New cars = No style or character

[GrimmReaper09]

Cars since the XF have no style or character anymore. Too plastic and like TV sets off the assembly line. I think the manufacturers should start taking cues from their older cars for newer models giving the cars more character instead of just dead curves.

What do you think ?

[onfire]

If bland and shaped like a cardboard box, then yeah.. the XF has character. As like most cars from the 1980s.

[DBourne]

Originally Posted by onfire

If bland and shaped like a cardboard box, then yeah.. the XF has character. As like most cars from the 1980s.

On fire by name, on fire by nature!

(This will be the mods wake up lock I suspect )

[GrimmReaper09]

I think the XF was ok. XD was kinda boxy tho but I liked it. EA-current I think they have missed the mark as far as giving a car character. Same as steering. XF shape was the last of the true feel in steering. Everything else since is just dead feel. Like trying to put a screw in ur glasses with a welding glove. Just my opinion.

[deesun]

Originally Posted by GrimmReaper09

Just my opinion.

Yep I'd reckon so.

[Mr Brooksy]

It's in the eye of the beholder! And possibly what cars you grew up with that dictates the "style" you're into.

I was JUST thinking about this very topic before opening up AFF. I'd have to say that each decade has it's own style (kinda like fashion but not as stupid). The Falcon like every other car takes it's design cues from the era it's designed.

In my opinion, it was the XF to EF that was awfully boring and drab! XF the worst, as it was beginning it's transformation from a couple of panels being plastic to many more, and in stock form it looked hideous! Lowered and done up it looks good (but so do many other models).

Yes Falcon could try and bring some nostalgia back into the designs, but really, younger less into cars and more into image buyers want BMW like styling. Not tough and menacing that many here want.

And dare I say it... If you want a new retro Ford, import a Mustang. The new Falcons look fine IMHO!

[aussie muscle]

Originally Posted by Mr Brooksy

In my opinion, it was the XF to EF that was awfully boring and drab! XF the worst,

hip horay, someone with sense!


cars today have more style than the 1980s. and they drive better too.

[mrbaxr6t]

[Mz Revvv Head]

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
It's in the eye of the beholder! And possibly what cars you grew up with that dictates the "style" you're into.

I totally agree with this ... Altho with moving forward with years & technology & the models keep being updated to which they then become shapeless ... Don't you just dread what the next new car designs will be like in the future, not a lot of shape now, even less to not look forward to ...

Sadly I don't think it will happen, or if it ever will to going back to the old car shapes, it's clear where they are going now & as the Ford dealerships said, they are now wanting to be more like the European cars :|

[Mz Revvv Head]

I forgot to mention, I have grown up with the old GT'S & always luved them ...
Also 1 of my friends has the 2 of the old monaro's which he drag races all over Aussie land ... these cars have shape & character in my eyes, even tho I'm a Ford chick all the way ...

With every thing if life, I always look for character in every thing, it's a must have ...
What's is more appealing than Pizzaz, which seems lost now !

To a non car enthusiast they would just go with th flow & wouldn't think twice ...

[RG]

Originally Posted by GrimmReaper09

Cars since the XF have no style or character anymore. Too plastic and like TV sets off the assembly line. I think the manufacturers should start taking cues from their older cars for newer models giving the cars more character instead of just dead curves.

What do you think ?

I think posting a thread after a few too many beers is a really bad idea.

[UNR8D]

when you say steering feel? as in it feels like a bag of mouldy marshmellows? ive driven alot of cars inc XC/XD/XF and they are almost scary in the way they wander, and have alot of play dead center, even when looked after and maintained.

as for the styling, I prefer old XM/XP/XW shapes if your talking old school, there was nothing apealing about an XF except you could build a body kit for it with a ruler and it wouldnt look out of place.

[DJR-351]

The last brand new Ford i bought was a XC Fairmont, the newest Ford i have owned was a 4 month old XD which i sold about 6 months later after getting sick of replacing door handles....

I am well and truly a pre 1978 type of guy....

[GT450]

Each to their own but this is a windup surely!
GT450

[onfire]

No style. The AU had too much if I recall.

[DJM83]

Originally Posted by onfire

No style. The AU had too much if I recall.

Pot meet Kettle

What a pointless thread. Nice XF Peut

[Peuty]

I think the XF is a beautiful car.

[GavL]

Originally Posted by Peuty

I think the XF is a beautiful car.

Probably goes sideways better too (according to that picture anyway!)

[Melz]

Originally Posted by Peuty

I think the XF is a beautiful car.

Yep, definetely the best looking XF

[The Monty]

So your saying that new falcons should be boxy, square and sharp, with poo brown being the most popular colour. Should also come with 14 inch wheels and drum brakes, and high enough to climb Mt Warning. I think I would rather a G6et over an XF.

[Scott]

Hang on a minute...

The XF was great but:

The Sprint, EBGT, ELGT, T Series, FPV's, BA-FG XR Range, G6ET etc have no style or character?

Jump in an F6 and tell me a factory car that rips your face off in 12 seconds has no character.

[Bud Bud]

Funny was only thinking the same thing. Take a look at the mid sized sector on our roads today, never has there been so much choice from so many manufactures and never has the whole fleet looked so much alike.

Wind the clock back 30 or 40 years and take a look what was around then. Classic shaped Cortinas that distinctly looked like well like Cortinas, LC/LJ Toranas, even the Centura was a neat looking car (although it was a shocker in 4 cyl mode the 245 hemi's were incredibly quick for their time). Datsun had the very classic looking 240Z and the magic 1200 coupe followed by the 1600. Although we knock them today the 120Y and the 180B were extremely popular as well. Mazda are great today but in the 70's before the Company had to rebuild itself in the 90’s, their 808 but especially 929's were great looking cars of their time. Toyota was not the single Japanese powerhouse it is today but in the 70's the Celica was one of the best looking cars on the road (especially the "Mustang" model).

