Call 911

Somewhere, a Porsche 997 is missing it's taillights.

What the Hyundai Honda?

Presenting the 2013 Honda Accord sedan.  Although it's miles better looking than the current Accord, it also looks remarkably like a Hyundai. And not even current Hyundais, but the previous generation Sonata (up front) and pre-facelift Genesis (out back). In fact if the current Sonata were one of those "coupe sedans", the styling of this Accord could definitely fill in for the "regular" version.

Bugatti Veyron EH 1.5

Only missing 14.9L of engine displacement.

Civic Fugliness Crosses the Ocean

I was a huge fan of the last generation European Civic. It was odd, but in a funky spaceship kind of way. Like it was sent from the future. The 2012 European Honda Civic takes a page from the 2012 North American Honda Civic, in that it's an evolution of the last generation more than a complete reboot. Although in my eyes, it's a bit of a de-evolution.

Where the previous generation was a sleek little space pod, the new one looks like it melted a bit on re-entry. The chiseled lines are now smoother and more organic, but unfortunately now it looks more like a crouching frog than something from outer space.  The taillights have also move vertically, which makes it look a bit tall and narrow when viewed from the rear.  It's almost as if Honda took the worst part of the CRZ and the Hyundai Veloster and called it a day...

Honda Pilot Gets Grilling

Honda has released a picture of the upcoming 2012 Honda Pilot refreshing, but unfortunately it's very mild on the styling front.  Gone is the BBQ burner grille insert, but that's about it - it still has the same wide-eyed stare, as if it were in shock. In my humble opinion, it really needs a complete redo forward of the A pillars.  Technical details of the update haven't been released yet, but it's been said that it'll be more fuel efficient - most likely aided by more cogs in it's transmission.

Volkswagen Passé

The new for 2012 VW Passat also follows Volkswagen’s new North American strategy of offering more for less. While the Jetta is basically them same car they get overseas (with a much worse interior), the Americanized Passat is an entirely different beast. While they get a reworked version of the current Passat, we get a completely new supersize version - presumably for our supersized, McDonald’s feed American (and Canadian) asses.



While the interior doesn’t suffer the same air of cheapness of the Jetta, the exterior does share a family resemblance. And in doing so, this is a very generic looking car. It’s not hideous, but there aren’t many positive adjectives that can be used to describe it either. From it’s vaguely Accord looking face to it’s vaguely Chevrolet Impala looking greenhouse, the look comes off as inoffensive (and a bit dated) looking clone hoping to gain sales by looking enough like the big sellers. Plus they might be trying to morph this apple strudel into looking enough like an apple pie to warm over some of the more jaded buyers that tend to only buy American.



Still though, it’s classy in a very retrained way and far from fugly. Had the 2008 Accord looked like this when it debuted instead of having it’s quasi-Bangle-butt, it would have been commended.

2012 Honda Civic

Again, not exactly a case of fugliness, but a case of moving backward, not forward. Or one might argue maintaining status quo. Still, one would think a major revision to a car would involve making it a bit more desirable.


The 2012 Honda Civic is only remarkable in how much it looks like the current model. The biggest change can be seen on the sedan, which abandons the old hockey stick taillights (aka: controvertial; fugly) in place of some more generic, previous generation Camry type taillights. While they aren't as strange, the also manage to make the car look older.


The revisions to the coupe look even less drastic - but somehow manage to make the look of the previous sleek little coupe a bit more chunky and ungainly.


Although occasional mild redos may be typical Honda fashion, this segment is suddenly en vogue now that gas prices have been and are still rising. Competition is only going to get more fierce, and it's competitors know this. Kia's recent Forte and Forte Koup are lookers, and Hyundai's Elantra is a bombshell. Ford's Fiesta and the Chevrolet Cruze are also substantially better looking and have upped the bar for interior refinement. Hyundai is also planning an Elantra coupe and hatchback/wagon (something Honda doesn't even offer). This might be the wrong time for a mild redo.

Merccord Coupe

Mercedes has just released shots of it’s new C-Class coupe, which kinda sorta replaces the CLK. Kinda because the CLK sorta became the E-Class coupe. Which is based off the C-Class, but looks like an E-Class. Although this seems a bit repetitive, the C-Class coupe is smaller and doesn’t have the pillarless window effect of the E-Class Coupe or it’s dramatic bodyside treatment and (excessive) front end details.

In the end it’s a sleek and clean design that looks quite nice. Unfortunately, it also looks a lot like an Accord Coupe (in particular the greenhouse and bodyside crease), which probably isn’t the demographic they’re looking for.

Honda Type-SLR

Yes, this is an attempt to create an SLR out of a 1996 Honda Accord SEDAN. It's difficult to see just how much work went into this, as apparently their photographer finds it very difficult to take photos with more than 3/4 of the car visible. Possibly on purpose, as I'm not really sure how they resolved the rear end. The only shot of it is below, and rather dark.

It's hard to tell, but it appears they might have achieved the triangular Benz tail light look by masking off the taillights. Compare with the photo below.

