2010 F1 Cars are horribly ugly.

[ChipBeck]

Gentlemen,

I got up early this morning to watch the 2010 Formula One opener from Bahrain. I love Formula 1, but this year's cars are so damn ugly it ruins the enjoyment of watching the race! :frown For the first 50 years of Formula 1, the cars have generally been works of art. As beautiful at rest as they were at speed. Over the last 10 years however they have morphed into automotive monstrosities that make a Citroen look stylish. This year's cars hit a new low however. The very short rear wings, skinny tires, narrower track, needle noses jacked up a foot off the track with the front spoiler suspended from two sabertooth struts all come together in an assemblage of yuck. :ack The cars are now as tall as they are wide! :frown

Watching this race is as difficult as trying to enjoy dinner conversation with a young woman whose face is covered with acne and is missing two of her front teeth. It's almost impossible to look past the ugly long enough to concentrate on what else is going on. :thumbsdow

Chip

 

[Cobrar]

Wholeheartedly agree, but it is form following function.

Returning to better looking F1 cars - be careful of what you wish, the FIA might adopt a 'car of tomorrow' formula, and repeat the current fiasco over at nascar. Note that nascar has an 'lower level' series with Mustangs, Chargers and Camaros running - so there may finally be an exit strategy for the Cup cars.

 

[S592R]

Nascar needs to get back to its roots. Buy in on Friday, race it on sunday....
IMHO.

F1... Cool cars, ugly as a red headed step sister ... but still cool tech. A bit like NASA for cars .... still too much $$$$$$$$$.

 

[Empty Pockets]

Nascar needs to get back to its roots. Buy in on Friday, race it on sunday....

With regard to the old expression, "Race on Sunday - buy on Monday": NASCAR also ought to explain how all their race teams somehow have access to TWO DOOR cars nunna the rest of us have ever SEEN in a showroom...if you get my drift. :skep:skep:skep

 

[Cobrar]

With regard to the old expression, "Race on Sunday - buy on Monday": NASCAR also ought to explain how all their race teams somehow have access to TWO DOOR cars nunna the rest of us have ever SEEN in a showroom...if you get my drift. :skep:skep:skep

I think about that everytime I walk through the Henry Ford Museum and see Bill Elliot's Thunderbird from the 80's ~ actually can (clearly) identify it as the car on the street at that time. Shortly thereafter, when production cars went FWD, nascar decided to 'invent' cars that you couldn't buy, followed by 'car of tomorrow' - now really a driver/engine mfgr/big team only series.

Folks might react positively to see the series go to Mustangs, Camaros and Challengers - if the sheetmetal continued to bear some factory resemblence. Might even get some small independants back - a.k.a. Alan Kulwicki.

 

[S592R]

I agree. But since all three manufacturers make rear drive cars again. Let's get back to the street car formula in Nascar. Hell, even allow awd and lets put a street Taurus SHO in the mix. Tube frame look a likes of "street" cars is just BS IMHO. What makes vintage Nascars so cool is that with some mods you can make your street car a racer.

 

[Kingman]

I watched the F1 race this morning as well.....BORING!!! :thumbsdow

Same old procession. I didn't see any passing.:ack

At least they got rid of the pit stops.

 

[Empty Pockets]

Folks might react positively to see the series go to Mustangs, Camaros and Challengers - if the sheetmetal continued to bear some factory resemblence. Might even get some small independants back - a.k.a. Alan Kulwicki.

I agree. But since all three manufacturers make rear drive cars again. Let's get back to the street car formula in Nascar. Hell, even allow awd and lets put a street Taurus SHO in the mix. Tube frame look a likes of "street" cars is just BS IMHO. What makes vintage Nascars so cool is that with some mods you can make your street car a racer.

'Same applies to NHRA in classes like "pro stock". Stock???! THERE'S NOT ONE BOLT OR SCREW ON THOSE THINGS THAT IS!

 

[Empty Pockets]

Same old procession. I didn't see any passing.:ack

That's my biggest gripe, too. It's like watching the Macy's Thanksgiving parade...only faster.

 

[Nardo GT]

I get the form following function bit but is that battleship grey color in the photos or is it just buffed out primer? :ack Kind of like a very ugly girl that has "special" talents. :wink

Oh, and I thought it was race on Sunday....sell on Monday......Tasca Ford.:confused

 

[Empty Pockets]

Oh, and I thought it was race on Sunday....sell on Monday......Tasca Ford.:confused

You're right. It IS "...sell on Monday". My bad...


Edit: And I believe it was France (NASCAR France - not the country!) who coined that phrase. But, I could be wrong...AGAIN!:lol

 

[Cobrar]

You're right. It IS "...sell on Monday". My bad...


Edit: And I believe it was France (NASCAR France - not the country!) who coined that phrase. But, I could be wrong...AGAIN!:lol

Nope, it was Tasca.

