why arent there beautiful exotic LOOKING cars in the 20k range??

[HondaPowered]

Originally Posted by MauriSSio

i see, i always thought they were mechanically good cars. Anyways the cars you listed look ugly and uninspired in my opinion. Just wondering why an automaker doesnt just say " hey lets make a truly beautiful automobile that looks like a lambo but costs near entry level" and if it wasnt possible. Why EXACTLY it isnt possible. i understand not ALL things are possible or doable. to me, it just seems like everybody is ok with the affordable cars to look like doodoo just because theyre affordable.

I'm sorry, I am not an automaker but my guess would be production cost. Planning a car takes alot of dough. Then you have to copyright everything and state it as your own. Then you have to deal with the fact, that some people DON'T want it to look like a lambo, or a ferrari, or etc.

They look for a happy medium, and to mass produce a car, is not cheap.

[HondaPowered]

How about, you try to build one that looks like that ferrari, and you see how much it costs, to make a car look like that, then try to sell it, WHILE making a profit.

[The Stig]

Originally Posted by MauriSSio

looks good. it really does (looks kinda like a sebring), but im looking for more. Why cant an affordable daily driver car LOOK more like this:

OK. So how many soccer mom's or people with a 45 min commute (avg commute for most americans) going to buy that car?

[Mr. Wyndham]

Originally Posted by MauriSSio

looks good. it really does (looks kinda like a sebring), but im looking for more. Why cant an affordable daily driver car LOOK more like this:

but instead they all look like this

and this

I'll bet the body panels and glass on that Ferrari alone costs well over $10,000....now mention all the bracing and support parts that the body needs to function (or else not tear itself apart at speed)...and then factor in an engine, and interior, frame, etc, etc...

$30,000 "affordable car" not affordable anymore?

[MauriSSio]

Originally Posted by stieger

Well it's not just body panels, it's also the interior, the electronics, the paint, etc etc. If you made a base model civic look like a Ferrari, do you honestly think that would look good??

if you took a ferrari f430 (just an example) and gave it the mechanicals of a civic, would you suddenly say "hey, that car is fugly!"????? The performance doesnt make the car actually look better.

Originally Posted by stieger

.... if the camaro looked and drove as good as a corvette - why would anyone buy a corvette?

so then the looks of the car is tied more towards the price of the car than it is the actual cost???

[FenwickHockey65]

Originally Posted by stieger

OK. So how many soccer mom's or people with a 45 min commute (avg commute for most americans) going to buy that car?

OP's best bet is probably this...



...and while the 140S is completely production feasible, whether or not GM could work out a sound business case to produce it is a different story altogether.

[FenwickHockey65]

Originally Posted by MauriSSio

if you took a ferrari f430 (just an example) and gave it the mechanicals of a civic, would you suddenly say "hey, that car is fugly!"????? The performance doesnt make the car actually look better.

A car that is all show and no go is a horrible idea. Remember the Iron Duke Camaro?

[The Stig]

Originally Posted by MauriSSio

if you took a ferrari f430 (just an example) and gave it the mechanicals of a civic, would you suddenly say "hey, that car is fugly!"????? The performance doesnt make the car actually look better.


so then the looks of the car is tied more towards the price of the car than it is the actual cost???

So, if I'm getting you right. You want to take a Civic's frame and engine and then drop a Ferrari's body on top of it? First, the Civic's frame is no where near the Ferrari's - so the body would look squished. Now say you take the time to redesign and build a new body - well that's money (probably a lot of money actually).

[HondaPowered]

I don't see it

[MauriSSio]

Originally Posted by HondaPowered

I'm sorry, I am not an automaker but my guess would be production cost. Planning a car takes alot of dough. Then you have to copyright everything and state it as your own. Then you have to deal with the fact, that some people DON'T want it to look like a lambo, or a ferrari, or etc.

They look for a happy medium, and to mass produce a car, is not cheap.

fair enough, i just find it strange that no one attempts it is all.