Also worth noting is a unique attempt at closing wheel gap. Instead of defaulting to larger rims and/or tires, they decided to drastically close in the the wheel openings with fender flares. I'm not sure how this is driveable, but then having no reverse lights (they've been covered up as you can see above) or visible spots to mount a license plate it's possible that this car will never move under it's own power on public roads. Which I suppose is a service to us all.

The enhanced shot below might better illustrate. As well as cutting off key areas of the car, the photos have very poor contrast - a lot of the detail gets lost. Again - possibly on purpose (to hide flaws?).

Casper the Fugly Intergra

While on the topic of spoilers, this guy decided to go a route opposite of the Mustang below and install the new spoiler on top of the old one. Double downforce, yo. This car earns bonus point for multiple skulls sprouting out of the bodywork.

Front End Downfarce

This Civic is so fast it needs an extra spoiler on the hood for extra downforce. In fact it’s so fast it blew off the bump strips on it’s doors.

Twisted Daze

Pretty much and modified 3rd and 4th generation Honda Civic can be considered fugly, but here's a fine example. Apparently modified by "Twisted Daze", this robin's egg blue 4 door Civic has the obligatory wide-mouthed body kit and gigantic spoiler, as well as frenched taillights. All of which can't hide the fact that this is a boxy 80's economy car. Other fugly details include painted window visors (I'm guessing the poor man's attempt at a chop-top look), an astonishing 16 Honda logos on the exterior (yet strangely no mention of VTEC, VTECH, or Type R), and an interior seemly lined in industrial Berber carpeting and completely lacking instrumentation (in that I highly doubt the 4 remaining aftermarket gauges adequately relay all the information vital to driving).

Honda Accord Coupe, Mullet Edition

Looks like Billy-Bob traded in his 1982 Camaro for the dependability of a new Honda.

R

In the ricer world, the Type-R badge is sacred territory. Those who own actual Type-R vehicles achieve a God-like status. This guy must be master of their universe.

Diamond in the Rough

Civic hatchbacks do not take well to low rider style. It seems this Civic mostly ignored the whole low-rider aspect entirely, deciding to focus solely on the style (or lack thereof).

Acura CL Headlights and their Legacy of Fug

Back in the late 90’s, there was a disturbing automotive trend involving pimping out Acura Intergras and slapping on Acura CL headlights. The resulting creation was both horrifying and nauseating. Strangely, it’s rather difficult to find pictures of these mythical beasts on the internet. It’s possible that owners had them destroyed as their owners came to their senses. The above photo I believe is not an Integra but a Mitsubishi Eclipse (with a bonus pink fuzz interior treatment).



*EDIT* - Found a good pic of an Integra with the CL headlight conversion, complete with Z3 louvers on the fenders as an added bonus.

Attack of the Clones: 2011 Honda Accord

Honda just today released pictures of it's updated Accord, whose current iteration isn't quite fugly - but definitely was not as pretty as previous generations. Focusing on the sedan here as it's the biggest offender. I wouldn't say the facelift exactly helps matters. Up a new grille is the biggest news - kind of similar to that on the Crosstour, but 40% the size. Guess it doesn't look too bad, but then I find myself constantly comparing it to the Crosstour.


However out back they seemed to glue on this gaudy taillight on the truck and call it a day. Worse yet, the looks is shockingly similar to everyone's favourite BMW.

Acura RL: Fuglifying the Mundane

The second gen Acura RL debuted in 2005. Where it's competition had V8s and RWD, Acura decided to stay a course it was familiar in taking and made the RL FWD and V6 powered. The styling was more of the same - sleek and attractive, but at the same time slightly average and looking a bit too much like a Honda, not an upper echelon sports sedan. I thought the styling was attractive - but there was much more expressive designs out there, including the radical flame surfaced 5-Series released two years prior.

Instead trying again from scratch to make it's halo car something that isn't merely average, Acura decided instead to facelift the current bodystyle with some reverse rhinoplasty and a botched buttlift.

The resultant car is one that still still mechanically behind the times, but now it has a face no one can love. Where before the RL looked sleek but slightly dated, now it looks about 5 years older, and it's taut muscular body is beginning to sag.

Up front of course is dominated by the gigantic chrome beak. Ignore the RL and it'll peck your eyes out. The headlights now droop lazily toward the sides of the car, giving it a tired look. The whole front of the car looses it's sleek grace for for a square jawed treatment at odds with the rest of the car.

Out back Acura decided to give the car a full-on Bangle butt, just in time for it to fall out of style (some may say it already had). But why stop there? The new TL has some of the most peculiar taillights I've seen - it looks like a manufacturing error cut off the bottoms. Not only does it look odd, it looks cheap - a thinly veiled attempt to give some new taillights without having to change the sheet metal.**

Bravo, Acura. In fact, bravo Honda. In a few short years you've managed to transform two brands into some of the most hideous automotive creations money can by. From the factory anyway.

**On second glance, it appears that they DID change the sheet metal out back to lead into the new trunklid. Seems like a wasted effort to me.

Civic Compensation

Is that an intercooler under your bumper or are you just happy to see me?

Mugan Civic Type RR

The car itself doesn't look that bad, but Mugan has started to get into this trend of leaving the modified pieces of it's cars unpainted. Which leaves them looking like the accident victims too poor to paint match the new pieces. I've noticed Brabus has started doing this too. It looks like crap people.