This One Crazy Trick Turns Modern Ugly Cars Cool!

"Jake - Has Bad Luck So You Don't Have To" (murdersofa) 09/23/2014 at 10:33 • Filed to: None

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You won't BELIEVE what one Kansas teenager discovered!

Clickbait title aside, the picture above is a 2013 Toyota Prius. Not often lauded as a masterpiece of design, I've become quite aquainted with its rear quarter view and realized something: the rear wheel well and wheels look TINY.

The reason for this is the car's belt-line causing what I call "artificial rake". This results in a lot of "dead space" and sheet metal between the rear wheel well and the beginning of the glass, which makes the whole car seem like it's leaning forward and makes the wheel well look oddly shrunken.

Here, I have removed the artificial rake in the Prius design.

It's far from perfect, but just by flattening out the waistline of the car (and shaving the door handles because I was too lazy to keep them around) we go from a bloated family car to a reasonably sleek hatchback-looking thing.

So what do you guys thing? Would modern "bloated"' car designs look better with a flat waist and no rake?

Alex B > Jake - Has Bad Luck So You Don't Have To 09/23/2014 at 10:36

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PHOTOSHOP MASTERS HATE HIM

find out the secret that a Kansas teen discovered about photoshop

Mattbob > Jake - Has Bad Luck So You Don't Have To 09/23/2014 at 10:36

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yeah, that looks way better.

PS9 > Jake - Has Bad Luck So You Don't Have To 09/23/2014 at 10:41

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It's bloated because it's intended to carry stuff in it. It's not really visible here because the magic of photoshop, but removing the rake would bring the ceiling down on the rear passengers and kill off storage space in the rear, which would pretty much eliminate any advantage the V has over the standard car.

Tapas > Jake - Has Bad Luck So You Don't Have To 09/23/2014 at 10:44

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Dude....that needs smaller lights. Those head and tail lights are the size of Australia.

Tapas > PS9 09/23/2014 at 10:45

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PANORAMIC ROOF! Problem fixed :D

Edit: Actually, it would be awesome if wagons had a panoramic/retractable roof in the rear, with tie-down points near the opening....

Yowen - not necessarily not spaghetti and meatballs > Jake - Has Bad Luck So You Don't Have To 09/23/2014 at 10:45

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At first I thought high beltlines were to pass safety standards, but recently, if I recall correctly, I heard some designer, at some automotive company said they could totally lower beltlines and still be fine with safety standards, so it's beyond me why auto makers insist on super high belt lines...

RazoE > Jake - Has Bad Luck So You Don't Have To 09/23/2014 at 10:46

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This looks like total crap.

Racescort666 > Jake - Has Bad Luck So You Don't Have To 09/23/2014 at 10:46

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I'm not going to say that I never hated the Prius, I did at one time. Now, it's really not a bad car. Agreeably the styling could be better but for people that just want something practical that gets good mileage (without the holier than thou attitude), it's not bad.

duurtlang > Jake - Has Bad Luck So You Don't Have To 09/23/2014 at 10:47

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This is a major problem with new car design. High belt lines are the devil. You've improved the design, although the tail lights are hideous. I do believe it would be a bit better if you kept the roof horizontal after the B pillar, like on a wagon.

The argument that it reduces practicality isn't all that valid imho, as you very rarely need the extra hight when carrying stuff.

Jake - Has Bad Luck So You Don't Have To > duurtlang 09/23/2014 at 10:54

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Low beltlines 4 lyfe. It bugs me I can't hang my arm out the window of my LeSabre because I'm short and the beltline is too high D:

BigBlock440 > Tapas 09/23/2014 at 11:44

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Kind of like this?

Tapas > BigBlock440 09/23/2014 at 11:52

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Ssoooorrrttaa. That was done by removing top half of the tailgate. I mean this....

