How an F1 car Should look

[Matski]

Some say messy, I say purposeful. Some say clean and uncluttered, I say weedy and cheap.

Of recent times the FW26A is one of the best looking cars IMO. I'm sure people will disagree - but these people probably think the Jaguar E-type is the best looking road car ever

From the past the Blue and White Turbo powered dart that was the BT-52 has to be one of the best IMO.

[Knowlesy]

But surely that is "weedy and cheap"?

(Oh no, sorry, it was BMW powered wasn't it)

[Marbot]

Originally Posted by Matski

but these people probably think the Jaguar E-type is the best looking road car ever

Certainly seems to do well in the "What's the best looking road car of all time" polls. Usually comes above Mitsubishi Lancer Evo (whatever roman numeral it's up to now) and Subaru Impreza WRX Sti.

As for the latest generation of F1 cars looking "purposeful".The antiquated champ cars look more so.The F1 cars look like they were designed by a commitee (which indeed they were ).

It seems that the longer the rules stay the same,the worse an F1 car looks.

[Sodemo]

I actually really love the old Subaru STi shape, the 1997-2000 model was really aggressive looking, top stuff.

My father had one too as part of his "mid life crisis" period... bloody quick, never got to drive it though...

[Knowlesy]

Is purposeful beautiful? For me, purposeful means....well, it looks fit for its purpose. Doesn't mean it's good looking in my view.

A drag car looks purposeful, but it also looks rather ugly.

A Ford Transit looks purposeful, but it is also a van.

An Impreza looks purposeful, but it is also bland.

[Adam43]

Originally Posted by nickyf1

A quick '08 concept car I made, with my Impresion of what next years McLaren will look like. And I did the Vodafone logo.... So thats why its bad

http://img91.imageshack.us/img91/5573/f1conceptzu9.png

The wheelbase looks a little short and I worry for the drivers legs.

[Pingguest]

The 1982 Ferrari 126 C2 is, for me, the most beautiful Formula 1 car ever.


Followed by the 1982 Lotus-Cosworth and 1990 Ferrari.
http://www.awirz.ch/068dea.jpg
http://f1gt.ifrance.com/images/GP/IMGP494b.jpg

[Matski]

Originally Posted by knowlesy

Is purposeful beautiful? For me, purposeful means....well, it looks fit for its purpose. Doesn't mean it's good looking in my view.

A drag car looks purposeful, but it also looks rather ugly.

A Ford Transit looks purposeful, but it is also a van.

An Impreza looks purposeful, but it is also bland.

It seems to be the inference that if something's to be good-looking it needs to have clean, simple, and uncluttered lines. If this is the case, I don't agree.

Yes, a scooby looks purposeful, but I dislike cars that look as if the desingers involved just stuck with their first idea. There looks to be no refinement of the design theme.... and thats not to say that something that is refined has to look simple - just like not alot of thought has gone into it.

I like detailing too, and the more simple something is the chances are it will have less details to pay attention to.

[Jimmy Magnusson]

*nods*

[Knowlesy]

Originally Posted by Matski

It seems to be the inference that if something's to be good-looking it needs to have clean, simple, and uncluttered lines. If this is the case, I don't agree.

This is not true. The McLaren MP4-20, who's looks I so adore, wasn't totally clean and uncluttered for example.

Good looking things do not follow any ideal, really. That is reserved for the ugly things.

Originally Posted by Matski

I dislike cars that look as if the desingers involved just stuck with their first idea. There looks to be no refinement of the design theme.... and thats not to say that something that is refined has to look simple - just like not alot of thought has gone into it.

Well, F1 cars these days, in terms of looks, do seem to be building around the same things year in year out. The regs are tight, so everything looks the same. This really is part of the problem, there is an optimum design and so everyone has the same (visual) solutions generally.

Originally Posted by Matski

I like detailing too, and the more simple something is the chances are it will have less details to pay attention to.

Not true. The simple things generally have the finer, more impressive detailing. Detail is beautiful, but too much detail spoils the picture...

[Marbot]

The thing that really spoils the modern 98-on F1 car is the narrow track,it wasn't helped by the fact that the front wing didn't become narrower at the same time.I don't think I have got used to that yet.I'll have to give up watching Champ cars.

[Knowlesy]

The narrow track is a big visual problem, agreed. In racing car terms, F1 cars have the proportions of a double decker bus!

I still think the cars wouldn't look awesome though. I guess it depends how the rules shape things though.

[Sodemo]

Cars need to be shorter and wider, not longer and narrower.

Most of the cars made after 1997 are truely hideous beasts, with a few rare exceptions.

Slick tyres and wide track made the cars look aggressive and purposeful.

[Adam43]

Originally Posted by Jimmy Magnusson

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/4c/ScheckterJody1976-07-31Tyrrell-FordP34.jpg
*nods*

As cool as it is, beautiful it aint.

