 90s they're simple engineering, no crazy computer controlled nonsense, electronic throttle controls or BS here, they are fairly easy to work on, reliable and they are both comfortable and functional vehicles. The seats are among the best you'll ever sit in, the interior is logical and easy to use, and it has more cargo space than you'll ever need. Plus with 225-250hp on tap from the iconic wailing turbo 5 and a dynamic suspension it's fun to drive and decently quick to boot.


Kinja'd!!! Jonee > BiTurbo228 - Dr Frankenstein of Spitfires
10/10/2013 at 22:21

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The Chrysler Diablo. Gives me goosebumps.


Kinja'd!!! AssOmatic > Mikeado
10/13/2013 at 08:20

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I know it borders on blasphemy, but I've always hated the "eyelashes" on the headlights.

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Kinja'd!!! Mikeado > AssOmatic
10/13/2013 at 09:44

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The Miura's are the only acceptable eyelashes.

However, if you really can't stand them, there's always the SV version, on which it's just mascara and not eyelashes.

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Kinja'd!!! AssOmatic > Mikeado
10/13/2013 at 11:11

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Actually I really like the headlights on the concept car.

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Kinja'd!!! AssOmatic > BiTurbo228 - Dr Frankenstein of Spitfires
10/13/2013 at 11:22

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Not that I would choose to own one over some of the other beautiful examples here, but IMO this. It hits so many design marks dead on in both form AND function, past and present. :

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Kinja'd!!! Mikeado > AssOmatic
10/13/2013 at 11:53

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Well, that's from 40 years later. We knew more about headlight design by then ;-)


Kinja'd!!! BiTurbo228 - Dr Frankenstein of Spitfires > AssOmatic
10/13/2013 at 18:31

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Good suggestion. I saw one of these on the road a while back and it took me by surprise just how good looking they are.