the new 350Z vs. the last-generation Z car, let alone the 240-280Z's
the RX-8 vs. the last RX-7
the SC430 (beautiful from the front, Audi TT look alike from the rear) vs. SC300/400
I'll bet the new Supra, if such a thing exists, will look like a birth-defect cousin of the 1993-98 Supra too.

Are the new cars made ugly on purpose? Are they ugly because the manufacturers figure that those kinds of looks are what will sell in the biggest free market in the world?

Originally posted by cloudnine
the new 350Z vs. the last-generation Z car

I disagree with that! The old Z was butt-ugly IMO.

The MKV Supra looks like an abortion and they screwed up the new Skyline big time.

the R34 Skylines are the one of the greatest looking cars of all time.

http://www.fantasycars.com/derek/cars/images/nissan/gtr_2.jpg

JUST LOOK AT THAT

...unless they are coming out with a R35 Skyline that I havent heard about....

If Nissan comes out with a new Skyline it will probably look like a Steroid Stanza.

Originally posted by lex400sc
. . . . . The old Z was butt-ugly IMO.

First time I' ve heard it descibed that way.
I thought the 300ZX TT is one of the most beautiful Japanese car ever built, & with the SC300/400, the most beautiful cars I could have owned but never did. When they first came out, I couldn't afford them new(I've always bought my cars brand new). When I can afford them new (in 96 & 99 respectively), they were discontinued. The new Z just doesn't compare(that's why I bought the G35 coupe.;) )

Originally posted by /Aerostar\
...unless they are coming out with a R35 Skyline that I havent heard about....

It's called the Inifiniti G35 coupe, aka "Nissan Skyline" in Japan. The new GTR will be based off that platform.


Originally posted by SexySC
First time I' ve heard it descibed that way.
I thought the 300ZX TT is one of the most beautiful Japanese car ever built, & with the SC300/400, the most beautiful cars I could have owned but never did. When they first came out, I couldn't afford them new(I've always bought my cars brand new). When I can afford them new (in 96 & 99 respectively), they were discontinued. The new Z just doesn't compare(that's why I bought the G35 coupe.;) )

I don't like the front end of the 300ZX at all, especially the headlights. That was always something that really dated the car and it stuck on me. I don't like the rear either and the profile of the car is uninspiring. The new 350Z has much more character even if the styling cues are borrowed.

I agree most Japanese cars these days are horrible-looking. Looka at BMW though...it's not only Japapese who are all into the "butt ugly" styling these days.

Originally posted by retrodrive
I agree most Japanese cars these days are horrible-looking. Looka at BMW though...it's not only Japapese who are all into the "butt ugly" styling these days.

BMWs screw-ups can be attributed to Chris Bangle though. There's no excuse for a group of carmakers with different design teams to be doing the same. I guess in the end, Cadillac will be the winner, when all cars become as ugly as a Cadillac, they start looking like a more viable option! :D

nothing beats a pontiac aztek

Originally posted by lex400sc
I disagree with that! The old Z was butt-ugly IMO.

Which Z are you talking about?
]1990-2000 300zxTT Z32

744rwhp 20psi TD-05 16G :D
http://z1motorsports.com/Image%20Gallery/Customer%20Cars/300ZX/Sean%20Wagner/images/wb_finished_gry_frntdrv%5B1%5D.jpg


http://speedyzx.crosswinds.net/smallsig.jpg
Even Lamborghini thinks the headlights are cool enough to be use on the Diablo.



or
]1985-1989 300zx Z31
http://photoserver1.trader.ca/autotrader/photos/large/2003/09-19/tmw/09-19-03tmw05-02.jpeg


ps. I will take the 1990-2000 300zxTT anyday than be driving the 350z. Now give me a G35C, that will be a different story:)

Seriously, these new cars are getting ridiculious! Great examples cloudnine.. I have to agree with them, except for the 350Z, i think it has potential to look good, but totally stock it's not so nice. I am definitly afraid to see the a new supra.. It's getting sad out there...

I'm not ashamed to say it! Back in my younger days, the 3Z was the first car I fell in love with. I would get excited seein them on the road- sayin to my pops, "I want that when I learn how to drive!". I don't think I want one anymore. I still love seein them now, especially the modified ones cause they look so mean. Well, time has changed and I chose the SC :thumbup: which can also look mean :cylon:

I saw another RX-8 today. It looked like a random collection of appliance parts (Kenmore styling?). Man, if looks could kill, we'd all be DEAD. Can't wait to see if Mitsubishi comes out with a new 4000GT, or whatever. Get some blinders, get them now.

