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People Prefer Angry-Faced Cars
fatalfury writes "Researchers from the University of Vienna asked 20 males and 20 females to rank vehicles based on their appearance. The list of traits included arrogant, afraid, agreeable, disgusted, extroverted, sad, and others. Cars with 'meaner' traits (such as BMW) ranked higher, whereas cars with 'nicer' traits (such as Toyota's Prius) ranked lower. With billions spent on developing new products in the automobile industry, this could spur a trend in meaner-looking cars and perhaps explain why sales of the Prius and other green cars are slow to take off with average consumers."
This doesn't surprise me too much; people who drive seem to be so much more tense.
"Patriotism is your conviction that this country is superior to all other countries because you were born in it." -- GBS
... pop-up headlights. It looks like my car's asleep, which is fairly representative of what's going on in my driver's seat too...
Yes, you're right. A survey of just 40 people will change the direction of car design, especially since they spend billions on car development, but they haven't thought to ask people what they thought of the appearance of cars.
I don't think this has something to do with the 'angry' appearance of the cars (although that really IS what perhaps even a majority of people seek in cars - the old freedom, a place to relax, unwind). To add onto that, BMW design although controversial, is good. I'm sure if they tested a better looking 'cute' car than Prius, a car whos design at least for me creates _no_ emotions whatsoever (compared to lets say a small Peugeot, Mini...), the results might have been different.
I'd be angry too if I wasted my time being part of a "study" that includes only 40 people.
and perhaps explain why sales of the Prius and other green cars are slow to take off with average consumers
Uhmm, last time I was in the US (CA), a 2nd-hand Prius with low mileage was actually _more expensive_ than a new one, because everyone wants to have one but Toyota can't keep up with the demand.
Calling Prius sales 'slow to take off' sounds a bit like... Opposite reality?
I am sure the car companies will spend billions on differently-looking cars because 40 people said so.
Oh, yes, definitely true. Have you ever seen a Ford Ka, for example? They're mean-looking little beasts, but they sold very well here.
Really, this car can't be described with just "angry" or "happy."
... is the Triumph Herald Vitesse.
So we need green angry cars. Incredible Hulk cars. Awesome.
Not only is it ugly, but it's small and very expensive. I'm sure both those traits help it sell well! It's not even that efficient compared to other vehicles its size.
Unless you live in a place like London where the cost of normal cars is artificially inflated so that only the rich can afford to drive there, there really is no point to the bloody thing.
I mean, FORTY WHOLE PEOPLE, wow! and from where? There are whole countries, and probably regions/states within whatever country they took their 40 people from that I don't believe would follow their conclusions.
Certainly immediately millions of Mini, Beetle (new and old style) and Smart Car owners would disagree.
Emotional responses to the outwards appearance of a vehicle is why it should be harder to get a drivers license. There are many people that can't be trusted with the responsibility that comes with driving a car. Operating a car isn't a right, it is a privilege.
The Long Now Foundation
More likely that people saw the recognisable face of a BMW and opted for that - There's no doubt BMW's are a popular car. And the face is recognisable because its usually the one you see in the rear view mirror tailgating you and flashing its lights.
Thats the very reason I would never be seen dead in such a car.
N.
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Lol-Car is sad! :(
It's conscious, rather than subconscious, if you ask me. It's not a mystery like "what makes someone attractive" - you look at a car with a "mean" look and you know why. Aggressive angles, sharp lines, etc. And aggressive look equates to engine power and speed with a car.
Nearly everyone likes a "mean" looking automobile; mostly because car makers generally put "mean" looking designs into sports cars or put in powerful engines.
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I prefer a car that gets me from point A to point B; safely, efficiently, and comfortably. In that order. This appears not to be the case for most people.
A neighbor of mine one got ~$1500 off the price of his (new) car because it had a bright yellow paint job. His wife was not pleased. His children were furious. He was happy to have "saved" so much money. Most people would say that the paint job saved him ~$1500 off the price of a perfectly fine car. I say instead that the paint jobs of all others cars of that model cost their owners $1500.