And F1 cars shouldn't look like that

[SennaTheGreat]

Adam, i think that the 6 wheeler tyrrell was a nice looking car, plus it won races.

[rocketracer]

my likings:

Mp4/8
classic compact lines, striking livery and beautiful dynamic shape:
http://www.research-racing.de/gpx1213.jpg


ferrari F310
muscular looking albeit a terrible race car...
http://es.geocities.com/fichastecnicas/f1-f310-3-ok.JPG

F310B
chiselled dynamic looks, clean aero but not to the cheese grater extent the cars are at now:
http://www.geocities.com/MotorCity/G...788/pic111.jpg

FW23
similar to above, like the big sweeping flip ups. Before aero got rediculous
http://b.f1-facts.com/ul/a/5633


and the mp4/20 had great curves. Easily the best looking car of 05.
looked like someone melted cheese over a racecar. nice and fluid.
http://www.f1news.ru/Championship/20...s/mclaren0.jpg
http://www.motorpasion.com/archivos/...en-naranja.jpg


i thought the renault, williams and bmw were the best looking cars in 06, i like the current shape but could do away with any aero bits on the sidepods that look like they could be a fancy way to grate a carrot.

I think other than that the cars look pretty svelte every year. There are always good and bad.

[EERO]

I'll go back even further. I think that the early '70's gave us the best looking cars.

A few that I love:

Lotus 72, both Players red and gold livery and the great black and gold JPS livery.

McLaren M23 (the first year in the Yardley livery)

Shadow DN5

Braham's BT42 and BT44

Ferrari 312B (1970)

Surtees TS9B

And in the late 70's

Lotus 79



But I agree with Knowlesly's comment that today's cars are all cluttered with too many bits hanging off. Once the narrow-track grooved-tire cards came in, they got ugly.

[Adam43]

Originally Posted by SennaTheGreat

Adam, i think that the 6 wheeler tyrrell was a nice looking car, plus it won races.

A World Championship F1 race.

My criteria was not race wins anyway, although for those racing it a winning car must be beautiful.

[andy_b]

Have a look at these links. Not mine, but a student that keeps in touch with me.
http://www.deviantart.com/deviation/35710692/
http://www.deviantart.com/deviation/38248193/

lots of fins and winglets though

[luke]

I agree totally that the 1990 or 1989 Ferrari v12? was incredible. One of my all time favourites. I remember it well.

[GolddustMini]

a design to be beautiful must be clean, smooth and flowing, not to boxy and looked like it was simply drawn and then created, not


"we've got this great design for bodywork, it is slippery as an eel, the only problem is that its got more holes and ridges than a cheese grater"

simple lines are a must and the design must flow thats why i love the look of the 1960's racing cars and that of the early 90's with the likes of the jordan 191, my favourite cars have to be the lotu49 and the eagle weslake though, they just look right, and things that look right generaly are.


the new breed of f1 cars are too 'busy' too many ridges, wings and apendages to ever be classes as beautiful, although some have an underlying beauty to be seen such as the mclaren mentioned above, it has a clean flowing curved line from front to back which is evident under the makeup of a few stuck on eyelashes and some makeup.

[Matt]

Jordan 191>All. Full stop.

[R59]

I agree. The Jordan 191 was very nice in it's 7up livery.

But this is...... (it's a sound thing as well as a look...)



BRM V16..... mmmmmmmmmm... scream!

Rob.

[TheNewBob]

I happen to think this year's Ferrari was more pleasant than most recent cars. But I'm of the general thinking that anything built after '95 is fairly ugly. Anything built after '01 is simply hideous.

All the "busy" aerodynamical parts, such as those weird chimneys etc. They just look awful. Logo's barely fit anymore, there's shape changes everywhere, and nothing ever looks beautiful, purposeful and sleek. There is nothing aesthetically pleasing about a modern F1 car to me.

'91 McLaren, '93 McLaren, '95 Ferrari, '90 Ferrari... all gorgeous...

I wish Bernie had taken action on this sort of thing long ago, like they did with the X-Wings in '98.

[sportscarsRULE]

Originally Posted by martyn bott

The thing that really spoils the modern 98-on F1 car is the narrow track,it wasn't helped by the fact that the front wing didn't become narrower at the same time.I don't think I have got used to that yet.I'll have to give up watching Champ cars.

Ahh Champ Cars, you have good taste Martyn. Very clean cars, however they are getting old. I love the looks of the next-gen car, what about you?

Oh, F1 cars may not be too pretty, but trust me, they have nothing on the IRL. Pathetic cars for a pathetic organization:
http://www.autoreview.ru/new_site/ye...rt/800/irl.jpg

Man those things are so big and fat. And then we have the Grand-Am cars. Us Yanks seem to be having an ugly car epidemic. Give me an F1 car please!