 

[64c2vette]

Since normally form following function yields a pleasing design, and I do not know anyone who thinks the F1 cars of the recent years are pleasing to the eye in any way (perhaps pleasing to the ears though), I would submit that maybe it is when it is form following function within narrowly constrained rules this is what we get.

 

[ChipBeck]

I want to like it.........

......I would submit that maybe it is when it is form following function within narrowly constrained rules this is what we get.

I think you pegged it with this statement. In the late 80s and early 90s, F1 was a hoot to watch. For 3 years the US F1 race was held on the streets of Phoenix, AZ and I lived at the track that entire week. I traveled to England every year to see the British GP as well. This whole enterprise has gone seriously downhill as a spectator sport. Hell, the "all Honda" Indianapolis 500 was a lot more fun to watch than last night's Formula 1 race.

I want to like modern Formula One, but I don't like it. Bummer. :frown

Chip

 

[fjpikul]

I've seen the other new car rules, but what happened to the wheel covers?

 

[S592R]

well... Modern F1 cars will never be vintage raced. too much support and too fragile. what privateer can afford a team of Nasa scientists every weekend?

 

[Cobrar]

I've seen the other new car rules, but what happened to the wheel covers?

http://www.formula1.com/inside_f1/rules_and_regulations/sporting_regulations/8692/

Scroll down to 'wheel fairings' section.

 

[Fast Freddy]

Gentlemen,

I got up early this morning to watch the 2010 Formula One opener from Bahrain. I love Formula 1, but this year's cars are so damn ugly it ruins the enjoyment of watching the race! :frown For the first 50 years of Formula 1, the cars have generally been works of art. As beautiful at rest as they were at speed. Over the last 10 years however they have morphed into automotive monstrosities that make a Citroen look stylish. This year's cars hit a new low however. The very short rear wings, skinny tires, narrower track, needle noses jacked up a foot off the track with the front spoiler suspended from two sabertooth struts all come together in an assemblage of yuck. :ack The cars are now as tall as they are wide! :frown

these cars have a major identity crisis as a result of some stupid designers and engineers who thought they could cross a muscle/pony car with a sports car and do it on a low $$$ budget.

Watching this race is as difficult as trying to enjoy dinner conversation with a young woman whose face is covered with acne and is missing two of her front teeth. It's almost impossible to look past the ugly long enough to concentrate on what else is going on. :thumbsdow

Chip

what i think is worse is what the new federal crash test standards has done to street legal muscle cars. all these new hot rod wannabes with their jacked up belt lines like the new camaro and the new Challenger and the new Charger are the ugliest looking cars on the road. not only that but they put independent rear ends in cars that used to be pony and muscle cars. all these new overweight/whale sized, bastardized, metrosexual, transgendered, wannabe muscle/pony cars make me wanna puke :ack

these cars have a major identity crisis like a transvestite or a transexual as result of some idiotic designers and engineers who decided that it would be a good idea to try and transform a muscle/pony car into a sports car on a low budget while the Fed has mandated increased crash test standards that have led to increased weight. hopefully the new increased mileage standards that are going into effect will kill off these before they destroy the image of what these once stylish and pure bred, iconic, legendary american muscle/pony used to be. the heritage has all ready been destroyed so they might as well just retire these crossdressers before they do damage to the value of the original real muscle/pony cars from the 60's.

i wouldn't trade my 01' Camaro SS for all 3 of these posers......

in fact come next year my Camaro is gonna Hang em HIGH at the strip on my way to a 9.99 run in the 1/4 :biggrin

i look forward to showing all these new Gov't designed wannabe muscle cars what a real muscle car is all about :driving:

 

[Empty Pockets]

I get the form following function bit but is that battleship grey color in the photos or is it just buffed out primer? :ack Kind of like a very ugly girl that has "special" talents. :wink

Oh, and I thought it was race on Sunday....sell on Monday......Tasca Ford.:confused

You're right. It IS "...sell on Monday". My bad...


Edit: And I believe it was France (NASCAR France - not the country!) who coined that phrase. But, I could be wrong...AGAIN!:lol

Nope, it was Tasca.

I'll throw in with you & Nardo, then...'cause my belief was based on an article I read y-e-a-r-s ago ('late 90's?) wherein 'credit was attributed to France. I Googled a few minutes ago to see if I could find it - but, all I could come up with is THIS reference crediting France with said stmt - and it ISN'T the one I'm referring to:

http://www.carofthecentury.com/race_on_sunday,_sell_on_monday.htm

'Wish I could remember just where the devil I read that.

(I think I read it in Stock Car Magazine. But, who the heck knows.:shrug)

 

[ChipBeck]

Challenger

.......all these new hot rod wannabes with their jacked up belt lines like the new Camaro and the new Challenger and the new Charger are the ugliest looking cars on the road........

I'm not real hot on the new Camaro or Charger, but I think the new Challenger is beautiful. Too big & too heavy, but great lines. It's not a Ford however, so I'll never own one.

Chip