Even if we don’t worry much about it ourselves, we’re all familiar with the concept of a “good side” from which one prefers to be photographed. Objects can have “good sides” as well, and that certainly includes cars. All automobiles have a best angle, I think, but any well-designed machine will look decent – or at the very least, inoffensive – from any of its other angles.
There are exceptions, of course.
Case in point, our topshot subject: Ferrari’s 1993 concept car, the Conciso. It’s seen here as it appeared in its 2018 Sotheby’s auction appearance, where it fetched €109,250 (about $128, 280 in freedom bucks). Let us consider it in profile:
It’s good, right? A fun little roadster, and a Ferrari no less. You’ll get bugs in your teeth, and best not to roll it over, but YOLO etc. Would drive.
And now, the rear quarter:
OK, the massive, cylindrical front fenders probably would look better in red to match the rest of the car, but it’s certainly an interesting and not-ugly look. Also, two big thumbs up for the classic round brake lights and amber turn signals. Let’s spin it around …
My eyes, right? Yeah, it’s not good. Unique and memorable, sure, but … oof. Jason said the face is giving H.R. Puffnstuff vibes, and I can see it. Also Mayor McCheese, if you ask me. The straight-on front view is even goofier:
Better with my Photoshop pop-ups? You tell me.
Stephen of Walter Gossin fame replied to today’s Ask with the Dodge Charger, opining, “The new Charger looks strange from the rear three-quarter view. The proportions of body and rear wheels seem to favor the body too greatly.”
I see it too, SWG. Not a Conciso-level situation to be sure, but suboptimal.
Your turn:
What Cars Only Look Good From One Or Two Angles?
… or have one really bad angle, I guess. You get it.
Top graphic image: Sotheby’s
Most recently the Kia K4. Looks good from the front and side but that butt and hips? Woof. The taillights make it look like it’s melting. Saw the hatch/wagon version and that seemed to fit it, in photos at least
Whatever the last version of the Ferrari cross-eyed California was. Also not one mention of the Mitsuoka Orochi?
The Mercedes CLE is acceptable or even attractive from some angles, until you see the Escort coupe tail lights.
Yeah the backend on the new Charges just seem off. I know they wanted the hatch but I wish they would have gone with a traditional trunk.
BMW i4. Seeing one from the side or rear? That’s a nice-looking car! Looks better in person than in pictures. Then you make your way around to the front and it’s jump-scare levels of ugly. Honestly, to the point that it puts it out of consideration.
Every single Lexus with the predator front end. Every new BMW with the kidneys that stick out of the front grill. And the Juke literally from every angle.
BMW iX.. looks pretty good from behind, but when you see the body sides.. my god.
The tail end of my old Peugeot 504 is not going to win any awards, but I thought the rest of the car looked decent.
It does look like it’s wearing skinny jeans and skips squat day.
The latest Hyundai Santa Fe.
Show me all angles and I’ll smile but for the love of god don’t show me the rear end.
I just rented one of those a couple weeks ago. Crossovers are most certainly not my jam, but it was a surprisingly nice car, looks pretty good too, but yeah, that rear end is just… wrong. All they have to do is move the tail lights up and it would immediately look 75% better.
The Santa Fe has been one of the few new vehicles to catch my attention on the road lately. I sorta like it but apparently a lot of people don’t.
I HAVE to nominate the BMW E63 6-series here. Specifically, either the M6 or the facelift 650i coupe with the sport package. They have such presence and great proportions in real life, but-
Dame Edna is what/who those use to remind me of.
The great classic-era film actor Claudette Colbert insisted on only being filmed with the left side of her face facing the camera. She forced directors to redesign entire sets!
As for cars, I always thought the Aston Martin Lagonda only looked good from the front or back, but not in profile.
The straight on view makes it look like a Marvin… very depressed.
Morgan Aero 8 – great rear view. Front is awkward to say the least.
Cross eyed!
The Kia K4 sedan is a sharp looking car, except for the side profile. The rear door/roof styling hasn’t gotten better with time.
That’s actually one of my favorite parts of it, that weird quasi- kammback tail. Very distinctive compared with everything else out there. I appreciate the funk factor.
I had issues with my X-1/9. It looked great from some angles, kinda dumpy on others. Wedges look best with a low front end, the X 1/9, at least in later US spec looked at times like it was dragging its butt like a dog with itchy glands across a carpet.
THAT paints a picture!
Not one befitting a “baby Ferrari”
Or maybe it does. A baby with a full diaper.
The current-gen Supra. Just looks off.
I dare say it’s a car that looks better from the inside than anywhere outside.
Its a z4 with a bad body kit. So it tracks that its ugly.
I’m curious about which angle you’re ok with in the new Supra, beacuse to me that’s one of those cars that feels like they went out of their way to ensure it would look ugly no matter the angle.
You’re not wrong.
Sorry, just saw this. Just a straight rear view like in the link below. All other angles and its over.
https://www.instagram.com/p/Cv9AnkouPog/
Wow, that lede image made me think of those flatfish that have both eyes on the same side of their head.
Like Mayor McCheese had a wild night out with a radioactive toad from Chernobyl.
Just for the halibut.
i would say the Youabian Puma but i’m not sure it even has 1 good angle….
It only has bad angles, and humorously bad angles.
And Lovecraftian bad angles.
Although on further thought, it is entirely possible that the underside is entirely unobjectionable if you were to see one upside down in a ditch.