What is the thought behind this smooth fender look?

[frapjap]

I HATE this awful, flat line on newer vehicle fenders.




Some cars are worse offenders than others:



It looks blunt and unfinished.
Why can't the wheel arches look tapered and styled like they used to?




Instead we're left with this anonymous, perfect semi-circle looking arch that brings no style to the table.



The Miata had this tapered rear wheel well that opened up a gap to the back wheel-a style noted in many publications:


F bodies had cool, flared out wheel arches in the front and back.


And lets not discount the awesome look from a classic Monte Carlo.


Even Mercedes had it together back then.


Is this just the "style?"
Is it a design for efficiency?
Is it for ease of manufacturing?
Do car companies think its "cool?"
Is it for cutting costs?

The only car that I don't really see this on is the new WRX and some exotics.


Can someone shed some light on this horrendous design?

[dre1507]

Car designers think it looks cool?

[Dattebayo]

Maybe because it matches with sunk-in wheels and horribly high rear ends?

[Jesda]

I wonder the same. The wheel arches on my Saab flare outward and have a nice elegant shape (well, the side that isn't covered in rust).

Maybe someone in manufacturing can chime in. Is it significantly cheaper/faster/easier to stamp a flat side? I see manufacturers doing daring things like putting gas caps right along curved panels, so it can't be that, can it?

Is it a DOT/NHTSA thing? Is it less prone to accumulating salt and rusting out?


Because it can't be done for style. It looks like sh*t.

[Looneybomber]

S2000's had small ones, and I didn't mind. I kind'a like the looks of them after trying to picture the car without 'em.

[themadscientist]

Let's go the other way, OVERFENDERS!

[MinisterofDOOM]

Third gen Maxima is always one of my favorite examples of proper fenders vs modern fenders.

I'm immensely glad that my LS8 has proper fender styling despite being from the clean-sliced fender era.

I think the 7th generation Accord is the worst offender of this type. The front end has other issues that exacerbate the horridness of the razor-cut fender.


Not only is the hood/fender panel seam in the most godawful place imaginable (who the @#$% puts panel seams on convex body lines?!?!?!?!?!??!??!?!?!), but the way the fenders gracelessly melt down away from the bland and featureless hood and drape formlessly around the fenders is horrendous. And to make matters worse, styleless blobular curve of the fenders terminates in a CURT, ABURPT flat-faced fender. Easily one of the most horrible bodystyles in history. It's not outright ugly, it's just simultaneously lazy and misguided. Really exceptionally terrible. If the fenders petered out in a matching curve, it might not look so offensive. But as it stands, it looks like the afterproduct of a drunken garage panel-pulling session.

[BusyBadger]

Let's go the other way, OVERFENDERS!

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u5HOt0ZOcYk[/youtube]

[Rev_D21]

I call them 'miter box' fender lips because the car looks like it was cut in a miter box.

[Loki]

I suspect it has to do with fuel economy. There's a lot of funky non-obvious styling trends in industry right now that result in better mileage (at least in CAD). I'll ask around at work on Monday, hopefully I can dig up an answer.

[frapjap]

I suspect it has to do with fuel economy. There's a lot of funky non-obvious styling trends in industry right now that result in better mileage (at least in CAD). I'll ask around at work on Monday, hopefully I can dig up an answer.

Awesome! Let us know what you learn, maybe we can cross one of the potentials off the list (or worse, keep it?).

My guess is that its for ease of manufacturing.

[MinisterofDOOM]

My guess is still much simpler: lazy design. Really. It's infinitely simpler to just shave off the fenders than it is to actually DESIGN them to look like anything at all.

Lazy design. I'll take bad design over lazy design any day. At least bad design is trying.

[AZhitman]

I'm guessing fuel efficiency.

The flat fender creates a boundary layer that allows air to slip past the wheel opening (a big area of drag). A "flared" fender with a crisp (PROPER) lip breaks up the air (like a spoiler) and it tumbles around the wheelwell, creating drag.