Originally Posted by HondaPowered

How about, you try to build one that looks like that ferrari, and you see how much it costs, to make a car look like that, then try to sell it, WHILE making a profit.

WTH kind of response is that?? how the hell do you think i would even go about building a car? im just asking a question as to why nobody does it.Im just wondering if making a car LOOK cool would actually drive the price up THAT much and WHY it would.

Originally Posted by stieger

OK. So how many soccer mom's or people with a 45 min commute (avg commute for most americans) going to buy that car?

it could cater to the miata crowd or something, i dont know. something in that type of segment.

Originally Posted by Dragoneye

I'll bet the body panels and glass on that Ferrari alone costs well over $10,000....now mention all the bracing and support parts that the body needs to function (or else not tear itself apart at speed)...and then factor in an engine, and interior, frame, etc, etc...

$30,000 "affordable car" not affordable anymore?

at what speeds are you talking about? ferrari type speeds or 160hp 4 cylinder speeds? real questions not fighting.

Originally Posted by FenwickHockey65

OP's best bet is probably this...



...and while the 140S is completely production feasible, whether or not GM could work out a sound business case to produce it is a different story altogether.

thats a nice looking car but im not actually looking for a car. Im just trying to have a discussion on why affordable cars tend to look so bland. do they do it on purpose?

Originally Posted by FenwickHockey65

A car that is all show and no go is a horrible idea. Remember the Iron Duke Camaro?

so no show and no go is the way to go. i doubt potential buyers of inexpensive cars say "hey i dont have money for a BMW so please make my car look shitty!"

[MauriSSio]

Originally Posted by stieger

So, if I'm getting you right. You want to take a Civic's frame and engine and then drop a Ferrari's body on top of it? First, the Civic's frame is no where near the Ferrari's - so the body would look squished. Now say you take the time to redesign and build a new body - well that's money (probably a lot of money actually).

LMAO im not trying to build any kind of car. Im just wondering why the affordable level of cars look the way they do. Im not saying to put the ACTUAL civic mechanics on a Ferrari f430, just why cant they make something that looks similar to that at an entry level (or close to it) price. just hypothetical questions. Im not car shopping or trying to make some kind of fiero ferrari clone or anything like that.

[derklug]

It wouldn't be that hard to build a 20k car that looks like a Ferrari, but sales would be horrible. The truth is, if you had to live with a supercar for everyday driving, you would soon learn to hate the car. No trunk room, no interior room, harsh suspension, PITA to get in and out, etc., etc., etc. Now picture this with only mediocre performance.

[FenwickHockey65]

Again, look at what the best selling passenger car in America is.

The idea is to build a car that will appeal to a wide range of consumers. A super polarizing car that appeals only to a certain demographic is not going to bring in much profit.

[The Stig]

Originally Posted by MauriSSio

LMAO im not trying to build any kind of car. Im just wondering why the affordable level of cars look the way they do. Im not saying to put the ACTUAL civic mechanics on a Ferrari f430, just why cant they make something that looks similar to that at an entry level (or close to it) price. just hypothetical questions. Im not car shopping or trying to make some kind of fiero ferrari clone or anything like that.

I know you're not building a car. I'm trying to explain the logic to you - per your request.

Here.

Middle class Joe has $$$ much money. He wants a car that looks like a Benz AMG, but the AMG costs $$$$$ AND he'd have to spend $$ in gas every year. So instead he buys a Prius, which only costs $$ and he only needs to spend $ a year in gas.

It's not that people buy ugly cars because they want to, it's because they're compromising. Same reason people settle when it comes to relationships. Not everyone can date Scarlett Johanson - so they say "eh good enough" and date the first girl they met freshman year.

Also, the "Miata" crowd is a TINY demographic. Compare Miata sale numbers to those of the Prius. It's maybe a quarter of Prius sales. Cars are built AND sold to specific demographics, the fancier and more exotic a car is the smaller the potential sales demographic is.