BigBlock440 > Tapas 09/23/2014 at 12:21

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But, what advantage does that have? Anything tall would be more difficult to get through that opening, you couldn't just slide it in.

Tapas > BigBlock440 09/23/2014 at 12:34

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True. But all things won't necessarily be a one piece tall structure. Even if they are, some things could be slid in horizontally and then made up-right, once inside the car. Or you could stack stuff, if you want to...

In any case, the opening in the roof will increase usability.

BiTurbo228 - Dr Frankenstein of Spitfires > Jake - Has Bad Luck So You Don't Have To 09/23/2014 at 12:49

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I've noticed that amount of dead space above rear wheel arches before. It works alright on boxier older cars, but it's definitely better when it's kept to a minimum.

BigBlock440 > Tapas 09/23/2014 at 12:56

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If it's not a one-piece tall structure, than what's the roof opening for? I guess I don't see an advantage to that, other than giving the back seat passengers a sunroof.

ACESandEIGHTS > Jake - Has Bad Luck So You Don't Have To 09/23/2014 at 14:06

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Yeah I think Fig. 1 looks shitty and bloated and like a fucking Pontiac Vibe or Aztek or something.

Bring on the sleekness. The world needs a little more 80s French wagon style.

TheDudeAbides_(version 2.0) > Jake - Has Bad Luck So You Don't Have To 09/23/2014 at 15:17

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You haven't just erased the "rake", you've removed part of the car making it shorter in the back. Of course this looks better, but you lose a lot of cargo space and headroom for back passengers.

Demon-Xanth knows how to operate a street. > Jake - Has Bad Luck So You Don't Have To 11/28/2016 at 11:50

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I’ve been saying this for over a decade now.

Jake - Has Bad Luck So You Don't Have To > Demon-Xanth knows how to operate a street. 11/28/2016 at 11:52

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Wedge cars look hysterically poorly proportioned from a front or rear 3/4 view

Eric @ opposite-lock.com > Jake - Has Bad Luck So You Don't Have To 11/28/2016 at 11:55

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You’ll never see this in the real world except in SUVs, which are the last home for normal beltlines due to their heights. Cars get that rake to hide the enormous pillars and crash safety bars in the doors that are necessary to get decent crash test ratings.

Driving a car designed before 2000 or so is a real treat with those huge windows that give you an expansive view of the world around you.

Jake - Has Bad Luck So You Don't Have To > Eric @ opposite-lock.com 11/28/2016 at 12:08

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The new Miata/Fiata have reasonable beltlines. Caddies, Audis, most Mercedes all manage to keep a randomly long, low profile.

JustAnotherG6 > Jake - Has Bad Luck So You Don't Have To 11/28/2016 at 12:23

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Try being tall with your head hitting the headliner and you STILL can’t hang an arm out the window.

Klaus Schmoll > Yowen - not necessarily not spaghetti and meatballs 11/28/2016 at 12:37

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I think it is to give you the illusion of safety. “Look, my body is covered in metal up to my neck.”

Demon-Xanth knows how to operate a street. > Jake - Has Bad Luck So You Don't Have To 11/28/2016 at 12:45

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When you look at a line of parked cars and it looks like every single one slammed on their brakes... and then there’s the massive expanse of odd rear fender space.

Jake - Has Bad Luck So You Don't Have To > Demon-Xanth knows how to operate a street. 11/28/2016 at 13:22

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Agreed. Which makes me wonder why Alfa Romeos are so lauded.

Demon-Xanth knows how to operate a street. > Jake - Has Bad Luck So You Don't Have To 11/28/2016 at 14:40

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Jake - Has Bad Luck So You Don't Have To > Demon-Xanth knows how to operate a street. 11/28/2016 at 14:50

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I’m not confused about that one bit.

TheBimmerGuyWhoNowOwnsAChevy > Jake - Has Bad Luck So You Don't Have To 11/28/2016 at 15:09

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Really not a fan of the prius, but that redesign looks way better than the original