[Bubba1]

I'm sure any or all of the above reasons could apply, as I suspect each manufacturer has their own reasons.

Other possible reasons include, the flat surface is easier to repair as that area is usually a lip and is traditionally more prone to rust, or perhaps the flat surface makes it easier to add cheapie fender flares later if/when the manufacturer wants to offer a "sporty" version. But my first thought was that it's a case of simply manufacturers seeing other manufacturers doing it and copying it believing it's in fashion. Similar thinking to other awful fad ideas like fake hood scoops, vinyl roofs, genuine imitation wood grain paneling, or CVT. Manufacturers tend to think they know what customers want, only to find out later customers bought their cars DESPITE those gimmicks.

[AZhitman]

Manufacturers tend to think they know what customers want, only to find out later customers bought their cars DESPITE those gimmicks.

There's a LOT of "settling" going on in the market.

There was a time (and Joel, you're old enough to remember it), when manufacturers changed designs annually...

Previews would come out, and people would tear the pics out of the magazine and stick them on the wall, saying, "That's my dream car."

Those weren't high-end cars. They were entry-level and mid-market cars. They weren't yesterday's GT-R and 370Z, they were yesterday's Sentra, Altima and Rogue.

NO ONE buys their dream car for daily transportation anymore, and it's because manufacturers don't care what the buying public wants. They know you've got to have a car, and they're happy to build something you can live with.

But no one's excited... except maybe the King of the Trailer Park who finally saved up enough to buy that 2013 V6 Camaro.

[MinisterofDOOM]

But no one's excited... except maybe the King of the Trailer Park who finally saved up enough to buy that 2013 V6 Camaro.

Would have been a great example 15 years ago. Today, saving up for a V6 camaro is a legitimately worthy goal.

Otherwise, I wholeheartedly agree with your point. There was a day when a GTO or a Cougar was something to lust after. Now the only brands inciting that kind of excitement are "premium" or exotic brands, and even most of THOSE brands are too busy trying to please the same all-encompassing, generified "buyer" with every single model to get things exactly right.

[BusyBadger]

NO ONE buys their dream car for daily transportation anymore, and it's because manufacturers don't care what the buying public wants. They know you've got to have a car, and they're happy to build something you can live with.

I don't know that I'd go quite that far. While my Z isn't my dream car (Lamborghini Miura, Shelby Daytona Coupe anyone?) it's certainly far more than I need to get to and from work everyday. But facing a 75 minute commute on the front and back end of the work day I was going to make damned sure that it was going to be in a car that I didn't mind sitting in for that long.

Better still that it helps me cut 15 or 20 minutes off that 75 minute drive time. People need to quit settling on cars they need and buy something that they want.

[Loki]

Manufacturers tend to think they know what customers want, only to find out later customers bought their cars DESPITE those gimmicks.

NO ONE buys their dream car for daily transportation anymore, and it's because manufacturers don't care what the buying public wants. They know you've got to have a car, and they're happy to build something you can live with.

Hate the game, not the player. Gas prices aren't what they used to be, and there's been a shift in perception of vehicles towards "appliance" rather than "sexy, loud, fast thing of wonder." A lot of teenagers currently either don't give a rat's behind about cars, or are too broke to afford one. Society has gotten to this point, and OEMs are trying to make what the most people will buy. It's probably a bit of a positive feedback loop, though, which is a bad thing for car enthusiasts. Also keep in mind that there are a lot of government regulations on car design now. I mean, a LOT. I'm surprised there's as much differentiation in models as there is.

[Jesda]

I have to give a lot of praise to Mazda, Fiat, and Mini for bringing style and fun to low-cost cars. (Honda used to do a lot of that).

Fiat and Mini quality control and engineering may be questionable but at least they're raising the bar, offering consumers more than a soulless appliance without asking for too much money. Actually, Chevy and Ford deserve some credit too.

[Looneybomber]

Oh what? You mean hamsters don't have soul!? It's the name of their car!



