Well, the RX8 didn't 'inherit' anything because the (utterly unchanged) sheetmetal predates the Furai by almost seven years. Neither did the MX-5 (two years). Both of those are standard facelifts; so yes, they "just grab[bed] the bumper" and hammered it on. The flowing lines and sharp body creases of the Furai are nowhere to be seen; if I had to describe what they look I'd say a smooth pebble, which is in keeping with the design language preceding the Furai. I'm not thinking about a 1:1 copy, I'm just asking for a well-executed and cohesive appearance, which grafting the Furai smile onto the smooth MX-5 and RX-8 shapes completely failed to achieve. A smile does not a good design make. The same is partially true of the Mazda6, which though it debuted the same year as the Furai hasn't received the same facelift as the others and lacks the smile, probably because it's too new to facelift without pissing off the owners of a car only a year old. Much like the others, behind the A-pillar - as in, the actual car bit of the car, it's unchanged from previous language and is still smooth rather than creased and still lacks 'flowing lines.' The front is clearly a product of the same language but again, that's just a bumper and new wings. Regarding the Mazda3, that's a 2009 car, newer than Furai and therefore has had more time to be adjusted to the rather contrived design language. It's got the protruding black bumper and the smile common to the RX-8 and MX-5 facelifts, and new headlights, but if you look beyond the A-pillar you'll note that it's almost entirely the same as the 2007 model all the way back to, er, the rear bumper which has of course been creased and swept. There's no creasing or flowing lines, in fact the word that jumps into my head is 'boxy.' So again, what you're looking at is more facelift than substance.
Concept cars.... i often love looking at them, and then see problems. Example: Bits of the 2010/2011 Volvo S60 concept: That's a take on the "floating console" they started with the S40 years ago. Just this one stretches further back, is more "floatier", and is made of GLASS. Yes, it looks fracken AWESOME, but will Volvo ever build it like that? - I really doubt it. A glass console. Anyone can see the difficulties with fitting that into Volvo's design mentality (which is "Safety first"). Some of them DO get built though: The VW GTI W12 The BMW GINA concept The Mazda Furai They were built, they work, they're not suitable for mass production. Other cars got frighteningly close to their very early concepts as well. One that springs to mind there is the Bugatti Veyron (this one by then-SEAT design lead Walter de'Silva): And that's the design that got scrapped in 1999. Yes, i know concept cars are pointless, and there are a few manufacturers that should stop building concepts and start building cars that come close to their concepts in innovation, but hell... i love 'em
that glass console can be perfectly safe in the S60, toughened glass would stand up to the abuse a common car recieves. I really like that S60 concept, seems closer to a real car release than others in this thread.
The Jag XF was still watered down quite considerably as the concept was much more aggressive looking. Jag and Saab often produce stunning concept cars but churn out the same old bilge year after year. The XF is a step in the right direction but Jag have not made a nice car in years.
You are right... it COULD. the price of that, as well as the potential to break in high speed impacts would hold Volvo off, IMO. I'd be surprised if that thing ships like that. (me being a Volvo fan, I'd buy one immediately as well) Edit: Also, amybe saying "Get built" is a bit rich. It's more like "Actually get developed into semi-working prototypes that actually move the wheels and have steering columns" But yes, the Jag XF is a good example of something that turned from a concept into a working car with (admittedly) substantial changes, but also a lot of the concept left in tact
I dunno, man... I'm no expert, but i think a glass console would behave differently in a crash than your windows. either way... I Miss my S40... and My next car is either gonna be a Jag Hatch (there was talk of one for 2012) or another Volvo (unless i can afford an AMG by then... )
You really don't like the new-shape XK? Really? No accounting for taste, I suppose. Jag were bad for the concept thing, though, the F-Type was stunning and criminally never made. Saab's at least were so bizarre that you could never envision them on the road ("Yes, I'll have the new Aero X. How does one get the baby seat in the back when the cockpit canopy is open?") and plus they were usually a bit odd in the styling department. Volvo do actually do an opaque plastic version of that dash (have done for ages) in the S60 at least. We've a V70 - great car, archetypal Volvo - but that predates it, I think.
Totally agree there tbh - the new XK looks great, the XF is much nicer than any of its rivals and the XJ looks sensational imo. The F-Type is apparently still a possibility, they just need to have some money to be able to develop it.
Majority of people just are boring and do NOT want to stand from the crowd. This applies to buying cars, unfortunately. It's a shame. Sure some concepts are just stupid, but the outlooks shouldn't really be impossible to put into production.
I love the new Jag XK with the exception of the lights front and rear, Its the sharp angles that run at the sides, i just dont like them and imo the pointy bits dont flow with the rest of the design. +1 for wanting to see a production F-Type based on the older body style though that thing was truly amazing to look at. There was the XK180 concept aswell that was cool looking, and the R-D6 which i strangely really like.
When I was (very) little, I say the most AMAZING!!! ford concept car at Beaulieu. It was sleek and super cool, totally different to anything around at the time, and certainly different to the cars my parents drove. I so wanted this car of the future! I wished we had that car... Years later, after this concept had made it into production (it happens!), my first car was an rusting example of the marque . It had shitty blue and had loads of miles on the clock, but would took me everywhere. I loved it because it's shape filled a space in my head which said "Car from the future". That car was a Ford Sierra 1.6. Motto? Be careful what you wish for.
Said the girl on a computer forum, with a few grammatical errors as if she's a foreigner with a hot accent, in a thread discussing cars Methinks you're trying to drop some sort of subliminal message to every guy here that you're the girl they've been wishing for - I know that you girls are very sneaky like that.
Its an inferior Aston Martin clone which looks like a cheap and tacky Aston. A Jag should be an exciting sports car which a lot of their concepts are but the production models mostly look they are aimed at the Arthur Daley market.
Ditto, well, in April really, but still. It may be almost 5 years old, but I love it and it's great to drive. Wouldn't mind getting an RX-8 though I thought the Saab Aero was a gorgeous concept and the "cockpit" idea was great. Shame it will now never happen
