Smiling Cars

[MD]

Every now and then I just gotta let the fuse blow. Today is hate smiling cars day.

Whatever happened to design principles called "form follows function"?

For goodness sake, it is a MACHINE. It should look like a MACHINE. You might LOVE your MACHINE better than your girlfriend BECAUSE it is a MACHINE and you are grateful it is not another person me thinks.

How far does the market have to go to make a sale ? What is with this crap? ...oh yeah, this one tops the cake:
http://www.diginfo.tv/search.php?q=Nissan+smil

The 75 shows 'em how it's done.

[Barry Edmunds]

Any Alfa, bar the Arna experiment, shows how it is done.

[colcol]

I will not hear a bad word said about the ARNA, there are none left for sale in the UK, as all the owners are hanging on to them.
What would you describe the AU Falcon as, with those big headlights and fan grille, looking like an extint fish dredged up from the bottom of the ocean with large eyes and a big set of teeth, Colin.

[Neil Choi]

Like this one then MD!!!

[MD]

Neil,

I do love it in the context of the movie and its role as a fictional cartoon character. Let's hope the car manufacturers don't assume buyers are 10 year old kids buying cartoon cut outs. ( Although some of those body kits that you see around fitted to cars with sewer pipe sized exhaust systems suggest mentally 6 year owners I agree).

Barry,

You caught me with my pants down.
I should have anticipated your point of view which I agree with. So to clarify, the "Alfa stance" caption is meant to typify the brands' adherence to machine styling and should be read as not exclusive but inclusive of all Alfas.
I hope I get a Valentine's card next year.

Colin,

I am glad you have come out of the closet about the Arna  This is meant to be a light hearted topic to keep the Forum moving along and have some fun at the expense of idiot consumer panderings. Surprised nobody commented on the Nissan link.

[poohbah]

Surprised nobody commented on the Nissan link.

Only in Japan. Its that whole Manga thing. The worst "smile" would have to be the recent range from Peugeot:

[poohbah]

Much prefer the way the Alfa gang dip their lids... (mine is in the middle)

[MD]

Reason why that Pug has that sickly smile is because it is about to have a puke. 

Regarding the bonnets. The GTV forward opening bonnet is not just a design quirk. Less convenient to work on the engine bay (in some respects but not always) but it guarantees that your bonnet catch isn't going to let go at speed and the bonnet fly up to smash your windscreen or do other worse unmentionables.

This actually happened to me in a Giulia Super I had once which as you know has a conventional front opening bonnet. Smashed the windscreen, bent the bonnet and distorted the front of the turret. I thought my car was so hot the engine exploded and sent the parts to smithereens hahaa.

Yes I too was young and stupid once. I still got remnants of some of that..

[poohbah]

Swings and roundabouts I guess - the front hinged bonnet provides less access than in my 156, but there is a hell of a lot more space around the block in the GTV6s! Lucky if you can fit a playing card between most of the various bits and pieces in mine...

[redsky]

Keep smiling MD!!

[MD]

Yep they are out there driving amongst us...

But the hardest thing to do when you notice one is to hold back the temptation to position a passing smile out of the window to the oncoming driver in the guise of a smiling moonie just to let them know you appreciate being in the smiler's club.

..somebody let me get some sanity back and stick me behind a Giulia Super before I crack it completely. I just loves them Supers. The complete aphrodisiac.

[extraball]

Thanks to the OP, I know see this silly smiling cars everywhere. Cheesy plastic grins at every set of lights, intersection etc.  lol

[McAnnik]

    Guess what started it all??    The Austin Healey "Frogeye" Sprite, the best smiley of all time! Sorry! I dont have a pic..........

[extraball]

    Guess what started it all??    The Austin Healey "Frogeye" Sprite, the best smiley of all time! Sorry! I dont have a pic..........

[poohbah]

something a little more Italian ... and a bit more devilish.