When things like a paint job and how "angry" a car looks are determining what cars people buy, you know that the cars themselves are grossly overvalued. If someone can add on 5% to the price of a car because of the shape of its headlights, you have to ask just how much of the original price was based on cosmetics and not on quality. This is important because if its the former, then the modern automobile industry is standing on thin foundations which may end up crumbling when severely undercut by the latest line of cheap Chinese cars, which can be glossed up just as easily as their western counterparts.
There's a simple rule to buying cars. Never buy a new one. You'll invariably be conned out of thousands over silly cosmetic details. Buy used, and put your pocket before your pride. You might need what's in there later on.
May the Maths Be with you!
Now the Fiat Multipla posted above, that's one ugly vehicle. :x
I drive a Miata; 08, icy blue.
Not only does it not have an angry face I am not gay either.
I am so confused now.
Yet I haven't found a woman who doesn't love it...
I always wonder if some of these studies aren't just because of where they were taken
* Winners compare their achievements to their goals, losers compare theirs to that of others.
To tell you the truth, there's been one car in the last decade that I thought looked interesting (under $50K, anyway), and I bought one, the PT Cruiser. Why can't they make decent looking cars anymore? Design by committee?
...why not make car horns sound more angry? Perhaps a human voice swearing? Preferably in French.
Screw market research - I chose my Yugo for its figurehead of a rabid sabre tooth tiger in flames. Try to beat that, BMW!
Austria still seems to have a bit of a love affair with far-right politicians, even if they do kill themselves while speeding in BMWs
It was a VW Phaeton. Not an angry car.
the lessons/consequences will be repeated ad nauseum.
perfectly shaped car like sci fi movie cars -> compact, shapely exterior, like a toy that fits in your hand, interior is big as a normal car, fits everywhere.
there should be more cars like that.
Read radical news here
you need angry looking cars on the "Autobahn" to get all the suckers out of the way. Serious this is sick. Families are drivin around with their kids in small Fiats and are attacked by old farts with 160mph.
If the conclusion that "people" prefer X holds, then either everyone thinks like Austrians, or else Austria is the most culture-neutral group of people on the planet. Far be it from me to suggest that say, Americans and Japanese might evaluate cars differently because they evaluate and relate to faces differently, when we have Austria as a global baseline.
Also, everyone evaluates cars as faces, rather than as machines or butts. The former would make too much sense to be interesting(!), and the latter would make it impossible to conclude that anger was the most important characteristic, because after all, how can you tell when a butt is angry?
What a great example of forced results. If the results had been real, by now cars would have evolved to have faces painted on them rivaling the toothy grin on the Curtis P-40s of the Flying Tigers http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flying_tigers
"I may be synthetic, but I'm not stupid." -- Bishop 341-B
And then there's the Alpha Romeo 8C ...
The point is true though isn't it. I drive a Renault Safrane (Mk2). IF you've ever seen one you'll know what I'm talking about. The headlights have the mean focused and streamlined look. It's one of the reasons I fell in love with the car. BMWs suggest arrogance as do some of the latest sports range rovers. Mercedes lost the plot with their 2 little round headilghts on each side.
It is a fact of life that people respect mean looks. I used to drive a Renault Megane. I used to get cut up and forced to let other drivers past all the time. Now they see me coming head on with my beast they always give way and let me through. It doesn't matter that only 40 people were surveyed because it only confirms what most drivers know to be true anyway.
What we've missed out on however is the back lights of a car. Most BMWs have big ugly back lights that say 'bully' on the road. You get one of them cut you up pulling into your lane in front and you get annoyed. You see a car with 'nice' rear lights do the same thing and it just doesn't offend which is what Renault have uniquely mastered with the Safrane.
Cars do have a very strong impact on people. The fact they have 2 headlights instantly reminds most people of eyes. The radiator grill opening reminds us of the nose. The bumper the mouth. The meaner it looks the more people respect it.