Funny, I think the RX8 looks incredible in person, agressive, nice curves, a co-worker just bought one, so I've seen it several times up close.

i think the old Z the Z32 is a beautiful car... I'd never own once I dont think because they are a PITA wo work on but they are beautiful cars... I'd take an old Z32 over the new 350 any day if they had a 'new' Z32

same thing with the SC430... its an awesome car but I think the looks kinda went too far into jelly bean territory :D still an awesome car

I'd love to see the G35 come out with a small V8 and if they redid the interior made it quality like Lexus does.... but well that said my next new car could probably be a G35C

the 300zx was and still is a beautiful car(inside and out). much more so than the new 350z (i used to have a 300zx tt and currently own a 350z). back when it was released in 1989, there was nothing like it. i loved the 93 rx-7 also. along with the first nsx, those 2 cars are the best looking cars to come out of japan, or anywhere for that matter. i also agree that when the sc300/400 came out, it was awesome. again, much nicer looking than the sc430 imo. maybe im just getting old:D

wait up, which G35 are you talking about...the coupe or sedan?

because i think the coupe is just beautiful. while the sedan is..pretty bad

If you think Japanese designs are getting ugly, it just means you're getting old. :D

Styles change... we usually don't.

Anyone who thinks the bloated 'Z' two generations ago is better than today is nuts. Plus, if you ever DRIVE a car a couple of generations ago, you'll be amazed how BAD it seems usually.

Nah, who's saying the 1979-1989 300zx was beautiful? That was a p.o.s. We're contrasting the 240/260/280z and the Z of the 1990s to the 350z. On the other hand, of course today's cars work much better that the oldies.

I think the 300ZX looks better than the 350Z and FAR from ugly.

THINGS HAVE CHANGED

1. SUVs, the designers are making cars bigger like SUVs with SUV features,
like these huge wheel arches,
little windows and lot's of steel slab sides
these HUGE ridiculous grills on cars
gigantic emblems the size of your head

2. People are getting larger. America is obese. We need bigger cars to fit us. Thus car heights are higher and higher, cars are wider and wider.

3. There is talk in Europe of Pedestrian safety and influencing car design. Basically legislation would require car hoods to be about 6 inches higher (ugly).

4. The computer. What looks good on a computer screen many times does not look good in person. All these computer wizes can do a 3D simulation but can't draw a straight line on paper. Clay is used less and less for the sake of saving time. I think this maybe the biggest problem. For those that know, things on computers can turn out horrid in real life.

There's nothing wrong with the 300ZX body style, it's the two-dimensional headlights and tail lights that ruin the entire car. From sporty and aggressive to ugly and cheap. If those are the best pics you can find of the 300Z, you are a far from impressing me. Until you fix the ugly headlights and ugly tail lights, the 300ZX will always be inferior to the 350Z in my eyes. Being good enough for Lamborghini doesn't mean squat when it was also good enough for Saturn.

The RX8 is a noisy mess. It's as if they took ten different designers' concepts and combined them into one confused, directionless mess. If that's supposed to be the step-up from the smooth, simplistic sexiness of the gen-3 RX7, then they really stuck it to themselves. I'd compare the RX8 to that new Chrysler roadster: a noisy mess of lines.

Originally posted by lex400sc
If those are the best pics you can find of the 300Z, you are a far from impressing me.

Dude i'm not trying to impress you. Dont get me wrong the 350z has great handling and the style is tolerable. And I like the style of the SC(:thumbup: on your SC) but those two does not hold a candle to the body style (the headlights is one of the nicest out there), interior, control layout and performance of the 300zxTT. IMHO

Since when did saturn had that headlight. I suggest you take a good hard look. I can say the same to the SC300/400 and the Ford Escort ZX2 headlights, they look identical ;)

http://www.fantasycars.com/derek/cars/images/lamborghini/diablovt6_1.jpg
http://www.zx32.de/fahrer-galerie-upload/zdrivers/reinhard/Reinhard1.jpg
http://images.cardomain.com/member_images/11/web/407000-407999/407749_4_full.jpg

Styling of cars being introduced thesedays just need some time adjustment from the public. I first saw the SC430 over the internet thinking 'why the hell would they do that for' but now it's a very beautiful car IMO (still has nothing up against the xZZ3x series though!), I've always thought of the RX-8 as being one of those transformers (looks like a fish up the front), but it's starting to grow on me now. I still think that car manufacturers are a bit of a step ahead in terms of design than the rest of the world (they look too futuristic, exactly the same thing I thought when cars such as the Audi TT, SC430, 350Z and RX-8 were released) but seeing more and more of them on the road seems to make them more appealing.

