"Form Follows Function"
Too many cars are over designed with too many geegaws and other styling
miscues that cause the eye to bounce around and it's hard to follow the
lines of the car. What can be elegant oftentimes becomes cluttered with
styling gimmicks to make the car look more expensive. The mild redesign of
the Passat is but one example.
While some may hate the 1st generation Miata I find it aesthetically
pleasing and the antithesis of the wave of current cars whose designers
loose sight of what a car is. I enjoy looking at my Miata because of the
lack of "styling cues" and its easily identifiable lines. No faux air vents,
wings, air dams or cladding (see Pontiac for definition).
Although I don't like the front end of the Z I basically like it's styling
and that the designers did not resort to all kinds of needless styling
gimmicks. Although I think it could have come out better, say like looking
like a Ferrari, it could have been much worse also.
I think the front end needs to be rethought and like Marc said a DB7esque
redesign would help a great deal. Maybe a 60s Ferrariesque
nose would also be nice kinda like the 250GTO or 275GTB.
IMHO of course,
Mike
----- Original Message -----
From: "Gary McCormick" <svgkm@halley.ca.essd.northgrum.com>
To: "Marc Sayer" <marc@gracieland.org>
Cc: <datsun-roadsters@autox.team.net>
Sent: Wednesday, January 09, 2002 8:14 PM
Subject: Re: OT: 2003 350Z.
> Classical Japanese is so understated and elegant, and modern Japanese
design seems to go
> to the other extreme - very busy and (to my taste, anyway) overdone. I get
the impression
> that modern Japanese designers equate simple, clean, uncluttered lines and
subtlety with
> "old-fashioned", so to be "modern", they go to the other extreme.
>
> Gary McCormick
> San Jose, CA
>
> Marc Sayer wrote:
>
> > I'm with you, and I think the factory front is pretty damn bad. :-) I
will say
> > this though, I think the same sort of minds that designed and like the
350Z will
> > design and like kits like that. The Japanese have always had strange
tastes in
> > body kits. They are all overdone and excessive in my opinion and make
the cars
> > look like Transformers wannabes. And the argument that all those scoops
and crap
> > are necessary to make the cars go fast is BS, as anyone in the field
will tell
> > you. In fact all that crap will do is create turbulence, it's there for
style
> > and not function. I'm no fan, but NASCAR manages to go pretty damn fast
without
> > that crap, as do all sorts of racing series.
> >
> > A designer looking to develop a new Z could have come up with the 350Z
or the
> > Aston Martin DB7 (check out the lines and styling cues on the DB7 and
you'll see
> > the ghost of a Z). One is cheap, immature, overdone, and flashy. It
panders to a
> > "target" audience. The other is elegant, stylish, refined, and a true
styling
> > achievement. It presents a work of art and says, if you can appreciate
this, buy
> > it. This has nothing to do with cost, either car's *styling* could be
marketed
> > at any price (though I doubt there are many teens - the 350Zs target -
with
> > enough money to buy a car in the DB7s class). One is targeting children
and
> > teens, the other targets adults. Nissan has shown its true colors in
this
> > effort, as far as I am concerned, pandering to style instead of creating
it. The
> > pricing reinforces this idea, being price pointed to the demographics of
the
> > target audience.
> >
> > When the 240Z came out it made a bold statement and set style trends for
a
> > generation. This new 350Z is doing none of that. It is following style
trends
> > set by others and trying to cash in on the Z name, period. It is just
another
> > video-game car. Luckily for it, "the emperor's new clothes" syndrome is
still
> > alive and well.
> >
> > All just my .02 of course.
> >
> > datsunmike wrote:
> > >
> > > Compared to that monstrosity the factory front is beautiful.
> > >
> > > Mike
> > >
> > > ----- Original Message -----
> > > From: <DemonTSi@aol.com>
> > > To: <csp311@telia.com>; <Pre_Z@msn.com>
> > > Cc: <datsun-roadsters@autox.team.net>
> > > Sent: Wednesday, January 09, 2002 8:52 AM
> > > Subject: Re: OT: 2003 350Z.
> > >
> > > > In a message dated 1/9/02 3:10:58 AM Pacific Standard Time,
> > > csp311@telia.com
> > > > writes:
> > > >
> > > >
> > > > > There will be a lot of aftermarket companies making a new front
> > > > > bumper cover for the car.
> > > >
> > > > Already in the works:
> > > > http://www.c-west.co.jp/new_model/news_z.html
> > > >
> > > > \/ /\ /\/
> > > > personal quote - "\/\/ O \/\/ !"
> > > >
> >
> > --
> > Marc Sayer
> > 82 280ZXT
> > 71 510 2.5 Trans Am vintage racer
>
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