You also don't tend to mess with drivers of mean looking cars. You find you don't risk winding them up on the road etc.
Trickery of the mind is a powerful too.
Nothing says "mean" like a machine gun mounted in your sunroof.
Free, as in your money being freed from the confines of your account.
that Priuses sell less because of cost? How about performance?
Just weird. Especially the early models, later ones look much more standard.
Could anyone come up with a car analogy? I just don't get the article...
40 people is hardly a significant number test cases for such a universal statement.. furthermore all are Austrian.
Hmmmm. Not hard to imagine some simple ways to alter the "expression" on the car. Compressed air components acting like face muscles, lights, rotating panels.
Heading to the beach? Happy face. Heading to work? Angry face. On a date? Depends what you are into. Heading in for service? Sad face. Heck. Why not have mood horns as well? Okay, maybe not. Let's not get too crazy.
"No fear. No envy. No meanness." Liam Clancy
I distinctly remember seeing a TV program way back (perhaps 10 years ago) where the Japanese carried out a study just like this. They wanted to know why a new car would not sell, and discovered entirely the opposite - The car was unpopular because of its not-smiley face - Which is why a large number of Japanese manufactured vehicles have a smiley face on them. I have noticed this quite regularly ever since.
It could be that drivers have changed in 10 years, it could be that Japanese drivers are just "nicer" and prefer a smiley car, or perhaps it is saying something about how the world is changing as a whole.
On the other hand, perhaps it is just so much statistical bullsh*t... You choose :)
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... which car has the "I just came" face?
... and then they built the supercollider.
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Old news ... to boost Prius sales, Toyota are giving the 2.0 a face lift. I can't find any good online reference, but spy photos report looks similar to this:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Honking
"Good news, everyone!"
Well, this thing is right off the scale...
I would say that this car can be described as "fugly".
Car designers seem to have caught on this decades ago. Have you seen any recent Audis or BMWs and compared them to earlier models? That's clearly a trend toward looking mean and aggressive already. This study just confirms what car designers have known for a long time.
Tell that to Toyota - what B.S.
I don't mean to be anti- anything but I just went to the Australian motor show, and as well from my experience on cars in the street the US cars seem to be made that way. The European have a sense of luxury, The Asian seem practical and a little frilly but the American cars are in your face, me vs the world. Keep the outside world out ?!?!
Besides performing a survey on 40 people in a country populated by alot of BMW's, is there perhaps a psychological impairment on the fact that alot of people are still not interested in going green? If they know they are looking at a prius is there mind thinking "well before I actually make a judgement on the looks, its a low powered, environmentally friendly car and I'd never have one of those" before actually considering the cosmetics? Does the car they know to have a fuel guzzling engine in it look better than the car they know to run on batteries?
Mind you, I also buy within my budget, pay cash from savings to get a discount, and do other things that the car industry hates.
From scarped cliff or quarried stone she cries "A thousand types are gone, I care for nothing, no not one."
My 1998 Toyota minivan had "sad" tail lights that sloped down. Fast forward to 2006- I have "happy" tail lights. I like it better, but I DRIVE A MINI VAN. Maybe Toyota figured I needed a jolt of mental stability....
"perhaps explain why sales of the Prius and other green cars are slow to take off"
Yeah, I'm sure the high price, low performance, econobox look, not to mention high maintenance and exaggerated claims of savings (which are actually negative compared to a comparably sized compact gas powered vehicle), has nothing to do with it. It's the fact that it has a sweet face that nobody will buy it. Yeah, that's it....
Reminds of parents telling their nasty fat child that they have no friends because other kids are stupid....
This is exactly why I have given up on the Chevy Volt. If you havnt seen it, take a look at the concept version versus the production model. Sure, the changes were made for reasons of aerodynamic efficiency, but it could at least look a little more like the new camaro.
Anyway, I'll just have to win the lotto and get a Fisker Karma.
This discussion says a lot about the cultural bias of /.
