Cloned Cars

[finesse_r]

What is up with the similarity of body styles in new cars. Is it just me or do most of the new cars look alike. Take a mid-sized Honda Accord and put it up beside a dozen other manufactuer's mid-sized cars and you have to be really smart and observant to tell one from the other! They could be twins or clones of each other. It is the same with the hatch backs and the two door versions of many of the manufacturers.

 

[Arik]

They do but look at the 80s. A lot of cars,looked alike then too

Here are 80s Toyota Camry, Honda Accord, Nissan Maxima, Mitsubishi Galant and Chevy

 

[BC38]

Same can be said of the 90's and 2000's. They all had what I call the "melted bar of soap" look...

 

[LVSteve]

Probably because all the aerodynamic optimization software comes up with the same basic answer.

 

[Roadtrash]

People don't design cars anymore computers do. You got to go back to the 60's to find real designed cars.

 

[BC38]

People don't design cars anymore computers do. You got to go back to the 60's to find real designed cars.

Maybe only to the 70's. IMO there were still some nice looking cars with distinctive designs well into the 70's. Camaros, Monte Carlos, Vettes, Beemers, Jags...

 

[coltle6920]

Nobody has cloned the VW bug yet.

 

[venomballistics]

Probably because all the aerodynamic optimization software comes up with the same basic answer.

That would make too much sense for the corporate world.
GM's sunraycer established the ideal form decades ago.

The real reason is because, by and large, they are the same cars.
Looking at the jaguar xf .... it's platform is used by Ford for the Mustang.
While they seem different at first blush. Close examination will reveal the relationship between them.
Ford did a lot to hide the likeness in this case. Others are simply not as enthusiastic in these duties when trying to reinvent an Opel, as was done with most of the Saturn brand and a fair number of current GM.

 

[wbraswell]

It's a generational thing. When you think all the cars look the same, you're old. But, they all looked the same in the 1920s

 

[Salty RI]

There was a time when you looked forward to seeing the new cars, the dealers would have covers over them until the day they could show them, they threw a big party, there was always something to look forward to, today, who cares.

 

[dswancutt]

The main reason is most cars designs come out of basically the same design studios, independent of the manufacturers, on the west cost. The days of Harley Earl's style studio are long gone.
The truth is GM shared a lot of common body parts between divisions since the 30's. The same is true with Ford and Chrysler.

 

[mauser9]

At least the Camaro cameback as well as Challenger despite being larger and heavier than the 70-71.

 

[Krell1]

People don't design cars anymore computers do. You got to go back to the 60's to find real designed cars.

Except maybe the French. They design some butt ugly cars over there.

 

[venomballistics]

The main reason is most cars designs come out of basically the same design studios, independent of the manufacturers, on the west cost. The days of Harley Earl's style studio are long gone.
The truth is GM shared a lot of common body parts between divisions since the 30's. The same is true with Ford and Chrysler.

kinda ...
now it's taken to a whole new level where common parts are not confined within a particular corporation.
now its a matter of a massive slush pool of partial cars made by everyone and traded between.
whoever ends up with it, names it.
Opel insignia = vauxhall insignia = Buick Regal.
Jaguar XF = Ford Mustang after a face lift and a blue heart transplant.
the Pontiac GTO revival was simply a rebranded Holden CV8

but, since there are cars to buy, obviously, someone is making them .... Im just not entirely sure who that is though

 

[venomballistics]

Except maybe the French. They design some butt ugly cars over there.

Nissan Juke, Pontiac Aztec, Toyota Prius, Chevy Aveo.
Its not just a French thing to be fair.
Even the Ferrari F60 Enzo is a heinous lookin pile of shock and awe

 

[Arik]

Without picking a specific brand or model I kinda dig French car designs. Yes some are ugly but overall I like them better then what has been designed here. Look at the but ugly Malibu from mid 90s to late 00s. The impala has been god awful ugly since they reintroduced it in early 00s. Up until this current design. Even the interior was awful. The dash looked like they stuck an old writing table in there and covered it. Everything else inside was basically recycling extra parts that were laying around. Or Buick. They haven't redesigned their cars in decades. The new ones are just bubbly versions of the same old design.

 

[Jst1mr]

Nissan Juke, Pontiac Aztec, Toyota Prius, Chevy Aveo.
Its not just a French thing to be fair.
Even the Ferrari F60 Enzo is a heinous lookin pile of shock and awe

You're list made me shiver....but let us not forget: Pacer, Pinto, Gremlin, the bustle back Cadillac abominations of the mid eighties, Omni/Horizon, K cars, X frame cars, the early '90's bulbous Caprice that sometimes showed up in police (or taxi) livery.......oof! Given that company, you may indeed drive away with head held high in your Citroen 2CV!

 

[CajunBass]

The wind tunnel tells Honda the same thing it tell Toyota, that it tells Ford or GM.

 

[venomballistics]

The wind tunnel tells Honda the same thing it tell Toyota, that it tells Ford or GM.

And none of them particularly care because that result won't sell.
All air streams point to what the tunnel told Lockheed ... SR 71.
While it made on of the coolest jets in the history of aviation, the form makes for one odd looking road pimple.