Artistic Photo #1

I am going to start posting an artistic photo of a car every few weeks, just to provide a different look at the automobiles around us. Let me know what you think and if you have any artistic car photos of your own, feel free to email it to me and I'll try post them!

Land Rover Range Rover in New Orleans, Louisiana (Taken in 2014)

Ford F-150

F-150 Platinum at The Henry Ford in Dearborn, Detroit

     When Ford pulled the wraps off the Atlas Concept at the 2013 Detroit Auto Show, all media attention was diverted in the Blue Oval's direction. The bold concept previewing the next F-150 easily outshone Chevy's new Silverado and all the other world debuts. So the next year when Ford unveiled the production F-150 in the Motor City expectations were exceedingly high. Ford delivered and more. The truck featured many of the Atlas' aggressive design cues that had generated such hype as Ford converted the outlandish styling of the massive Atlas into production-friendly design. I almost feel like I am promoting Ford but the praise is deserved: the F-150 is the best looking full-sized pick-up truck in the game.

Lariat at NYIAS

     Starting at the front, it is immediately obvious that this truck means business. The sideways U-shaped headlights look robotic, almost reminiscent of Iron Man, and the LEDs on the Platinum model add a modern touch while also being more efficient and brighter than normal headlamps. While the other model pictured, the Lariat, doesn't have LEDs, the sharp-edged headlights still appear intimidating. Both models feature huge chrome grilles: the Platinum features three thick bars with skinny rectangular cutouts within these bars; the Lariat's grille is composed of slightly more pedestrian chrome bars without the chrome filling. Nonetheless, these opulent grilles show off the F-150 as a luxury vehicle, a growing trend among full-size trucks. Each truck's lower front fascia also has a healthy dose of chrome, as well as tough, square fog lights.
      Powerful hood creases lead back to massive sideview mirrors, the Platinum, of course, is dripping with chrome. The mirrors feature the extremely useful Spotlights, which illuminate the area surrounding the truck for easy night working. The F-150's only design flaw appears along the side, where the front window dips down, the soft curve in contrast with the hard-edged styling of the rest of the pickup. Out back on the Platinum, a thick, silver bar connects LED taillights. This combined with the model name being stenciled into the bar further strengthens its dynamic image. The Lariat, a cheaper trim level, is a bit too plain, although it still retains the stylish taillights.

Lariat at NYIAS

     The Spotlights mentioned above are just one of many cool features on the F-150 that make work more convenient. There is also LED lighting in the bed and near the trailer hitch, as well as power-deployable running boards, box side steps and a tailgate step. All of these accessories make the cabin and bed easier to get to and load or unload, make sure that while the truck aspires to be a luxury vehicle it retains its place as the premier workhorse on the market. 

Grade

Box Side Steps on Platinum at The Henry Ford in Dearborn, Detroit

Front: A
Back: A-
Overall: A

Top Ten Current Car Model Names

10. Chevrolet Sonic
This bold name fits the striking front fascia of the Sonic perfectly, and the exposed head and taillights always reminded me of a subwoofer on a speaker.

 9. Bentley Flying Spur

The Flying Spur originally was a designation for the sedan variant of the Continental, but it became a separate model in 2013. While there was a British tea ship known by this name in the late 1860s, I've found no direct link between the clipper and the über-luxury sedan. Nonetheless, this is one cool, elegant, and slightly mysterious name for the Conti sedan.

8. Chevrolet Volt
Although not quite as glamorous as the Flying Spur, the "Volt" name works because of just how appropriate it is. A volt is a unit of measure relating to electricity and movement of current in an electric circuit, which fits perfectly for the plug-in hybrid electric Chevy. It sure is a lot better sounding than it competitor, the Nissan Leaf.

7. Porsche Panamera
While this name is derived from the endurance race "Carrera Panamericana," which took place four times in the 1950's in Mexico, that was not why I included it on this list. Phonetically, I think it rolls off the tongue perfectly and also looks very nice when written, most likely because of the semi-symmetrical nature of the "a-n-a-m" section.

6. Dodge Durango

This tough SUV has a very appropriate name in the "Durango." Called this for the city in Colorado, it has a particularly rural, cowboy, Wild West feel to it, and when said aloud the "a-n-g" produces a Western twang.

5. Maserati Quattroporte

Though I wasn't a fan of the fifth generation Quattroporte, I have always loved the stylish-sounding name. In Italian, "Quattroporte" simply means "four-door," describing the Maser's sedan body style. But to non-Italian speakers, it sounds exotic, and quite luxurious.

 4. Dodge/SRT Viper

Just look at the slinky Dodge sports car, and try not to think of a vicious, venomous snake. This is one of the most aptly named cars of all time, especially considering the fifth generation's sleeker curves and even more aggressive front fascia.

3. Jeep Renegade
When the ambitiously styled Renegade Concept debuted in 2008 and was immediately designated as a design study, I was disappointed that I wouldn't ever see a Jeep Renegade production model. Lucky for me, the name revived for a funky subcompact crossover in the 2015 model year. The rebellious nature of this name fits in with the "all-American" Detroit advertising scheme which Chrysler, Dodge, Jeep and Ram have been using of late, and matches Jeep's slew of other outdoorsy, patriotic names, including the Cherokee, Commander, Wrangler, and Patriot.

2. Aston Martin Vanquish

One of the greatest recent designs from Aston was paired with paired with one of my favorite names of all time. The powerful grand tourer features many strong, backward sweeping character lines, which is accurately mirrored in the swooshing sound that is produced by the "i-s-h." Also, while the word sounds elegant, its means "to defeat thoroughly," showing the Aston's performance aspirations.

1. Ford Mustang
While the term "mustang" refers to a small, wild horse, the legendary sports car was actually named for the P-51 Mustang, a fighter plane produced by North American for WWII (Though the horse was chosen for the logo). But the key similarity between the beast and the machine is their small structure and fast, aggressive nature. This is exemplified is the car's iconic trapezoidal grille, angled headlights, and bulging rear haunches. Overall, the qualities of speed and size seen in the Mustang's inspirations make the name a perfect fit for the classic pony car.


Honorable Mention- Tesla Model S, III, X
While it is quite juvenile, I, as a 16 year-old boy, appreciate Elon Musk's current plans to eventually have a model lineup consisting of the Model S, III, and X for the not-that-subtle sexual innuendo.

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+

Ford Falcon Van

      I love vans. The large expansion of the van market in the U.S. has played a part, with the recent additions of the Ford Transit, Ram ProMaster and ProMaster City, and the Chevy City Express. But my fascination also stems from  the flat front vans of the 1960's, such as the Dodge A100. So I was extremely excited to come across a van I'd never heard of, the 1961-1967 Ford Falcon van.
       The van is  based on the Ford Falcon compact car yet it gets its own distinct look. The triangular grilles that house the headlights point inward and are a very quirky and creative way to allow airflow to the engine. The compact font of the word "Ford" cleverly reflects the squat silhouette of the car. (On the side and back the word "Falcon" is written in a stylish script.)
     The flat front, while not uncommon then, sticks out among today's traffic, and adds extra pizzazz. The side features a simple character line just above the door handles, and a funky inverted second window. Around back, the van is fairly basic, with normal barn doors and small circular taillights.
      Despite the van's many simplistic features, such as the taillights and headlight shape, there are enough bizarre and interesting design cues, like the headlight grilles, the badge font, and the second window, to make this van among my favorite designs.

Grade
Front: A
Back: B
Overall: A-