Car designs??

[mailee]

Why is it that all of the new cars seem to look the same? I notice that the latest Hyundai looks like the Ford KA, which also looks like the Mazda. I think there is only one designer for all of these companies who travels around the world working for each company. If this is not the case then there seems to be a lot of industrial espionage at work in the car industry! :roll: What ever happened to individuality? :lol:

 

[Shane]

IIRC an Audi designer upsticked and moved to Ford, hence the similarities in headlight design on the focus at that time, I would also imagine a lot of the design work would be freelance. Also if an updated car sells well, it's competitors will be sure to try a similar design

 

[Paul Chapman]

I believe that in recent years a few Fords (mainly the smaller ones like the Fiesta) have been re-badged Mazdas.

Cheers :wink:

Paul

 

[Racers]

Hi,

Try looking at something different like the ALfAs

I have a ALFA 159 and it looks good every morning as I walk out the door.

Pete

 

[Gary]

Hi,

Try looking at something different like the ALfAs

I have a ALFA 159 and it looks good every morning as I walk out the door.

Pete

Even on the back of the recovery truck. :lol:

We all know old/all Alfa's break down and rust away.

 

[Racers]

Hi, Gary

I will not rise to the bait :wink:

Mines a new one


Pete

 

[bugbear]

IIRC an Audi designer upsticked and moved to Ford, hence the similarities in headlight design on the focus at that time, I would also imagine a lot of the design work would be freelance. Also if an updated car sells well, it's competitors will be sure to try a similar design

Nissan 350Z for example. The most derivative design for years - like a Audi TT ***** by a Porsche boxter.

However, I disagree that all modern are look alike. How can you say that in the era of the BMW X5, Fiat Multipla, Smart Car... (*)

You end up saying that all the cars that aren't distinctive look alike!

BugBear

(*) to be clear, I'm saying they're distinctive, not necessarily that they're nice.

 

[big soft moose]

I believe that in recent years a few Fords (mainly the smaller ones like the Fiesta) have been re-badged Mazdas.

Cheers :wink:

Paul

or vice versa - a lot of those cars are a joint project between the two with ford body work and mazda engines - for example the mazda 3 and ford fiesta are identical except for the badges, as are the ford ranger and the mazda B series pickups (and both of the latter are modelled on the toyota hilux anyway)

 

[Dibs-h]

Even on the back of the recovery truck. :lol:

ROFLMAO! :lol::lol:

 

[StevieB]

I thought it had more to do with crash safety than anything else. An optimal design for sasfety is what they all strive to achieve. Given this now incorporates a rating for damage to pedestrians the 'rounded edge, no distinctive lines' shape of most cars is perhaps more understandable. Coupled with designs to enhance fuel efficiency by reducing wind resistance and drag (think green and the environment) means regression to the mean in terms of design, as departure from maximal efficiency in either safety or protecting the environment costs sales.

Or perhaps there really is only one designer out there....

Steve

 

[goldeneyedmonkey]

Kia copy pretty much everyone, you can see a similarity in every one of their models to a big firms flagship model. But yeah they all seem to copy one another in some respects, check audi & bmw a couple of years back, they had loads of similar features.

 

[Racers]

Hi,

I think its focus group problem anything that looks different gets voted off, so every thing gets bland.

ALFA 159 5 star NCAP rated that include pedestrian implact.

Pete

 

[beech1948]

Sorry guys but a lot of the above is just "car magazine b*ll*cks.

Ford own Mazda or at least a controlling interest.

Ford have provided Mazda with components for at least 20 yrs.

So no design surprises there then.

Al

 

[cambournepete]

Ford own Mazda or at least a controlling interest.

Ford have provided Mazda with components for at least 20 yrs.

So no design surprises there then.

Ford actually only own 11% of Mazda shares (they recently reduced it considerably).
They are about to reduce that to just 3.5% - see here.

Anyway:
Mazda 2 = Ford Fiesta
Mazda 3 = Ford Focus
Mazda 5 = NO Ford really, but it's based on the Focus floor-pan and is there equivalent of the C-Max (but better IMHO).
Mazda 6 = Ford Sierra
Mazda Tribute was also a Ford Maverick and a Nissan Terrano

And yes I do have a Mazda (5)

 

[big soft moose]

The 6 looks more like a Mondeo to me - I dont think they make a sierra anymore

Also the 5 looks pretty indistinguishable from my focus estate

and as i said earlier Mazda B series = Ford Ranger - and its a two way street, the engine and the key system in the ranger come from mazda (I know because we had to get keys for our new one recently, and after a lot of faffing about with ford, the dealer eventually got them from Mazda )

 

[big soft moose]

Its also quite coomon for car companies to share designs and development costs, for example

the Toyota Aygo, the Peugot 106, and the Citroen C1 are the same body shell and engine - cosmetic difference like light bars and seats not withstanding.

And the Citroen Berlingo and Peugot Partner are identical apart from the badge

 

[cambournepete]

The 6 looks more like a Mondeo to me - I dont think they make a sierra anymore

I meant mondeo...
And I used to own a Sierra...:roll:

Also the 5 looks pretty indistinguishable from my focus estate

The 5 has a higher roof line but definitely similar.

 

[Gary]

Jag X type and Ford Mondeo.

 

[Gary]

VW Golf
Seat Leon
Audi A3
Skoda Fabia

 

[big soft moose]

vw caddy, seat inca, and skoda foreman/hicube