McLaren 650S Spider

650S Spider speeding away in Soho

In 1988, Ayrton Senna and Alain Prost demolished the rest of the field in their white and red MP4/4 Formula One cars. Meanwhile, their team was making a historic decision: to expand into the road car business. The stunning McLaren F1 was unveiled a few years later, and the supercar went on to set a record for the fastest production car. Just over a decade after the F1 went out of production, McLaren returned to the sports car business, introducing the MP4-12C. I have seen a few 12C's on the street, but up until recently I had yet to see its successor, the 650S, in the wild. I had gotten a look at the sexy 650S at the New York Auto Show, under the gleaming lights of the Javits Center, but a few weeks ago I spotted the low-slung sports car on the streets of Soho. Getting to lay my eyes on the slinky 650S in natural light convinced me that the McLaren is truly a beautiful design.

650S Spider at 2015 NYIAS

The front end of the 650S echoes its big brother, the hybrid P1 which was unveiled about a year before the 650S. This means the 650S gained the boomerang headlights, which are reminiscent of the McLaren logo. The 650S also featured air vents curving downwards towards the carbon fiber front splitter, which resemble tears streaming down cheeks. These black extensions also remind me of the trim pieces that extend down on the Opel Zafira Tourer and Opel Ampera. Like on the Opels, these vents make the front end of the 650S very dynamic--it almost appears like the bottom of the vents are tethered to the splitter and the rest is being blown away as the McLaren accelerates. This gives the car a sense of movement even when it is standing absolutely still. The intakes are also excellently integrated into the headlights, curving around with the modern LED lights to form a smaller boomerang. There is one aesthetic design flaw on the front of the 650S. If you look closely, you can see that where the vents meets the headlights, it becomes solid plastic, simply giving off the image of still being a true intake. While seeing a faux vent on a $15,000 Honda Fit seems reasonable, I was surprised to see the visual trickery appear on a $260,000 supercar. From afar it is difficult to notice, but from ten feet away the cheap-looking design choice becomes obvious and looks out of place on the sports coupe. Luckily, McLaren makes up for this flaw with copious amounts of exposed carbon fiber, which highlights the lightweight, high performance nature of the 650S.

650S Spider in Soho

The wheel arches powerfully curve over the front tires, flowing into the cabin. Lean, taught character lines run down the side of the 650S. A carbon fiber sill extends backwards from the front fender, giving the McLaren an aggressive stance. Massive five-spoke wheel designs accentuate the bold, muscular look. Carbon fiber reappears on the spindly side view mirrors and the large intake just in front of the rear wheels. The intake is functional, providing cool air for the engine, but also makes the car look like a true supercar.

650S Spider at 2015 NYIAS

Out back, the 650S is practically identical to its predecessor, but this is certainly no bad thing. The taillights are composed of thin LED strips that are hidden in the vent that spans across the rear fascia. These stealthy lights are elegantly simplistic, and look menacing when lit up at night. The sporty McLaren's functional design exudes performance, from the gigantic carbon fiber rear diffuser that sweeps downwards from the vent to the bulky dual exhaust pipes flanking the McLaren logo dead center. The rear fascia is topped of with McLaren's Airbrake, the adjustable wing bridging the gap between the raised rear haunches. This convenient bit of active aero raises up to 69 degrees under hard braking to provide extra downforce. When raised, the Airbrake makes the McLaren look like it's in attack mode, and the wing adds to the sports car's dynamism. Overall, the McLaren simply looks fast, with a swept back front fascia, athletic carbon fiber elements, and vents on nearly every surface.

Grade:
Front: A
Back: A
Overall: A

Comparison: Mazda MX-5 Miata vs. Fiat 124 Spider

Mazda MX-5 Miata at the 2015 NYIAS

One of the most popular automotive trends of the 1990s and early 2000s was badge engineering, where companies would take an existing car produced by another company and stick their logo on the front, since it was far cheaper than going through the R&D of developing a new car. The issue with this was that, aside from different grilles, the rebadged vehicles often looked identical to the existing vehicle and this resulting in "cannibalism," where the sales of one eats into the sales of the other. This ended up killing off multiple brands, from storied brands like Pontiac to failed endeavors like Eagle. For the most part, automakers seemed to have learned their lesson. However, this hasn't prevented them from sharing platforms and components under-the-hood. While car companies may share the skeleton of the cars, they now develop distinct exteriors to maintain a brand identity. A perfect example of this is the new Mazda MX-5 Miata and its Italian cousin, the Fiat 124 Spider, which share the same platform.