Also I am a big Fan of the HK-HG and HQ-HZ, and also the XR-XY and XA-XC and I still like the whole Aussie Chrysler Valiant range from VH-CM. The CL-CM range still commands a great presence even now. The VC Valiant also still looks good now as well.

Maybe it is that sometimes we do get stuck in a time warp and I know that most cars in the market now would easily blow away all these relics from the past in performance, fuel consumption, luxury, and safety but not necessarily in styling.

As I mentioned in another thread, "looks are subjective" but it is hard to deny a classic.

Bud Bud

[DBourne]

There would be people who would say a 70's car has no character either, and that 50's and 60's cars are the only ones with it

[Bud Bud]

Originally Posted by SgtBourne

There would be people who would say a 70's car has no character either, and that 50's and 60's cars are the only ones with it

Hard to argue against that as well, the 55-57 Chevs are the king daddy of grace and style. The 55 T-birds are just beautiful and the Mercedes gull wing was years ahead of its time in terms of styling. The Corvettes of this era are simply stunning to look at, and there was never a dull moment over at Studebaker such as the Golden Hawk.

For Australia we only really had the FJ but this car alone has warmed the hearts of many Australians in terms of style and flare. We really had to wait for the 60's to get a bigger catalogue of home made cars though.

I am sure that in years to come, the BA XR8 (in terms of being described as great styling) will be seen as a classic, and although I am prepared for a flame I think that the modern Monaro will be too. I think Mazda 3's and 6's will also been looked upon favourably as well, but I fear that the run of the mill day to day transport we have now may not have too much excitement to write home about (and I am just referring to styling here) in the years to come, Toyota has seen to that.

As I mentioned previously, there is no denying a classic.

[Nikked]

-All 30's cars "looked the same"
-All 40's cars "looked the same"
-All 50's cars "looked the same"
-All 60's cars "looked the same"
-All 70's cars "looked the same"
-All 80's cars "looked the same"
-All 90's cars "looked the same"

If you think that all modern cars look the same, that's what you are saying.

In fact, i think there is greater focus more then ever today on making cars appealing to certain groups/markets. With so many choices, and every sale counts on them.

My opinion is that the El was the last of the classically shaped falcons, after that, they got more flab and had different proportions, after the AU the falcon lost its core shape it had since the XR...

But the AU brought individuality, and creativity, that was lost in the BA.

The FG showed more flair in design...

[JimNiki]

But the AU brought individuality, and creativity, that was lost in the BA.

G'day guys ...
I am a ford man thru and thru and have worked for a tier 1 supplier to Ford for many years.
On the verge of unleashing the AU onto the world, I personally made some last minute deliveries to Broady (they were short of parts).

Driving through the place I can see thousands of AU's all parked there ready to be sent to dealers. My jaw dropped at how ugly they were... I was positive then that this will hurt Ford badly. Yes, I do agree that looks is subjective but I still haven't met a person who actually admired the AU for its shape. You are the first. Unfortunately the reason all cars are starting to look the same is for aerodynamics (fuel efficiency). I'm not a huge Chrysler fan but at least they go against the grain and do the boxy 300C, the boxy Nitro, etc.

[Jimmyd]

Originally Posted by JimNiki

G'day guys ...
I am a ford man thru and thru and have worked for a tier 1 supplier to Ford for many years.
On the verge of unleashing the AU onto the world, I personally made some last minute deliveries to Broady (they were short of parts).

Driving through the place I can see thousands of AU's all parked there ready to be sent to dealers. My jaw dropped at how ugly they were... I was positive then that this will hurt Ford badly. Yes, I do agree that looks is subjective but I still haven't met a person who actually admired the AU for its shape. You are the first. Unfortunately the reason all cars are starting to look the same is for aerodynamics (fuel efficiency). I'm not a huge Chrysler fan but at least they go against the grain and do the boxy 300C, the boxy Nitro, etc.

Chalk me up as a fan of the AU from day one - AU was a spectacular cutting edge design that Ford marketing department destroyed when they tried to soften the 'edge' design, ended up looking like the love child of an XF and EA...... enter the BA....

Not all aero designed cars have to look the same - the two cars in my garage share the same drag coefficient - RS2000 from 1980, AU Fairmont Ghia from 1998



Cheers

James

[JimNiki]

Originally Posted by Jimmyd

Chalk me up as a fan of the AU from day one - AU was a spectacular cutting edge design that Ford marketing department destroyed when they tried to soften the 'edge' design, ended up looking like the love child of an XF and EA...... enter the BA....

Cheers

James

To me it looks as though they entered formulas into a big supercomputer and told it to spit out a shape that was drag efficient, where all body lines qualified any other adjacent body line, etc.

In theory, it is a fantastic design ahead of its time, just ugly in my eyes.
Unfortunately, if it's ugly most buyers won't look further.

[Windsor220]

To me the 80s cars are boring. XB and XC were good and then they went to the boxy XD - XF. Commodores were not much better with the VB-VL. Engines power seemed to drop off during this time too so there werent many hero models.

Atleast through the 90s and beyond we got some interesting looking/performing models.

[Stefan]

I cannot believe someone has stated modern cars have no style and put forward an XF Falcon as the alternative..

the XF must go down as one of the leat stylish cars of all time. It's a box nothing more nothing less.