Quote:
Originally Posted by redpoint5
I'm always on about how the current design aesthetic is to emphasize the worst attribute of petrol vehicles, the fact that they must have large radiators to dispose of the enormous amounts of waste heat generated by an inefficient energy conversion process.
As if the radiators weren't already embarrassing enough, the fad is to design them to appear larger than they really are, and that shows up in nearly every modern design including econoboxes.
Tesla is ahead of the paradigm shift in design by understating the grill. Cars like the current Lexus IS250/350 are going to look like dinosaurs in just a few years.
To my great joy, I found that jalopnik covered this topic quite a while ago, and even included my favorite car to rag on. The IS250 used to be a beautiful car to behold, and now it looks like an ugly Manta Ray
What if cars had grills in proportion to their cooling needs rather than a styling element?
https://jalopnik.com/cars-without-fa...les-1818518076 |
Journalists have volunteered the following rational:
1) as CAFE standards have driven efficiency gains, cars have become increasingly amorphous as a consequence of lower drag.
2) to compensate for near-identical silhouettes, automakers attempt to establish marque identity with visual styling gestures which don't aggravate drag.
3) since the forebody of a car is least important aerodynamically, the front fascia has become a free-for-all stylistically. The grill-blocking is still there, it's just that it's disguised.
4) and active grille shutters allow even more styling latitude.