Europeans obviously. Japanese cars are too bland and ugly (to me their cars look better when its obvious they haven’t bothered trying.) Their attempts at Americana in the 70s were good but not good enough. America? Sorry but barges and bulges just don’t cut the mustard, if you guys do have any good looking cars I haven’t seen them.
Europe definately produces good looking cars. The French produce such lithe, cheeky looking cars. Peugeots since the 206 and the Renault 5 exude sportiness from every orifice, but to be fair when it gets to big cars they lose the plot. Italians have a similar flair with their evocative, passionate motors. Everytime I see one all I can think of is drive, drive, drive. Yet they all lack a certain solidity. German cars, for all the taunts of German efficiency etc do look so magnificently solid on the road, so well engineered and well built, yet they too capture the spirit of fast driving. Volkswagen make cars for the more mundane roles in life so obviously we have to look to the more affluent maunfacturers. Audi have gone too far towards ultra modern (as someone put it, “bars of soap”) and Mercedes are just too upright and elegant for my liking. BMW though have it just right. So lithe, sporty and muscular, yet they look so solid and well engineered. Watching them on the road they just look so much classier than anything else and no engine sounds as magnificent as a BMW six-pot. Of the whole range the 3-series looks the best, big enough to look powerful but small enough to be flung around the road. So its a 330ci for me please!
Uh, 330xi for me (got one “saved” on BMW.ca).
I’ve got to disagree with you on the Japanese cars, though. I still think the later Acura Legends were some of the best looking cars ever produced, anywhere. And the current 3.2TL looks pretty good.
Hmmm… I guess that’s why I’m trying to decided whether my next car will be a 330xi or a 3.2TL Type S.
While I’ll agree that in general the Japanese don’t
produce highly beautiful cars, (they’re generally more
concerned with those silly things like reliability and not being outrageously overpriced) I do think there has been
the occasional Japanese standout.
Check http://www.dim.com/~mackys/z/zpix/ for instance. ;]
-Ben
I think a lot of the newer American and German designs just look too insectoid. My choice is Volvo. (I know they’re owned by Ford, hush up!) They don’t look like much of anything, and that’s what I like.
Ah, a fellow fan. The 91-95 Legend is a thing of beauty, both inside and out. It seems to capture so many different images of what driving is all about, without actually trying too hard. Too bad they decided we should drive a CL, TL, or RL. They look like a cross between a Lexus and Mercedes; not a bad thing, but not art.
Audi.
No contest.
I drive a 1966 Mustang convertible. I wouldn’t trade it for the world. I think this is how a car should look - not too big, not posessed of scary fins or bulges or things, looks cool with top up or down… plus fuzzy dice.
Concerning modern cars, though, I do think other nations tend to be boxier than I like, although the sports cars are usually the exception. Those modern little Jaguar convertibles are quite lovely, but have you seen the back seat? It’s you or your legs, pal. I can fit four whole people into the Mustang. Grownups, even. With a small amount of luggage. Still, I wouldn’t turn one down if you gave it to me.
I’ve also seen some darling little Alfa Romeos.
Tisk Tisk! A car thread and I wasn’t here earlier! I’ll have to disagree on the Japanese and American cars not looking good.
First off the Mitsubishi 3000GT is an utterly amazing Japanese car. A thing of beauty!
Secondly your telling me you don’t like the look of the Subaru Imprezza? Come on it’s a sweet looking little car!
Now over to the American side. Yeah we don’t have many attractive cars but the ones we do have are unbelievable. I mean look at the new 2001 Corvette. With a top speed in the mid 170 mph range it’s frickin’ fast. Don’t get me started on it’s look I could just freakin’ bust a nut thinking about it.
Another nice American car is the umm… err… uhh… well I can’t think of any but there are some. Anyways I don’t think all those European cars are hot shit myself.
Hashiriya here - checking in from Tokyo…
Japanese cars ugly??? Ok, to each his own I suppose.
I think that it is unfortunate that most folks in the US and Europe never get to see some of the cars that are built and never exported out of Japan.
I am not a fan of US and European cars simply due to the overall size and packaging of the vehicles. I like the efficiency of the Japanese sports cars - size, weight and power. What can one say about 280 - 300 hp 4 cylinders! (2000cc turbo-intercooled).
Register my vote my Mitsubishi. I am a die hard fan and owner.
(have you seen the Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution? - if not, take a look at my website! Unfortunately, the site is currently only available in Japanese though. English version due out soon.)
Just took delivery two days ago of my brand-spanking new BMW M3… Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhh…
To me the European makes are the best looking overall. Nobody has the continuity of design of the european makes, especially BMW. Look at an early '80’s 3-series and a brand new 3-series and the similarity is uncanny. The best on looks alone is the Audi TT.
A close second are the Japanese designs. I think their best looking ride so far is the Honda S2000. Actually I would take an S2000 over the TT, but that is based more on performance than looks.
American car manufacturers seem to try and completely re-invent their look every few years to try and convince us that these aren’t the same crappy cars they’ve been selling all along. I think most of the american designs out there are really tacky.
The latest range of Jaguers looks pretty good but the Lotus Elise looks lovely IRL
Maybe it’s just me, but I really like the new Beetles. I want a red one.
Jesus H. fucking Christ on a stick Folks!!!
I thought we already made the decision!!
The Shelby Cobra is the most beautiful car ever made. Period.
dodge. aries k-car
The coolest looking car, by far, is the AMX/Javelin.
And people think I have bad taste!
I’ve seen some of the sports cars us Europeans never see in the more specialist magazines and they look magnificently technological, but where’s their soul? A cars only an inanimate object but I want to see designers putting their heart and not spreadsheets into a car.
I grudgingly admit to a spot of fondness for the Mitsubishi Galant, its comes close to being a Japanese Beemer.
I am gonn ahve to say that the Japanese made Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution VII coming out over there later this year absoutely kicks ass. It has that popular Japanese techno-style look.
But, I still must agree with you that, Euro cars are the best. you have Ferrari and Lamb. coming out of Italy, and the BMW 3 and 5 series, and all the Mercedes, like the new C-class, and who can’t love the S? Then you also have some of the smaller brands, like Alpha Romero. Euro has the design element in cars pinned down…
I am not even going to start on American cars, because I absolutely hate them. Everytime I see a stupid Ford Crown-Victoria or something similar, I slam on the brakes, only to find out that there is no cop in there, just an old man that wants crappy styling and a huge body. American cars can die and rot!
You bastard. 
When it comes to looks, and when I have to restrict myself to cars currently in production, I’ve got a few cars coming to mind. And I think they’re all European.
As casdave mentioned, the Lotus Elise (this is the old model, which I slightly prefer) is quite the looker. But the prettiest available car today just has to be the Ferrari 360 Modena. I mean, just LOOK at it. Wow.
But it’s got an upcoming contestant, in terms of styling. To be released later this year: the Aston Martin Vanquish. Sweet Mother of God. What a beauty.
BMW definitely. Ever since I got my brand-spakin’ new Z3 last summer, I’ve been sold. It’s just such a tight, well-designed, beautiful little car. If I have my way, I’ll drive BMW’s for the rest of my life. Unless, of course, I come up with the bucks to buy a Jaguar, or one of these Opels.
If I were in the market for a less expensive car, I’d go for a Volkswagon Jetta. Nice looking car, for a basic sedan-y type thing.