Now, only if the SC430's technology was fitted into the styling of the xZZ3x Soarer... hey, there's nothing wrong with dreaming :D

Audi TT is still an egg to me.

Little known fact. The SAME headlight from the 300ZX was used in the Lamborghini Diablo VT.

Originally posted by Strida
Which Z are you talking about?
]1990-2000 300zxTT Z32

744rwhp 20psi TD-05 16G :D
http://z1motorsports.com/Image%20Gallery/Customer%20Cars/300ZX/Sean%20Wagner/images/wb_finished_gry_frntdrv%5B1%5D.jpg


http://speedyzx.crosswinds.net/smallsig.jpg
Even Lamborghini thinks the headlights are cool enough to be use on the Diablo.



or
]1985-1989 300zx Z31
http://photoserver1.trader.ca/autotrader/photos/large/2003/09-19/tmw/09-19-03tmw05-02.jpeg


ps. I will take the 1990-2000 300zxTT anyday than be driving the 350z. Now give me a G35C, that will be a different story:) wow!!! i like that black one...my girlfriend might get one, a 94 rag top.

the Z32 300ZX are amazing. Even on the roads today I still think they look better than many of the cars out there. I prefer the overall styling of 300ZX over the 350Z. 350Z looks good from 3/4 angle and the side. But from straight front and rear, they didn't pay too much attention into making them right.

the Z31 300ZX are the worst Zs ever IMO. the original 240Z is still very classic. I would wanna get one for a daily driver probably (no smog check I think)

G35coupe is gorgeous and G35 sedan is hideous.

FD RX7 was beautiful. RX8 is alot better in person than in picture. Also, RX8 lowered with kit and rims is NOTHING like it in stock form.

R34 GTR is buff and mean but Supra is graceful yet muscular. NSX is exoticish.

I think the 90s Japanese cars are really nice. Anything from like 91/92~2000. :thumbup:

Originally posted by joeyc2
wow!!! i like that black one...my girlfriend might get one, a 94 rag top.

That black one is a custom widebody wings west kit own by Sean Wagner. His car was on the cover of HCI Mag. At maybe 24 psi that car would have pushed 800+rwhp, but he didnt want to push it.

All convertible 300zx are NA. But heres a pic of a convertible widebody Z (twinturbo conversion) own by Russel at www.z1motorsports.com (http://www.z1motorsports.com)

TD-06 20G rwhp?
http://www.z1motorsports.com/Image%20Gallery/Z1%20Cars/Russell%27s%20convertible/images/IM000877a.jpg

I completely agree with the premise of this thread. It's funny that back when [B]I{/B] was too poor to afford all these great-looking sports couples (300ZX, Supra Turbo, 300GT VR-4, RX-7), there were other people in the same boat. Just when I started having that kind of cash they all got discontinued.

But the "uglification" of cars in general continues. Several good examples have already been given, and to that I would add many of the American cars as well. The Mustang, for example, has turned into a boxy abomination in its latest skin. The Saturn coupes have turned from unique and pleasing-to-the-eye to blandly nondescript. And, as bit mentioned, the Germans are in on the act as well.'

Off the top of my head, the only cars to look BETTER than their predecessors lately are Volvos (huge, HUGE improvement in looks), Saabs (a more marginal improvement), and Nissan/Infiniti products (except for the 350Z which started this thread).

I agree with almost everything iceman said. Except not liking the new zcar. I happen to like all the z's old and new. I have been trying hard to like the new sc430 but can't. It doesn't compare in looks to my sc300. To me, none of the new lexus cars look better than their predesessor. As much as I love my two Lexus cars, I'm looking at the g35 coupe for my next car.

Originally posted by /Aerostar\
the R34 Skylines are the one of the greatest looking cars of all time.

http://www.fantasycars.com/derek/cars/images/nissan/gtr_2.jpg

JUST LOOK AT THAT

...unless they are coming out with a R35 Skyline that I havent heard about....

I agree with you 110% /Aerostar\, The Skyline is the BEST LOOKING CAR EVER........ And my SC is second to it :)

Shawn

Off the top of my head, the only cars to look BETTER than their predecessors lately are Volvos (huge, HUGE improvement in looks), Saabs (a more marginal improvement), and Nissan/Infiniti products (except for the 350Z which started this thread).

I feel this. These 3 have done great styling wise recently. Though they sucked so bad they could ONLY improve.:D