: How car designers continue to lure buyers into their showrooms
Take off the years with face-lifting
Mitsubishi's Space Gear is among the oldest car models currently being sold, having been
introduced locally in 1997; so old, in fact, that it was out of the market for some time. Until the
2003 model came out, that is. Normally, a car company's marketing people should be worried that a
merely refreshened model - as opposed to an all-new one - would be competing against a phalanx of
much newer rivals.
But with the '03 Space Gear, that shouldn't be too much of a worry. Projector headlamps (with
artful scalloped lower edges ala BMW 3-series), a handsomely updated grille, a new front bumper
featuring bold air intakes and prominent driving lamps and sporty 5-spoke alloy wheels transform the
Space Gear's six-year old basic body into a thoroughly modern minivan. Even the rear-end underwent an
update: new taillamps with the popular "crystal-effect-and-circular red lens" treatment. Nice work,
Mitsubishi!
Sports cars = Sex appeal on wheels
If there's a sports car that wrote the book on classic (read: timeless) sports car design, it can only be
Ferrari. Take a look at this sleek red 308 GTB from 1975. That's right, it's 28 years old! Yet it's every bit
as sensuous as any of the current crop of sports cars, perhaps even more so. Not all the credit should go
to Ferrari, however, as Italian design house Pininfarina is the one that actually pens these masterpieces.
The formula? A pointed nose, a sharply raked windshield, a teasingly curvaceous body line that stretches
from low nose to high tail, the gracefully sloping rear "flying buttresses"… and those fender cutouts that
reveal sexy alloy wheels and wide tires. The openings are so big, they reach out almost to the top of the
fenders, leaving just a few inches of metal. Think of the Ferrari's fenders as a miniskirt that goes
breathtakingly high to reveal a fabulous pair of legs. It's no wonder that sports cars in general -
Ferraris in particular - are the automotive embodiment of sex.
New-age sports cars - "Rad" is da rage
Not all sports car makers follow Ferrari's time-honoured formula, however. BMW's Z4 is a provocative
amalgamation of concave and convex panels, dissected by sharp lines that originate at odd points and
terminate at equally unexpected ones. The lateral cutline separating the hood from the grille and bumper
is so severe, it looks as if someone took a cutter and just took a swipe at the front. Even the rendition of
the headlamps is highly unorthodox. Only the classic long hood/short rear deck sports car profile is
retained. The result? Nothing less than the automotive equivalent of a Picasso.
Nissan's 350Z, on the other hand, represents nothing less than the turnaround of a corporate giant from
the brink of collapse to a brilliant renaissance. The Z-car has a rich history, especially in Japan and America,
which began with the 1969 240Z. This heritage lives on in the 350Z, which retains styling cues from its
predecessors (long hood, fastback roofline, short tail with a rear hatch) while employing contemporary
design touches (large cat's eye headlamps, a gaping front air intake, high beltline and large wheels).
The industrial steel-finish vertical door handles are an inspired touch.
Passenger cars - Moving away from the norm
Passenger cars are basically three-box designs: one for the engine, a bigger one for the occupants and a
third one for luggage. This has been the norm from the post-WWII years all the way to the present,
whether you're talking about post-war Chevrolets or 1960s Corollas or the current Mercedes S-class.
The proportion between the three boxes has likewise remained largely unchanged. At least until the
latest Honda City came along.
Its short hood is barely over two feet from leading to trailing edge while the trunklid is roughly a foot
long. The windshield, roof and backlight, on the other hand, stretch to the extreme ends of the car.
The roofline is higher than in most sedans. The tumblehome (the inward slant of the side windows
when viewed from the front or rear) is almost vertical. This results in cabin space that's bigger than
any other car in its class, not just in legroom but also in headroom. Pop the hood and you'll see the
engine bay virtually shrink-wrapped around the transversely mounted engine. No excess space is wasted.
Trunk space, despite a smallish opening due to the short trunklid, manages to be bigger than those of
other compact cars. On the outside the new City might look ungainly, even odd. Inside, however, is
where its true beauty lies. A triumph of function over form.
Crossovers - Evolution of the Species
Almost like a living creature, the automobile is evolving. Not everyone can afford to keep different
types of vehicles for different needs so the obvious solution is to create one that meets a variety of
needs. And since the most "aspired for" model at present is the sport-utility vehicle, why not meld the
characteristics of an SUV with that of a traditional car or wagon?
Volvo and Subaru have similar interpretations of this theme. The former's XC90 and the latter's Forester
are based on passenger car platforms that have been developed to cope with the rigors of occasional
off-roading.
What's interesting, though, is how two diverse manufacturers from opposite ends of the globe have
ended up with similar renditions of a car cum SUV: all-wheel-drive, capacious wagon bodies, high ground
clearance and short front and rear overhangs, the latter essential in enabling these vehicles to approach
and depart from steep slopes without scraping their front or rear ends. The roofs of the vehicles are
commensurately raised to visually match the taller ride height and avoid the look of a station wagon that's
simply had its suspension raised.