I recall a study on car-purchasing preference in Japan, and "facial expression" came up a lot. I forget the exact details of the study but a quick Google will show you that this is not a new idea by any stretch.
Anyway, the result was a strong preference among the Japanese for cars with a "cute" or "friendly" expression. This is why Toyotas tend to have upturned front grilles - it looks like a smile. Hence it is less popular in the west. In eastern countries it is very popular, for exactly the same reason.
So yeah, 40 people, in one western country. I don't even know why I'm bothering to grace it with a reply...
Meta will eat itself
In Germany and Austria, cars are a status symbol - more so than in many other countries. You must have a large, powerful car to reflect your large, powerful place in society.
Is it any wonder that these people went for the cars that looked "angriest" and more "powerful" as these were also the most expensive and therefore came with the higher prestige value.
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So this is why I got an unstoppable urge to paint a Mr. Yuk on the hood of my car? Now the universe makes sense. Finally!
Dedicated Cthulhu Cultist since 4523 BC.
:
heh
Angry cars: Viper, Aston Martin, BMW, Mercedes, Lancer Evolution, GT-R, Lamborghini, Pontiac G8, etc.
Happy cars: old Eagle Talon... Prius I guess?
Angry cars are the sports cars. People like them because they have approximately 250x more horsepower than happy cars, not because they're angry.
I like basketball!!1!
This isn't surprising at all - especially as relates to the surprisingly slow sales of the hybrids. I've said all along that if any car company made a hybrid that LOOKED like, say, a BMW Z3, or even a Miata - something *sporty* rather than dweeby or bland (and not even "angry") - a lot of people who wouldn't otherwise give them a second glance would all the sudden take interest.
I like them too, but you can't get them anymore. I thought the Miata hidden headlamps were pretty slick but safety regulations made them go away.
Even those who arrange and design shrubberies are under considerable economic stress at this period in history.
There is another feature of the "PT Cruiser" and other less standard looking cars. You are less subject to the manufacturer redesigning the "face" of the car in order to persuade people to upgrade.
I've noticed even the "prestige" brands doing it more often now.
Deleted
Wow, 40 people. What a huge sample size. Must be 100% accurate.
The whole theory is formed upon the opinion/rating of 40 people only? ...
Mod points are a dangerous tool. Abuse them wisely.
Do people honestly think that the auto industry hadn't figured all this out already? Or do they think that they just randomly puts parts together and whatever turns out is it. The auto industry has far more data to back up there decision choices than 40 people. They have 50+ years of it and millions of dollars worth. This is the sort of thing that makes academia look like a joke. What next, a 40 person panel that concludes that most people prefer warm showers to cold. There is a reason the meaner cars currently look mean. Because research has shown that people who buy certain types of cars have certain images they want to appear. Its not all by accident. And those who want to buy a prius want to project a friendlier image.
Prius has taken off. Anyone in the Bay area can tell you that.
Currently sales are down... but only because they are having production problems.
How ironic, after going through story after story here with links to sites that use the Vibrant in-text advertising (the latest "we're not really popups" scheme), I finally see one that uses Vibrant ads but has left in the ability to disable the popups.
And it's MSNBC.
Come on, folks, all you supposedly community-friendly sites out there... let people visiting your sites turn off the popups.
Apparently in Japan this is taken far more seriously. They treat the car's 'face' is a genuine personality trait for that vehicle. If your car looks angry it's probably more likely to have problems than if it looks happy. This can affect sales massively and Ford's Escort (at the time) had it's grille flipped vertically to change it from it's original frowny downturned 'mouth' to a smiley upturned one instead on the advice of the company's Japanese dealers (and market research in Japan). They claimed that without this change the car would have tanked completely. So it seems TFA only really applies to the west, as in the East they LOVE their cutesy cars - one of the best selling cars in Japan a few years ago was the Nissan Cube for gawds sake, and that looks like a toy car blown up to lifesize proportions!