Fiat 124 Spider at the 2016 NYIAS

Up front, the two roadsters are vastly different. The Miata has squinty, slinky headlights that point down towards the gaping, smiling grille. With shiny black plastic and thin grey crossbars, the grille looks luxurious and sporty, and flows smoothly into the sleek front wheel arches. The lower front fascia also gets aggressive, forward leaning faux air intakes, which add to the Miata's athletic image.

The Fiat pays tribute to the 1960s 124 Spider, and therefore has a much more upright front fascia. Large oval headlights, featuring a clean, modern-looking LED cluster, point inwards at the grille. In between the headlights is a trapezoidal mesh grille that harkens back to the original 124. While the grille itself is not bad looking, it protrudes out in front of the headlights, causing it to look like a snout. The lower front fascia features a lower grille and fog lamps, but lacks the aggressiveness of the Miata's faux intakes. Overall, the Mazda's lower, sleeker hood and curvy headlights results in a more attractive front end. 

old Fiat 124 Spider outside the Javits Center

The side is where the two sports cars look most similar--the doors are the same shape and both feature a small triangular turning light just behind the front wheels. On both cars, the belt line dips down to the door handle before swooping back up into powerful rear haunches. The Mazda has a slight advantage for its blacked out side view mirrors, but aside from that the two are near identical in profile view.

Out back, the design return to being very distinct. Continuing the sensual look from the front fascia, the Mazda features taillights that resemble eyes with eyeliner applied, sweeping creases, and curvy reverse lights on the bumper. The powerful rear haunches that plunge downwards to form the trunk, completing the sexy appearance started up front on the Miata.

Mazda MX-5 RF at the 2016 NYIAS

The 124 mimics its predecessor with the rear end as well. The rear haunches do not curve downwards, instead straightening out to form a flat rear decklid.  The taillights are a simple rectangular oval, but Fiat spices the design up by making them hollowed out in the middle, similar to the headlights on the Bentley Bentayga. However, they are angled slightly downwards, which makes the whole rear fascia look slightly off. Overall, the Miata's slinky tail looks far better than the 124's straight lines.

Fiat 124 Spider at the 2016 NYIAS

   

The Mazda beats out the Fiat on both front and rear styling, taking home the crown in this matchup. That is not to say the 124 is an ugly car, but it simply doesn't match the Miata's sleek bodywork.
Grade-Mazda MX-5
Front: A
Back: A
Overall: A

Grade-Fiat 124 Spider
Front: B+
Rear: B+
Overall: B+

Cars Seen at NHRA Drag Racing at Raceway Park

 1948 Tucker 48 "Gyronaut X-1" tow car by Rod Ida: Although rusting, this Tucker was a nice blast from the past. The tri-headlight design is futuristic, while the streamlined shape creates a unique silhouette.

Jaguar E-Type: In a serene shade of blue, the slinky E-Type stands out with its long hood and powerful haunches.

Porsche 1600 Speedster: The 1600 sports the classic Porsche shape and clean, flowing character lines.

The 1937 Chevy "Black Opal" custom car by Rod Ida: This is a beautiful vehicle, with the bulbous wheel covers, vertical chrome grille, and hammered stance.

 1948 Tucker 48 "Lower 48" custom car by Rob Ida: Yet another of the rare Tuckers, albeit in much better condition. This example also had eight exhaust pipes protruding from the rear bumper.

Plymouth Barracuda: The 'Cuda has one of my favorite automotive logos, along with beefy muscle car styling.

Triumph motorcycle:With an athletic stance and the legendary blue and orange Gulf colors, this is one cool two-wheeler.

Ford F-100: The predecessor to what is now the most popular vehicle in the United States, the green Ford pickup is very simple aesthetically, but still gives off a bold, tough personality.

Rolls-Royce Corniche

This massive land-yacht, the Corniche, is the Rolls-Royce of ultra-luxury cars, both because it is a Rolls-Royce, and because its design so accurately captures everything one could ever want in a luxury vehicle. Simply standing next to the majestic coupe, I could feel its opulence radiating outwards.

The high-class appearance starts with the instantly recognizable, and stately Rolls-Royce grille. The golden hue screams affluence, as do the thinly spaced vertical bars. The famous "Spirit of Ecstasy" hood ornament is perched atop the grille, which sits between pairs of circular headlights. The headlights themselves are not particularly special, but the shiny, gold-tinted trim piece surrounding them gives the front fascia of the Rolls a touch of elegance, taking it a step above everything else.

