GolfGTIforum.co.uk
Model specific boards => Golf mk6 => Topic started by: Rolfe on 27 August 2009, 21:14
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One thing I hate about the RS, and it seems to be common to a lot of Ford models, is the shape of the - I don't know what it is these days, is it the radiator grille? The grille under the front numberplate. In the RS in particular, the shape looks very "down in the mouth", or even like an aggressive snarl. It's the way the grille is shaped with the straight horizontal edge being the bottom one, and the curved edge on top. :angry:
In contrast other makes, including the Golf, have the straight edge at the top and the curved edge below. So, maybe, the car seems to smile or grin. :smiley:
Children's cartoon cars always have faces, with the headlamps for eyes and usually the mouth is the bumper. We don't seem to have identifiable bumpers these days, so the mouth is that grille. Do you think the expression on the car's "face" influences purchase decisions?
Rolfe.
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the gti doesn't grin or smile - it scowls upon slower cars in the way! :evil:
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Just my imagination maybe.
But they do seem to move out of the way in a panic sometimes.....
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rolfe has made a good point - depending on the look of the front of the car, people move out of the way, or don't. if you're driving a focus or some other bland type of car people don't think they should move over. if you're in a gti or say an a4 with the daytime running lights people get out the way cause they automatically assume you are faster cause your car looks mean. love it! :grin:
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But I see it the other way round. I think the Focus (RS) looks mean. I don't like it. I don't think the GTi is mean-looking in the same way because it doesn't have such a mean shape.
Rolfe.
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The psychology behind the design of cars' 'faces' - and lights in particular - has always fascinated me. Lights are obviously the eyes, which explains why we are all so obsessed by them. Witness the 'must-get-xenon' debate, or why BMW scored so highly when they brought out angel eyes in 2001. The eyes are the first part of the human face to be scanned by our brains (albeit subconciously), so it's only natural that we should be drawn to them on a car.
Flashing your lights, for example, is perceived as being more aggressive than blowing your horn at someone, because 'enhanced eyes' are the first sign of anger/impending attack. Also, there is the sexual connotation of being penetrated by the beam of light. Some manufacturers developed the idea even further in the 70s with pop-up lights, which involved an 'erection' just prior to the 'penetration'.
Many will dismiss all this as rubbish, but when you think about how the human psyche operates, I believe it's quite plausible :)
Anyway, back to the Golf GTI...
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Hmmm, I always had a soft spot for pop up lights...
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Thanks Rolfe,
I was driving about today with your comments going through my mind!!!! Happy car, sad car, happy car……..
Toyota Yaris, really happy car… :smiley: Saab 9-5 Ming the Emperor from the Flash Gordon movies!!!!
:angry:
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I once saw a motoring program many many moons ago where they did a feature on car faces. Apparently the Japanese were the first to be really big on the idea along with certain other areas of styling which we take for granted today. Interestingly they said the designers' most difficult angle (sorry going a bit off topic here) was the join of the A pillar to the top of the bonnet/bottom of the windscreen. And if you look critically at many cars you can see how some deisgners have made a hash of this with an awkward angle which ruins the visual appeal of some cars from the front 3/4 angle. :nerd:
Anyway back to topic, the SEAT Leon (pre recent facelift) is an excellent example of designers using the front of the car as a face. Look at a base model Leon and it has little turned up smiley bits at either side of the mouth, but on the FR and Cupra it has a mean scowl to hint at the more aggressive nature of the car (and driver?).
The mk5 Golf has this in evidence too, on the lower spec models if you look at them from the front the little bars in the lower grilles are shaped like fangs (yes, this is repeated with the fogs in the new GTI). The GTI has quite an aggressive looking mouth and darkened eyees but as many buyers are women it also wimps out a bit and the lower grilles do make a slight smile (apparently women like happier faces on their cars where as men like some menace). Then move to the R32 and you can see the top line model has more of a snarl about its lower grilles.
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Anybody got last months What Car with the hot hatch test (with the Mk6 winning of course :smiley:)? That has some good front end shots of all the contenders. To my mind the RS has a mean look to it, the mini has a crazy spaced out look with those big round eyes and the golf while having a big fat smile has very mean snake eyes...explanation for it's dual nature that all these journos speak of?
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Seems like the porsche designers liked the look of the front of their car so much they made the back look the same. :huh:
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Seems like the porsche designers liked the look of the front of their car so much they made the back look the same. :huh:
That is due to aerodynamics. :nerd:
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(http://3spades.net/dump/celica.jpg)
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:smiley:
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CHAV ALERT
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(http://www.floridareview.co.uk/images/disney-cars.jpg)
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:huh:
Do cars have faces...? Nope.