Does this mean that the Toyota iQ will get the best of all reactions or the worst of all reactions? You really can't blame the car for looking angry, it looks like a tiny Yaris that somebody punched in the face and kicked in the butt. http://www.carbodydesign.com/archive/2007/09/15-toyota-iq-concept/
i'd merely like to point out that you can fuck RIGHT OFF GODDAMN PEDESTRIAN
Come read my stupid blagablog. Rants and Giggles
"Being in front of me is a bad idea."
I'm not usually a jerktard, but get me behind the wheel and on the freeway and it's like demonic possession.
sigh.
So, yeah, I think the front "face" of the car needs to project the "Get up to speed or get out of my way" mentality I'm running with. It's like a public service announcement. "This is you at 5 MPH under the prevailing speed of traffic. This is you getting run off the road."
Welcome to the Panopticon. Used to be a prison, now it's your home.
There is a grain of truth that Volvos are engineered to be safer cars and it reflects in the insurance rates. However, if sufficient numbers of aggressive or otherwise more loss-prone motorists drive Volvos, that will change.
The unwritten rule of auto insurance is: "The car makes the driver and the driver makes the car". I.E. The car (marketed with certain behaviors in mind despite disclaimers which serve to protect the manufacturer from litigation arising from suggested operation) makes the driver (operate such as the adverts suggest despite disclaimers) and the driver (through driving records) makes the car (by generating empirical data which insurers use to rate vehicle makes, models and equipment).
What will become of this is "Meaner looks means higher insurance rates".
There was someone in my neighborhood that had a 1970 Ford Torino with the headlamp doors. The grill was damaged and so the owner decided to do something creative. He removed the grille and grid from the doors and painted the outlines of cartoon eyes with mean-looking eyebrows. He told me that he was going to make teeth from plastic and metal parts and use a vacuum motor to make the teeth gnash upon goosing the accelerator. It never came to pass. However, it may give somebody 'ideas' if they have such a car.
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...don't favor angry-faced cars. Alas, anything that has low drag is going to end up looking more or less like a Prius. (Those little longitudinal wrinkles on the roof are not styling, by the way).
The stylists need to get busy on color schemes that suggest angry red faces, or trompe l'oeil designs that make the car look a different shape than it is.Maybe they can design a bunch of terrifying-looking spikes that poke out from the front, but are made of marshmallow and retract harmlessly into pockets on impact.
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Name...That...Autocomplete!
Ive got this theory that the big car manufacturers are actually trying to make hybrid flop. They are used to making a whole new model just with a few cosmetic changes to an existing one. Its cheap for them. They hate real innovation as it is costly and means big changes to their production lines. It might explain why nearly all hybrid cars (including the Prius) are very ugly and totally devoid of any masculine appeal. Its like their whole target demographic is tasteless hairdressers.
Even hybrid seems to be too much of a compromise to me. Actually what I want is an affordable, stylish, completely electric car with say 150 mile range and equal-to-gas performance. The tesla would be reat if it wasn't so stupidly expensive. I'm not interested in burning gas at all and imagine the cost and weight saving of taking away the gas engine part. But the gasoline engine is what the car manufacturers are set up to make so they want to force one into everything somehow, so my dream won't be around for years even though all the technology is available today.
Looks like Chrysler figured this out without a big university study. Bill B.
Seriously? They've locked down that as an entire country, "people love angry-faced cars"...and they've discerned this by sampling...40 people? Well if that's the case then hey this just in, a survey of 40 people polled has determined that MSNBC/LiveScience.com maintain high levels of journalistic integrity...
I guess the Mitsubishi EVO-X must be reaaaaaaaaally mean... http://www.combatpretzel.com/awful/evox.jpg
how the hell does a car look angry, this is flat out stupid!
Tough guys 43%
Pricks 27%
Douche bags 15%
Dildoes 14.99%
Poets 0.01%
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She made the willows dance
I think it's a psychology thing. There was a study a while ago (sorry, I don't have a link) that showed people were more attracted to models who had a "pissed off" look, than models who looked friendly.
