Square Cars

"IanZ - limited-slip indifferential" (ianz-limited) 08/16/2016 at 15:52 • Filed to: Car Design, Rotten Tomatoes Through the E-Mail

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I’ve been thinking lately about how square cars have gotten. I’m not talking about overall shape, but specifically about front and rear fascias. Take a look at an Alfa from the past, and contrast it with a modern machine.

1970 Alfa Romeo GTV

See how gracefully the lower fascia becomes one with the wheel arch? That’s a thing of beauty.

2017 Alfa Romeo Giulia

Now look at the Giulia. The entire front fascia is essentially a square. But that doesn’t bother me so much. It’s probably for aerodynamic reasons, and it generally doesn’t detract from a car’s looks.

But something that does, and that’s been bugging me a lot more, is the area aft of the rear wheels.

Take a look again at the 1970 GTV:

The rear sheetmetal begins a little above the halfway point of the rear wheel. Directing your attention back up to the Giulia, you can see the body begins at about the bottom 1/3rd.

Let’s take a look at a different set of cars, the 2016 Kia Optima, and the Kia GT Concept.

One of the best things about the GT is the way the rear end slopes up and away from the rear wheel.

Looking at the Optima, you can see the pinched-in sheetmetal where such a slope would be. Unfortunately just beneath it is a flared-out piece that makes the entire rear end into a square.

In the age of growing beltlines, a massive chunk of metal behind the rear wheels only serves to add visual weight to cars that could do with some eye-posuction*.

I’m not saying of course every car should have the departure angles of a Jeep Wrangler, but if it’s appropriate for the design, why not? Don’t be afraid to try something different, car designers who read my articles. I’m looking at you, Ian Callum! I know you’ve been stealing my ideas for years! You HACK!

*I am so sorry for this joke, please do not send me rotten tomatoes through the e-mail.

Bman76 (no it doesn't need a WS6 hood) M. Arch > IanZ - limited-slip indifferential 08/16/2016 at 16:00

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Aero. Pushing air around the wheels is more efficient than it hitting the tire. Modern cars are all about aero.

Daily Drives a Dragon - One Last Lap > IanZ - limited-slip indifferential 08/16/2016 at 16:09

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I’m disappointed. The title led me to believe there would be talk of stuff like the Quasar Unipower. Anyway.... The styling you talked about is probably for aero

Shady Balkan Subject, Drives an Alfa > IanZ - limited-slip indifferential 08/16/2016 at 16:11

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But what about angry almost squares?!

Also I think I have a boner now...

With-a-G is back to not having anything written after his username > IanZ - limited-slip indifferential 08/16/2016 at 16:20

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Aw crap. Now why’d you have to go and post Alfas? I’m trying to get some work done here.

lone_liberal > IanZ - limited-slip indifferential 08/16/2016 at 16:28

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One thing I hope never comes back is angling the bottom of the quarter panels in toward the center line of the car. It’s a nice enough shape but road debris is kicked up on them which chips off the paint which in turn enables rust to get started. That’s why you used to see a lot of F-bodies with mudflaps.

If only EssExTee could be so grossly incandescent > IanZ - limited-slip indifferential 08/16/2016 at 16:30

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One of my favorite visual parts about my car is the slight taper to the rear end. Makes me think of an old speedboat or something.

and 100 more > IanZ - limited-slip indifferential 08/16/2016 at 16:32

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The epitome of graceful, sweeping arcs and organic design came to us in the form of the 3rd-gen Ford Taurus:

The design just flows. Its shape is reminiscent of a pebble in a stream, having been smoothed and caressed by water for centuries.

Taut and muscular, yet graceful, it is statuesque like a racehorse at full gallop.

This, good sirs, was peak car . Everything hence exists only to showcase what was once possible.

Ferdinand Adlersflügel > and 100 more 08/16/2016 at 16:34

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So what’s with the fourth gen if the third gen was the epitome?

Bluecold > IanZ - limited-slip indifferential 08/16/2016 at 16:37

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It’s a bit of everything I think. A bit aero, as you don’t want too much air under the car, a bit packaging as you can use the newfound space to put all sorts of stuff such as alternator cooling radiators, distance measurement sensors, etcetera etcetera. Also, designers probably want it for designery reasons.

Nisman > and 100 more 08/16/2016 at 16:39

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Loling at my desk right now.

jjhats > IanZ - limited-slip indifferential 08/16/2016 at 16:42

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focus RS is worst offender. it looks like it has a sagging diaper:

For Sweden > and 100 more 08/16/2016 at 16:44

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Agreed

and 100 more > Ferdinand Adlersflügel 08/16/2016 at 16:45

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An hommage, at best. A drastic return to conservativism, the likes of which are exhibited only by young Amish returning from a wild and frivilous rumspringa in The Big Apple.

That third generation, however, was that wild and raucous year spent off the farm, endulging in unspoken whims and fancies, which only the daringest of dreamers might have imagined.

IanZ - limited-slip indifferential > jjhats 08/16/2016 at 17:18

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And don't get me started on the fake vents on the ST.

Frenchlicker > and 100 more 08/16/2016 at 17:29

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My eye twitched with the second picture. Since owning a pos third gen and a pos fourth gen I have come to know them fairly intimately. I despise people getting the different generations and trims mixed up. I had an argument with someone once after they saw a “fourth generation SHO.” It wasn’t a fourth gen SHO.

and 100 more > Frenchlicker 08/16/2016 at 17:37

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Ha! Yeah, messed that up, didnt I? Good catch!

billybob0611 > and 100 more 08/19/2016 at 17:35

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Barrrrf! Ah, much better.