Curvy zebra stripes FTW!!!

[AZhitman]

Today, saving up for a V6 camaro is a legitimately worthy goal.

That's b/c we disagree vastly on whether the new Camaro is a worthy vehicle.

Agreed 100% with the rest.

[AZhitman]

Gas prices aren't what they used to be

Adjusted for inflation, they're not significantly off from 35 years ago.

there are a lot of government regulations on car design now. I mean, a LOT. I'm surprised there's as much differentiation in models as there is.

This is a valid point... However, some manufacturers put forth the effort, while most are just interested in high-volume appliances.

[AZhitman]

I have to give a lot of praise to Mazda, Fiat, and Mini for bringing style and fun to low-cost cars. (Honda used to do a lot of that).

I'm amazed every time I drive Bex's '13 MS3 that it's a $25k car brand new.

[PapaSmurf2k3]

I'm amazed every time I drive Bex's '13 MS3 that it's a $25k car brand new.

I'm still amazed every time I drive my 01 Miata that it is controlled by a physical throttle cable, has no retarded traction control/ABS, has 3 pedals, the top goes down quickly and efficiently, and was bought for only 5k.

[Bubba1]

I'm amazed every time I drive Bex's '13 MS3 that it's a $25k car brand new.

I'm still amazed every time I drive my 01 Miata that it is controlled by a physical throttle cable, has no retarded traction control/ABS, has 3 pedals, the top goes down quickly and efficiently, and was bought for only 5k.

An interesting question might be that in 13 years, do you see yourself giving similar praise about the new cars being built today, given the considerably more complex underpinnings? (I'm not confident we'll be able to say that about any Nissan aside from the 370Z)

[PapaSmurf2k3]

Maybe 1 or 2 cars currently being made. But not many.

[Loki]

I suspect it has to do with fuel economy. There's a lot of funky non-obvious styling trends in industry right now that result in better mileage (at least in CAD). I'll ask around at work on Monday, hopefully I can dig up an answer.

Awesome! Let us know what you learn, maybe we can cross one of the potentials off the list (or worse, keep it?).

My guess is that its for ease of manufacturing.

Unfortunately I could not get a real answer from my seniors. They believe it is just a very common styling trend, but it does help with tire packaging. It may fall out of style eventually.

Adjusted for inflation, they're not significantly off from 35 years ago.

Compared to the oil crisis, sure. Historically, ehhhhh.

[PapaSmurf2k3]

Ultimately, styling has control over the vehicles we are talking about more than engineering does, so something like this is mostly due to them.

Now, if this was a vehicle shooting for high speed records, that would be a different story.

That being said, I think they look like trash, and this pic (from the original post) looks the best to me.

[AZhitman]

The big Bimmers (90's 7-series in particular) have always had sexy fender lines.

90's Q45 fenders were damn near perfect as well.

[elwesso]

The big Bimmers (90's 7-series in particular) have always had sexy fender lines.

90's Q45 fenders were damn near perfect as well.

Agreed... The E38 (96-01 7-series) were probably the best, with the 740i sport being the best.. Those cars still look just as good IMO as they did in 2001 when you'd have to take a mortgage out to buy them..

I think one of the things that's nice about todays cars (and really why buying a new car makes even less sense) is the depreciation that new cars take.. Look at any 2-3 year old BMW 5-series, Infiniti M, MB E-class, Cadillac CTS, etc, and you'll see that in 2-3 years they've lost half or more of their value, and many times they're still under warranty, and that also makes them very affordable to a large group of people.

I think also the fact that there are so many cars out there that are so unreachable in terms of performance (GT-R, 911 turbo, Ferrari's, lambo, etc) that it really makes the "people's cars" seem a lot more inferior than they actually are... Back in the day, especially in American cars, the top performing cars were only a few trim levels away from the affordable ones..

Could you imagine doing a "frame-off" restoration in the year 2053 on a 2013 BMW 7-series...