Bold creases stretch from the grille towards the windshield, and a thin chrome strip down the center of the hood extends the distinguished look of the front fascia all the way to the windshield. Dignified character lines flow backwards from the turning lights, eventually forming the powerful rear haunches. Despite the sleek lines, Rolls-Royce is keen to let its customers know this is not some sports car, but a luxurious two door cruiser. The upright windshield and boxy profile adds to the regal aura given off by this 17-foot behemoth. The rear fascia is a bit simple, with small vertical taillights and a black plastic and chrome bumper, but certainly not ugly.

Overall, the Corniche does exactly what it need to do: look extremely fancy. With a very upright stance and loads of chrome, the Corniche is the perfect luxury coupe.


Grade
Front: A
Rear: B+
Overall: A

Chevrolet Corvette: Through The Years: Part 2

     1963 brought a brand new Corvette, dubbed the "Corvette Sting Ray," and with it a striking silhouette that has influenced every 'Vette since. The Chevy now featured a long hood and a hatchback-like rear with an almost nonexistent rear deck, and for the first time was offered in coupe form. This layout, as well as many visual cues, give the Sting Ray its iconic, streamlined, sporty appearance.
     Up front, hidden headlights and a low-set grille, along with the powerful, raised bodywork over the front wheels lend the car a sleek, high-performance look. Rectangular intakes on the hood and horizontal vents just behind the front wheels add to this hardcore sports car image. The crease at the beltline of the C2 makes it seem as if the car is slicing through the air in front of it, and creates an interesting contrast in light between the upper and lower halves of the car. While this is a great touch, it almost hides the intricate grille from view. The hook-shaped chrome bumpers give a sturdy look, and are set on a thin rectangular grille, with luxurious skinny horizontal bars. These are sandwiched by aerodynamic orange turning lamps. And despite all of this beautiful detailing, my favorite part of the front of the '63 is the raised streak running down the center of the hood into the windshield. For me, it completes the smooth, streamlined look, fitting in perfectly with the flared wheels arches and hidden headlamps. It also accentuates the iconic Corvette flags logo.
     Moving around back, the Sting Ray retains the sleek appearance of the front. Athletic rear haunches give a powerful look to the 'Vette, and they are complemented by the faux vents just behind the side windows. The double circular taillights and reappearing hook shaped chrome bumper pieces add elegance to the sports car. My favorite element from the front, the raised line on the hood, is continued on the back, through a strip running down the roof, and in between the famous split-window. The trim piece bisects the 'Vette logo, and ends at the bottom of the gorgeous V-shaped rear of the cabin. Overall, the '63 Corvette is absolutely beautiful, and Chevy obviously knew this, as the exterior changes over the next four years of production were minimal.
     In 1964, the split-window was famously replaced with a single piece rear window, and while I love the appearance of the split, this change does have a hugely detrimental effect on the elegant look. Also, up front the faux vents on the hood were removed, though indentations where they had been remained. This cleaned-up the hood, but again, this touch doesn't have a huge effect on the overall car.
     The next year, the indentations on the hood were also removed, and the vents behind the front wheels were changed. Instead of the previous horizontal arrangement, there were three vertical "gills," which fit in perfectly with the Sting Ray name. For 1966, the grille's horizontal's slats were replaced by horizontal and vertical lines crossing at right angles. Also, the small intakes behind the windows were removed. For its final production year, the three "gills" were replaced by five, and a reverse light was added above the license plate spot.
    For the second generation Corvette, Chevy wisely stuck to the old saying, "If it ain't broke, don't fix it." This is one of the most beautiful cars of all time, and really symbolizes the beginning of the Corvette as we know it today.

Grade
Front: '63: A
'64: A
'65: A
'66: A
'67: A
Back: '63: A
'64: A-
'65: A-
'66: A-
'67: A-
Overall: '63: A
'64: A
'65: A
'66: A
'67: A

Chevrolet Corvette: Through The Years - Part 1

      When the Corvette was first revealed in 1953 as a prototype, America fell in love and this iconic sports car was almost immediately put into production. Ever since then, the Corvette has been a legend and a constant reminder to the world that America is alive and breathing, even in it's darkest hours. Over the next few post, I will give a review of each generation, starting at the original C1 and finishing with the new, flashy C7.

