Just seen the new Vectra in the metal. The back-end gets my vote for the ugliest ever. Like a pregnant hippo dressed for a party. To make matters worse the vehicle in question was a rust coloured brown. Is this the new pensioner beige, completely unsaleable second hand I wonder? I do hope the Vauxhall/GM design studio has got out of ugly mode in time for the replacement Astra.
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And what's all this guff about an "interactive drving system"?
I had a look in one, and it had 3 pedals and a steering wheel, just like my 1973 Viva.
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It's almost as though the designers went out for a long lunch and left the apprentice to play on the computer. We shall probably see the Opel iteration of this baby down our way very soon.
As for an interactive driving system I thought that was standard on all cars: turn wheel left, car goes left, press middle pedal, car stops, that kind of thing.
(BTW, did you know the most popular color in the US for cars, I know I read it somewhere, is "tan" - that's beige to you and me. "Tan": sounds better. I once rented a Lincoln Continental for kicks on a trip to Vegas. That had to be "tan" -- I mean I can't imagine the car-hop at Harrers lowering himself to ask for "the beige Caddy" to be brought over....)
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I meant of course the "beige Lincoln". The Caddy was another time...oops, say no more.
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Growler, Vegas last year we rented the rattiest white Lincoln you ever did see. Starship mileage for a rental.
When we dropped it back at the rental place the car rental jock (from Tyneside as it happened) wrote TB in chinagraph all over the windows.
Whats that for I ask.
Errrrmmm turn back he says not all that convincingly.
Seeing my puzzled expression he explains, we put TB because it means the car is quote "totally boll*******" (my asterisks, guess you can interpret)
And yes the car-hops at the Paris were distinctly underwhelmed and would never park it out front with the Porkers etc. Most disappointing.
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Already discussed. See thread www.honestjohn.co.uk/forum/post/index.htm?f=2&t=76...9
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Let's talk about pensioners and beige then.
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Actually Growler, I was a bit too polite about the colour c!!p brown would have been more accurate. Perhaps it is a new fashion thing, c!!p brown is the new pensioner beige.
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>>Let's talk about pensioners and beige then.<<
Beige? My 1973 Austin Maxi was *very* beige, but instead of calling it beige, mushroom, tan etc. BL called it 'Harvest Gold'.
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BL had some awful colours then: there was the purple Marina, the fecal brown (I hate those asterisks) Allegro and that splendid Toys 'R Us lime green for the TRiumph TR7.
But back to Vectras and shapes: it must be damned hard for manufacturers to design something which hasn't been done before. Ultimately the wretched thing is a box with a wheel at each corner, so there must be limitations on the logical number of shapes of said box which are possible before you repeat yourself. Ergo most modern cars, at least the "cooking" range anyway, looking much of a muchness. Which is why I can never find my rental cars in car parks.
The Mini and the VW had it right. Didn't matter what year it was it looked the same as last year's and you bought in the secure knowledge you wouldn't be out of date appearance wise when next year rolled around.
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So what?
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There seems to be a thing with car manufacturers that they sell us what they want to produce, and not what we want to buy, the Smiley Scorpio is a good example. I saw a Scorpio hearse once, with a big smile on it's grill, a bit inappropriate I thought :-)
The Vectra headlights look like a four year old Honda cast off.
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Front view mediocre, rear view awful ! Reminds me of the last Scorpio - YUKKKKKK !!!
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The new Vectra is a wonderful piece of sculpture.
Cast your eyes elsewhere, philistines.
I know these things............................
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Ah well, it must be something in the eye of the beholder then.
Change is inevitable. Progress is optional.
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Exactly Growler!
You know what they say. Every person (PC correct version) no matter how far they have fallen out of the ugly tree, and regardless of how many branches they hit on the way down has at least one endearing feature.
Must apply to cars too.
Now someone please remind me what was the endearing feature of a beige Austin Allegro....... and I don't mean that they've stopped making 'em ;-)
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The endearing feature of the new Vectra (along with the Multipla, the smiley Scorpio, the All-Aggro, etc. etc.)?
Easy - once inside you no longer have to look at them!
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Um, but that only works until you see another one like yours and you think Jesus am I really in something like that?
Same syndrome as those pyjamas the M-I-L gives you at Xmas. Once you're in them you forget how bad they are until you pass a mirror....
PLease don't get me started on the Multipla. It looks like they had a meeting to decide what they were going to do at Fiat with all the bits left over from discontinued models...
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Err.....The Multipla is a wonderful piece of sculpture.
These things I know................
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Wouldn't mind a bottle of whatever leads to that conclusion....or did the designer drink it all?
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Staring out at a car park full of er... cars from a third floor window today whilst I waited for a client my eyes fell on the most beautifully shaped saloon (in a very dull grey). The car oozed class and solidity and was plainly a German vehicle. My mind twiddled with its shape and questionned A4 ?? A6 ??, anyway mind retuened to planet earth.
Half an hour later walking back to my own car my eyes fell on the
motor spied from upstairs...guess what a Vectra..Jury's returned its "ok"
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You've not got time to stare out of a window.................
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