Posted on 09/28/2007 6:17:37 AM PDT by vietvet67
Blame the Europeans for that one, they’re the ones that said that all cars must have higher hoodlines to protect pedestrians.
I agree that the car would look much better with a lower hoodline, but that’s what you’re going to get in the future - cars that look like that because of a stupid European reg.
Now it’s brother the Toyota bB was hideous.
Mrs. riverdawg’s Park Avenue (with the 3800 V-6) is supercharged - no problems whatsoever with it in 80K miles, and she has a lead foot on the gas pedal! On the other hand, Mitsubishi’s supercharger was trouble-prone from the beginning. The reliability of superchargers, like many parts, varies greatly across manufacturers.
You’re crossing into one of my favorite topics of discussion, which is the bridge between art and pscyhology. Every year the Academy Award winners rarely include a high-grossing film. A high-grossing film oddly enough represents a film that through some mechanism entertains the audience. The Academy voters, however, do not view entertainment value as a selling point for a film. There are exceptions, of course - Titanic and Lord of the Rings, for example. Gladiator also did well at the box office. In general, though, what the Academy views as a superior film is often not what the people want.
Cars are one example, though not as good since they’re not solely aesthetic. I happen to like the Camry’s styling - I liked the last two, and not so much the several before that. I and probably many others have a bias towards liking the Camry because it’s got a good reputation and is known to be a very reliable and practical vehicle. (In other words, there may be people who learn to like it.) In this manner it becomes very difficult to judge a vehicle’s styling because it goes beyond the interpretation of art.
I guess the same thing goes for paintings. Nobody would dare to claim Da Vinci was not as good a painter as Coolidge. Yet, in many cases, the Dogs Playing Poker series of paintings has more mass appeal than the Mona Lisa.
“Sorry, it’s reminescent of a pig’s snout.”
I’ve TRIED to buy a Toyota the last two vehicles. They are just butt ugly and won’t put any power in them. When they do, as in the full-size truck, they charge you another 3-6K in add-ons. No sporty cars, no V6 manuals.
Toyota is cruising along on reputation only at this point.
i too am a designer and am measured by the final output. I have left companies before when they chop designs to nothing.
examples of bad design from GM
Aztek!!
Lumina
there is something wrong with the proportions of the new Silvarado, especially the base trim
Impala
Malibu
and Monte Carlo
Basically all of their sedans for the last 20 yrs have been crap that are not sport, family, muscle, but some soup of nothingness. Sales of these vehicles prove me out, especially if you take fleet purchases out of the mix.
The interiors are bubbly, ham fisted, and usually poor selection of materials and textures.
I actually rode in a newish Ford Explorer last night and there was significantly more leg room (front and back) than a new Tahoe, tell me how that works??
Ford is not much better with sedans, but the Japanese cars walk all over us.
on a good note, the new corvette is outstanding, and most of the new Cadillacs are great.
Wait till you get to 100K. Supercharger rebuild time, according to the guys with the Park Avenue Ultras.
Mitsu uses turbochargers, not superchargers.
“1964 Malibu had an SS version with a 396ci engine which to this day is still my all time favorite muscle car”
When I think of a Malibu, that 1960’s SS version is what I still think of.
People may slam the Malibu now, but in its heyday, it was quite the car.
What I object to around here is how the ugly Japanese cars get a pass. The Avelanche has been savaged around here, for example, but there’s never a peep about the even uglier Ridgeline.
Dear GM:
Time is money.
My parents bought a new Malibu in 2001.
And opted for a Toyota Camry in 2006.
Time for you guys at GM to “sweat bullets”, work like crazy, and
win my parents back when they need to buy again.
....OK Flint, try this on, we paint the Mona Lisa playing poker with Michelangelo's David ... I'm tellin' ya we'll sell millions.
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