Corvette C1: 1953-1962

1955 Corvette at the Henry Ford Museum

1955 Corvette

    The first 'Vette, being a Fifties car, is covered in shiny chrome, and is fitted with classic white walls tires. While at a glance, the curvacious body is gorgeous, but upon closer inspection I have a few criticisms. The headlights appear to be caged in, which along with the multitude of vertical bars in the grille and bumper, lend a prison-like appearance to the front fascia. The grille, which I've never particularly liked, always reminded me a big of an angry mouth, and doesn't fit in with the sensual bodywork. Despite these minor complaints, it is still a beautiful sports car. The chrome bumper pieces emerging from the underbelly along with the long thin strip running down the side give a '50's futuristic feel. Around back the small bullet-like taillights and trim pieces give a sporty, yet luxurious appearance.

     In 1956, the Corvette was heavily updated, fixing many of my complaints on the '53. The headlights became smaller and more circular, and made the front fin have less of a curved shape. The hideous mesh was gone, and the bumper "fangs" were significantly reduced. These changes create a more sophisticated face for the 'Vette. The chrome bar along the side disappeared, replaced by a sporty, indented oval, allowing the car to have a classic two-tone paint scheme. In the rear, the tail
lights are more slickly integrated into the swooping tail, giving a more elegant look to the Chevy.

1958 Corvette in Naples, Florida

1956 Corvette 

      1958 brought the double-headlamp, along with sporty air scoops beneath the headlights and behind the front wheels, smoothly fused into the side oval, giving the car an extremely bold face. There were also skinny chrome trim pieces extending back from the headlights over the hood and forward from the taillights across the trunk lid, an interesting and unique detail that adds a luxurious feel. While the '58 was a fair improvement over earlier versions, the 1961 'Vette changed the Corvette's image forever.
        '61 saw the introduction of the two-piece taillights, and this design element has been a staple of the Corvette ever since. The change to the taillights also created a more crisply tapered rear end, giving the Chevy a more muscular look. Up front, the grille lost the chrome "teeth," so the car had a more streamlined, sophisticated appearance.
      Over its ten years of production, constant updates meant the Corvette evolved into a mature yet aggressive sports car.

Grade
Front: '53 - B
'56 - B+
'58 - A-
'61 - A
Back: '53 - A-
'56 - A-
'58 - A
'61 - A
Overall: '53 - B+
'56 - A-
'58 - A
'61 - A

Lexus SC 430

     The Lexus SC 430 is an absolutely stunning sports car. The Lexus Sc 430 is also a design catastrophe. See, the SC brings out extremely mixed emotions in me. This contrast makes it a very strange car to review, because sometimes I just love it, while other times I just can't bare to look at it.
     The SC looks its most sexy when viewed from the curvy rear. The elegantly shaped taillights fit in snugly over the powerful, cat-like rear haunches, and flow well into the rear bumper, creating a very fluid and well put together appearance. The lower rear fascia's simplicity further strengthens the slick, stylish image, but a touch of power is visible in the two massive exhaust pipes. The cabin also integrates smoothly into the trunk lid, especially for a hard-top convertible. The cabin's height and angle with the hood and trunk create the perfect sports car silhouette, not as upright as a normal passenger vehicle, but not as squashed as a supercar. Another nice touch appears on the lower front fascia, which features bold oval lights flanked by chrome inserts, all set back in a sporty intake.
     And that's the last of the good stuff. Despite the allure of the rear end, I still had a couple of quibbles with the back. My first issue was the brake light, which felt very out of place. On most cars, the brake light is mounted inside the cabin, but because this is a convertible, that could be difficult logistically. But having it stick up just behind the rear window disrupts the flow of the car's shape. A better place to put it would have been to integrate it into the spoiler. The other problem I had was with the small circular reflector piece on the side of the bumper, which also felt out of place and unnecessary.

     But those are minor complaints when compared to the bloated headlights and gaudy grille that lead catastrophic  front end. The larger oval headlights don't feel appropriate on a car that is otherwise so sleek, and the absurd dip on the inner edge of the headlamp makes the headlight look swollen. A straight, undisturbed line would've fit in better with the crisp and expressive character lines on the hood. The other main culprit of this ruined front fascia is the grille. There is too much chrome on the grille, making it look cheap and overdone. Also, the vertical slats are set back in the chrome surround, lending a snout-like appearance to the nose of the SC.
     The Lexus SC 430 is an interesting case, with its schizophrenic design, the mostly gorgeous back and largely hideous face. While the smooth and elegant taillights and character lines lend the car a sports car look, the cheap grille and fat headlights give a contrasting unattractive, and uninspired appearance.


