"Agrajag" (Agrajag)
08/04/2013 at 19:32 • Filed to: oppo question
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"Agrajag" (Agrajag)
08/04/2013 at 19:32 • Filed to: oppo question | 1
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Klaus Schmoll's post had me thinking.
We all know there are telltale signs of where a car is from just by feel and mostly exterior design. Have you ever really wondered about that though? Is it conciously intentional during the design process? The car above is obviously Italian. We certainly know that, but most non car nuts would probably guess so, because it looks like beautiful longing woman in red lingerie lying on your bed.
It just amazes me how you can look at something(more than just cars)and be like "oh, that's German."
Germany:
Your cars tend to be kind of dull by design. They are over engineered to the point that they can be ruinously expensive to maintain when they eventually break, but will feel new until it does. Some of them are absolute tanks(w123 I'm looking at you). Are purchased as status symbols.
America:
Foreigners I've talked to about it say they were surprised to find out not everybody drives cars like these here. But will still pretty much do, as last I heard the best selling vehicles are trucks. I think our stereotype is huge and simple(though simple is a charade now). "You need a new alternator, but unfortunately it's in the glovebox, but you can't access it from the glovebox so we'll need to pull the engine, oh and you're low on snake oil."
Japan:
Cheap, reliable, great transportation and when they make a sports car it's the bee's knees.
Though you're getting Japan'd by Korea lately.
England:
'nuff said. You had some awesome cars, and have a great drivers culture. But sadly your cars are not your own anymore.
I wonder really why these exist,and if it is a conscious effort. If Audi was like "were making a new 2 seat sports ca "and someone presented the 4c would they be like "what are those parts that aren't straight, and why is it red?" And how do some of these persist? Why when a car catches fire does someone say "must be a Ferrari." Clearly you've done something wrong but you continue on your way almost like it's excusable.
Any thoughts on this kind of weird phenomena?
desertdog5051
> Agrajag
08/04/2013 at 19:59 |
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Great, thought provoking, post my good man. No thoughts come right to me, but maybe will later. Thanks.
Victorious Secret
> Agrajag
08/04/2013 at 20:18 |
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A lot of it comes from the schools of thought of each brand/region.
Americans don't change to Japanese who don't change to European who don't change to Italian. It is very dogmatic and enclosed and you either toe along the design line or you get kicked out and hope that a design firm will hire you.
It is very slow to change and stuck in its ways.
Its ironic because this is the problem with schooling in general. Business and design come to mind. What you are taught in school just barely mirrors what real life is. You might end up with better designs if you actually let a engineer design them because they only care to evolve into what works in the best way regardless of what shape it takes.
Someone at Honda submits a design that looks like it came from Bertone and they'd get laughed out of their cubicle for doing so.
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Agrajag
> Victorious Secret
08/04/2013 at 20:36 |
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As far as design certainly, but do you think that applies to the general engineering as well? Why are Italian cars more likely to break down as opposed to Japanese cars, or is that just an unjust preconception?
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Victorious Secret
> Agrajag
08/04/2013 at 20:39 |
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Unjust preconception.
Engineering is one thing. Putting that all together is another. Too many variables present in the entire process of making a car that make it hard to say.
On average, all cars break down the same. Not all are the same prices to fix of course, thats just part of the territory.
I will give the Brits and Italians this, they simply never cared to spend more than the minimum amount on testing their cars to make sure that what they put together would last.
moarpowerr
> Agrajag
08/04/2013 at 21:23 |
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Well the Italians had their design studios (pininfarina, bertone, etc) that mimic the general character of Italians; flamboyant, exaggerated, passionate. They usually try to come up with new designs from scratch
The Germans, on the other hand, are usually more serious. They also don't have such design studios like the Italians. Their deusually usually an evolutionary one as opposed to a revolutionary one.
The Americans, more so in the past, badge engineered everything to hell. The people wanted more of everything, so they got more of everything in their design.