New study confirms that people rate expensive looking as more desirable than cheap looking cars. Film at 11.
Although the trend is slowly disappearing, car manufacturers have historically tried to keep a consistent, distinctly "look" to their fleet. This allows you to see a brand new car and immediately know from a distance that it's made by BMW, Toyota, Cadillac, Ford, Hyundai, etc.
One consequence of the consistent appearance is that they've trained consumers on the value of a car relative to subtle changes in appearance such as configuration of headlamps, grills, lower spoilers, etc. The first thing that comes to mind in when you see a brand new BMW next to brand new Toyota isn't "angry" vs "happy"; it's "that's a BMW parked next to a Toyota, but I don't recognize the cars, so they must be new models."
It's no surprise that people think a BMW is more desirable than a Toyota, since most people can't afford a BMW.
They just asked 40 people. I think it depeneds on the target market, it seems obvious that if they are between 20-30 years old and they are american, they'll prefer the meaner one. Nobody respects a happy Panda in the road so nobody would want one. The result would be different if you asked 40 teenage manga-loving japanese girls.
I don't think 40 people is a large enough set of individuals to make this study mean anything. Follow up research will be required.
The short answer is you are not going to get your dream electric sedan because the technology is not there yet. But really, if any car maker could make it, they would. The thing that conspires against you is not Detroit, its physics.
Hybrids are always going to be more expensive because it has more parts, and some of those parts are extremely expensive to make because of a number of factors including rare materials and worker safety. Battery technology is in its infancy and progress is extremely slow in this field.
There's a great deal in common in non-scientific babble between environmentalists and religious fundamentalists.. banning gay marriages and promoting hybrids cars go hand in hand in anti-scientific lunacy. There will always be gay people, and hybrid cars will always cost more in real economic terms.
This is my sig.
What about the "Dodge Neon," its success was due to the fact that it had a "happy" look.
Twinstiq, game news
I imagine it has something to do with people's self appearance. Some people feel they are inadequate, or weak, one short coming or another. So they compensate by driving a car which has an aggressive appearance, or something they feel others will perceive as .
It may or may not have anything to do with their actual attitude.
if I were able to see further, it was because I stood on the shoulders of Giants -Newton
I test drove a used Prius, from maybe the second or third year of production. Some things I liked, but what eliminated it from serious consideration for purchase was the user interface to non-driving controls. There was one touchscreen that controlled the radio, AC/heating, etc. All I could think was, this is an accident waiting to happen.
My old low-tech car has separate controls for different features, and all provide tactile feedback. Without taking my eyes off the road, I can turn the radio on or off, adjust the heating or cooling, and so on. Now try using a touch screen without looking at it. Not for me, thank you. I'd rather watch the traffic.
You forgot to add
- easy to get in and out of.
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*I actually believe that BTW. Should I be concerned?
"When information is power, privacy is freedom" - Jah-Wren Ryel
Nothin' masculine or dominant about the 70s Corvettes. The exact opposite, I'd say.
Ever since I was little, I've always liked the way the s10 pickup and consequently the Blazer's front grills looked. When they redesigned the blazer to match the new-gen pick-up truck, it just wasn't the same.
It took me a while to get used to the way my car looks head-on (03 cavalier). Of course, now that I've driven it for four years, I love the way it looks xD
or maybe, just maybe, based on those pics, the BMW looks like a higher quality car more expensive car, and the Prius looks like a piece of shit econobox. (take a look at the two pics in the article and see if you agree.)
How about picking cars from the same class and comparing them?
Seems like another instance of a "researcher" confusing correlation with causation.
-=e
This is why the original Hummer and I mean the military surplus version, even the civilian conversion ones are SOOOOO much cooler looking that any version that came after. Seriously, auto company marketing flakes must be total wussies.
I just want something that gets good mileage. Really not too concerned with whether or not it looks mean or not.
when they could be talking about important things, like which CoolerMaster case will get you the most chicks.
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Yeah, but from the back, it's like tears of a clown.
