A really great or in fact any half-decent design for a motor carriage (referred to hereinafter as "car" or vehicle") should look sufficiently distinct never to be mistaken for anything else. The Fiat Multipla and the Jaguar XJ saloons of yesteryear are nothing like each other and like nothing else (though the Multipla did look a bit like a dolphin). Sometimes a design emerges that either overtly or subtly reminds you of someone else´s car. The subtle ones give you what I call an "eye feeling" of another design and the less subtle ones just scream "I have a photocopier and I know how to use it." I´ve presented some examples below to illustrate my point. Lexus have blended various essences of Eurobarge to sculpt their leviathans while Toyota seem to apply the methods of homeopathy to water down other people´s work until the recognition is at best subliminal.
The Renault Laguna [hereinafter the "Laguna"] today tingles and fizzes with a suggestion of Citroen. A cursory Google image search shows how coy Renault are about showing this car in black and in profile. The entire wing line is lifted from the Citroen CX and only the lights break up the effect. The kink in the chrome on the rear door seems to mumble "Ami 6" under its garlic and Petrus breath. If the badges on this car were swapped to say Citroen C5 I think it would make a lot more sense. I don´t know what to do with the actual C5 which refers to nothing ever made in France.
The Alfa 6 is plainly something BMW could have thought of, down to the twin lamps, prognathous snout and Jagermeister kink. The key difference is the proportions are wrong and everything fell off the car within minutes of turning the key.
Lastly, the Audi A5 sportback. This is a subtle one but if the roofline was transposed on the Citroen C6 the C6 would be the better for it. As it is the A5 looks like the kind of car the French would like to do but don´t have the self-control for. I like the A5 apart from its woeful packagíng and dreary interior and terrible ride.
Have you any such examples you would like to share with us here at the forum? Our telephone lines are open and any calls will be recorded for quality purposes but above all for your comfort and safety.
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