Grade
Front: F
Back:A-
Overall: C+

1957 Chevrolet Bel Air

Bel Air in Naples, Florida

    Seeing this 1957 Chevy Bel Air cruise down the street, evokes a desire to have lived then, when cars came in pastel colors, had massive fins, and were works of art. This Chevy is especially gorgeous, with bright turquoise paint and many chrome accents. The majority of the chrome is on the complex front bumper which incorporates the grille, and an older version of the Chevrolet logo. The car, like other 50's cars, has airplane inspired elements. On the grille, beneath the circular headlights, is a cone-like protrusion that looks similar to a jet engine. Also, on the front of the hood, the Bel Air features two "windsplits" which appear to be airplane-inspired as well. They have what look like vertical stabilizers (the rear fin on planes) sticking up next to the missle-like main section of the windsplit. The Chevy's modest headlights hide under the hood, and sandwich the script "Chevrolet." The car's basic taillights also hide under an overhang, but this one is the sharp tail fins. While definitely not the largest fins from the 50's, these still prove adequate in representing the trends from that decade. Along the side of the Bel Air is a shiny silver character line, which makes a downward curve at the rear of the car, outlining the gorgeous fin. A smaller crease splits off, creating the top of a section of white paint, which is shaped like a smaller version of the fin. Bel Air is elegantly written in cursive, and is placed next to a coat of arms with a Chevy logo in the center, on the back end of the fin.

Bel Air in Naples, Florida

The white wall tires also signify this auto as vintage, and the rear wheels peek out from under wheel covers.
     And while it would be inefficient and inconvenient to build such large cars now, I still wish that design this beautiful and intricate was used today.



Grade
Front: A
Back: A-
Overall: A

Mercedes-Benz SLR McLaren Roadster

SLR McLaren in Naples, Florida

     Mercedes-Benz and McLaren  had grand ambitions when they collaborated on this grand tourer,  but while it sports a sleek look, those aspirations did not show through, as the SLR's design is too simple. While there is nothing terrible about the Merc, much of the design failed to make a lasting impression.
        The grille is often literally what sticks out most in a car. If this car wanted to grab our attention, it should not have had a boring, rectangular grille running on a slight downward angle into the hood bulge--a splash of chrome on the grille's bar could have livened up the front fascia. Below the grille, there's just nothing there and, again, some chrome would provided panache.
       The headlights, two joined vertical ovals featuring xenon headlamps, fit in with Mercedes' brand look from that era--this car was produced from 2003-2009--but while they fit in with the W203 C-Class, which was a more conservative car, it is a bit too basic for this luxury sports car.
        Walk around the back and it's more of the same. The lower rear fascia wears nothing more than a frowning look, with an arch curving over the reverse lights and down to the underside of the SLR. The brake light is mounted on the underside of the lip spoiler, and the designated license plate spot is simply an indent in the rear bodywork. Again, I was disappointed by the simplicity of the design of the rear fascia, expecting something more flashy, maybe a chrome bar connecting the taillights or more glamorous license plate spot.
    Don't get me wrong, there's plenty to like about the SLR McLaren. The car's long hood features a bulge that is a reminder of the might of the 617 horsepower V8 engine underneath. This bulge stretches from the windscreen down to the grille, where it comes to a point, a protrusion that holds a large Mercedes-Benz emblem and is flanked by sporty silver horizontal vents close to the windscreen. The vents are split into three pieces by silver dividers--the car's vents are my favorite touch and exactly what  this car could use more of. 

     Just behind the luxurious 10-spoke silver wheels is another sleek air vent, with a similar design to the ones on the hood, except the dividers are horizontal and the vents themselves are vertical. These vents have a retro feel, reminding me of the vents on the 300SL Gullwing. The bottom of the vent runs into a clean character line which forms the outline of the doors. Another strong character line, actually more like a small inversion, runs from in between the oval headlamps, along the body, and around the seats, making almost a full circumnavigation of the vehicle.

                               SLR McLaren in Naples, Florida

     The highlights of the rear are the complex and futuristic taillights, similarly shaped to those on the current C-Class, with the silver C-shaped housings within the taillights that contain the LEDs being my favorite detail. 

     When the SLR McLaren cruises by you may think it's a real looker, but when examined closely, we realize that the Mercedes-Benz didn't live up to its potential in design.

Grade
Front: B-
Back: B-
Overall: B-