I'm sure the license plate positioning doesn't help: it's a Hitler-esque mustache. It'll be worse in US states with narrower plates and front-licensing requirements.
Oh, say does that Star-Spangled Banner entwine / The myrtle of Venus with Bacchus's vine?
Comparing a BMW and a Prius has less to do with "Happy faces" and more to do with the detailed grille that gives the BMW the illusion of luxury. The Prius has a simple, blank profile that is readily associated with cheap little cars.
I suspect the association here is not with happy or angry, but with classy vs cheap. What, you actually like your 1991 Festiva ?
-Billco, Fnarg.com
I'm launching the Middle Fingermobile to take advantage of this trend. Anybody want to invest?
Table-ized A.I.
I see this study as further evidence that people should not be allowed to drive.
"The biggest problem with communication is the illusion that it has taken place."
Multi-Sound Horns:
http://www.jcwhitney.com/Multi-Sound-Horns/600002600.jcw
So, when you're puting along in the left lane and you see one of these approaching, you'll move the hell over to the right!
Have gnu, will travel.
The guys driving the Toyota Camrys are senior programmers.
The guys driving the BMW's/Mercs are the CIOs. So yes, we want you to get out of the f*ing way because ->We actually have someplace important to go-
If you removed said people from the road we would not have nearly the amount of problems we do today. That being said, it is true that could become a slippery slope where no one is allowed to drive.
To remedy this problem I think there needs to be mandatory driving tests issued every 2-5 years and driving tests required after vehicular infractions. As much as this would be a huge pain in the ass we would accomplish threethings:
1) People would "remember" how to drive correctly
2) Public transportation would be a viable alternative due to demand
3) The DMV would have to start working at light speed
...may revolutionize the way we drive!
http://www.theonion.com/content/node/30431
Hopefully he tends to drive the limit. It seems that certain colours (bright red and yellow among them if I remember correctly) tends to make one's car more noticeable and likely to be snagged by cops. In some cases, these things can even influence your insurance rate (having a car that's sporty, or actually called a "sport" par example).
My first car was an '88 Camry. Great gas mileage, comfortable, had a sunroof, and overall a fairly enjoyable ride. It had a tendency to rust around the fenders, but while I got it around the upper 100,000 km's, I drove it to 350,000km and other than normal maintenance and a little extra oil, never really had any issues with it (towards 345,000 it blew a water pump, that's about all I can remember). The Camry cost me $4000 and sold for $1800.
My current car I bought new (Corolla). Regular maintenance of this one costs me more than my old Corolla, not to mention the stress the first few times somebody scraped my doors and dinged my bumper. Insurance for a new car is almost twice the older one as well. Buying used is great if you're careful about it, and it doesn't just save money on the purchase price.
Cop cars tend to have the angry-style lights.
GRRRRR
They are probably angry because there's a cop driving them....
The popularity of the Miata... sorry... MX-5.
Discuss.
Is it indicative of anything that when i look at the front or rear of a car I don't see a face? I just see a car and recognise the type. Notable Exception: Frog-eyed Sprite http://www.motorimania.net/manifestazioni/sportive/mg/images/Mg.Sprite.MkI.Frog.Eye.1.jpg
They whose government reduces their essential liberties for temporary security, receive neither liberty nor security.
this backs up some earlier findings that people wanted cars that was like a tank on the outside, but like a womb on the inside...
comment first, facts later. http://chem.tufts.edu/AnswersInScience/RelativityofWrong.htm
Audi ftw!
Well, consciously, you're not generally aware that you're looking at a face. But once you see it, it's hard to not see a face. I remember looking at some Honda rear ends while stuck in traffic and cracking up, thinking that I was looking at a happy Halloween pumpkin. The triangular taillights were the eyes and the gray area below the bumper was the mouth.
- Zav - Imagine a Beowulf cluster of insensitive clods...
