A blog devoted to RANTS ON AUTOMOTIVE DESIGN, car reviews, and - above all - fugly autos. whether looking for vehicular plagiarism or rides of extreme tastelessness, you've come to the right place.


Tuesday, August 09, 2005

Byuck


I don't know what this is, was, or is trying to look like - but it has a faint resemblance to a Buick. It was at the Tokyo auto show in 2005 though, so I can only assume it started off at least partially a Japanese car.

Mini Retrovan


Wow - it's like a neoclassic minivan, retro style. And it appears as if the wood "grain" (I say grain as the simulated texture looks like pulp, or clipboard maybe) might even be painted on.

Veilside: Dustbuster Fug




Japanese car tuner and bodykit maker not only makes attractive and powerful modified Japanese cars, they also make fugly and powerful modified Japanese cars.

Once again an attempt to take racecar looks to the street in some form, each of these cars displays an elongated snout not unlike a dustbuster. Some forms of racing (like the JGTC) allow for front and rear air damn extensions to their cars to improve aerodynamics, but they aren't always pretty. But some people feel the need to emulate them, and cars like this are the result. The Hyundai Tiburon fairs worse. Not only because the stock design has smallish wheel wells and rides a bit tall, but because they also felt the need to add multiple "extreme to the maxx" organic air scoops.

When Fugly Cars Get Fuglier: ZX2



When the Ford Escort ZX2 coupe debuted, I found it to be boring and ugly at the same time. It was like the Ford Taurus's uglier wallflower little sister. The mid-section is ok - but it's nothing exciting. It's too high off the ground. Then there's the Ford Taurus / Lexus SC / Escort front end, which just looks like a cheap attempt at looking cool. And the weird stretched taffy taillights. Some may have liked it, but I found the whole cars very, very boring. And kinda dated even when it came out.

Then when it was getting long in the tooth, they gave it a facelift that not only made it look uglier but also older! Is it just me, or does the new grille give off an erie 1978 AMC Gremlin vibe? Don't mind the new front air damn though. And also strangely (most likely as they're too cheap) they didn't change the taffy taillights. Inexplicably, this was offered for a while when the Focus was out to make it's existants more confusing. It's finally dead.