My Grand Am isn't really angry or happy from what I can tell. It seems to have a neat blended organic flow that suggest raptor heritage or perhaps something the Protoss would have made if they drove cars. If it's face suggests anything, it's probably a tad bitter about having 100HP less than what its looks would suggest and having an interior that's coming loose in places despite holding together well otherwise. Still, it goes from point A to point B just fine, and can scoot when needed so even though it's not exactly sporty it's no slouch either.
As for a not-so-attractive car? I'd say that French or Italian thing that looks like part of one car shaved off and stuck upon another. That thing is just fugly. The Aztec would probably rate a distant second.
Nothing says "get out of my way" like having a snake in your emblem... it's even better than a Jaguar or a Dodge Ram in that department. The only thing that could beat it would be an emblem featuring Trogdor the Burninator!
My truck is like a series of tubes.
I own a 2007 Subaru STi: http://www.edmunds.com/pictures/VEHICLE/2006/Subaru/100613622/2006.subaru.imprezawrxsti.20027170-396x249.jpg
They changed it this year to this: http://www.scouk.net/images/thumbnails/subaru/images/112_0703_02z+2008_subaru_impreza_wrx_sti+front.jpg
Angry to meh. I know which one I'd perfer :)
Incredibly how many posts I've read with sweeping statements such as "every BMW driver is an arrogant prick" etc.
It's mildly depressing (although not too surprising) how many of us make generalizations about so many different people based on a few experiences. Aren't many of the readers here supposed to be educated? In the fields of science and or math? Jeez...
I happen to own (and love) a BMW, but that's not why I'm posting. People should learn the world is not just black and white.
using System.Awesome;
Fo realz yo.
these old ones are more expensive because they are allowed to drive in carpool lane. they don't issue the stickers for the new ones for quite some time now.
I love my 2000 Yaris. It's a cute little car that gets amazing gas milage with its 1.0 liter putt putt engine. It has a futuristic dashboard and has been a pleasure to drive even here in Norway where the hills are so steep that there are times I have to turn around and find another way.
I've been trying for over 2 years to buy a decent pair of running shoes and every time I go to the store, everything is so damn pimped out or just so ugly that I wouldn't want any of them. I end up wearing "dress sneakers" instead which lack the support and comfort of the "bling bling" sneakers designed for sports.
I sure as hell don't want to have to buy 10 year old cars to find something that looks nice and practical.
Let us not forget such wonderful 3rd party augments as Teeth grills (a dog/wolf teeth replacement/overlay for the front grill of a tractor trailer)
And a "truck nuts" scrotum made of metal or ceramic hanging off a tow ball on the back of pickups, jeeps, etc.
Up, Up, Down, Down, Left, Right, Left, Right, B, A, START
I noticed this, too. Especially, as you can get 'look-changers' for some cars, adding small metal plates to the front lights, causing your car to look more angry.
This kind of thing is simple needed by the kind of people who also buy SUV (Square Ugly Vehicle): compensation. I keep thinking of the movie "Shrek", when they see the kings huge castle for the first time: "Think he's trying to... compensate for something?".
An angry car looks much stronger, wilder, cooler, better - and if you have a rather low self-confidence, you'll obviously need it...
PS: I drive a "smart roadster" (http://breueronline.de/klaus/roadster/index.html) - seen from the front, it smiles at you ;)
Free PC version of ChipWits at http://www.breueronline.de/klaus/chipwits/
Everyone gets out of the way for my beat up, rusty 1968 Chevy Suburban. 3-1/2 tons of steel (albeit a little rusty, but nothing a little welding can't fix) and the meanest, ugliest car on the road. She's a beast, but I love her. Even at 7,000 pounds, her 350 Corvette engine (4bbl Edlebrock) can still pass a fair amount of cars. Of course, she doesn't pass many gas stations either. :)
Arrrggg ... my eyes! The Fiat Multipla (above) is truely the Goatse of cars, closely followed by the pathetically weedy Renault Twingo and pre-2002 Nissan Micra :])
More likely it's because a used one still has the carpool stickers attached (you can't get them on a new Prius).