QOTD: Regulation Is Ruining Car Design
Today’s installment of Quote of the Day comes from Mark Adams, design chief for Opel/Vauxhall and creator of the Monza concept, which is expected to set the design direction for the two brands in the near future – assuming that regulations don’t get in the way.
Speaking to Automotive News Europe, Adams opined that “In the last five to 10 years designing cars has gotten a hell of a lot tougher”, with much of the blame going towards regulation. The twin forces of fuel economy and pedestrian safety standards have converged to create very specific parameters for automotive design – hence the proliferation of high hoods, blunt front ends and the “reverse tear drop” shape on so many three-box vehicles. This specific form provides an easy way around all of those requirements, at the cost of an increasingly homogenous cohort of new cars.
More by Derek Kreindler
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I just don't see how the high front end designs will really help. Sure, a large frontal area will distribute the impact loads, but as a pedestrian, I would rather go over the hood then under the car or caught in the frontal blast of a cow catcher. What we need is pedestrian air-bags, and the new radar avoidance equipment, could be made standard for all vehicles if it can get a good read off live carbon. Then we could get back to vehicle front end designs that don't look like Ford and Dodge pick-ups.
All I can say is damn I miss wing vents (and I don't even smoke). And I love driving with my elbow on the sill. At least you guys aren't arguing about the most appropriate location of the flower vases.
I am one of those guys who hates modern car design. I hate tall doors, short windows, thick pillars, huge rims, huge center consoles, cockpit interiors, flame surfacing, high trunks, and station wagons on stilts. Then I remembered. "Be the change you want to see in the world". I saved up $3000 and bought a 92 Miata with 14 inch rims that weigh 8.4 lbs each. The airbag was removed and there is no roll bar. Hope no one hits me.
The big question is if design is going to a commodity style then - its all going to be car shared autonomous cars with 18yr leases being paid out of your cell phone. The real sub question behind this is can they get the software up to speed- How does an autonomous car slow down or speed up? think about the calculations involved, what if the compression is off 10% or the tires are not stock or are slow faster or slower than the stock tire? How would it be able to calibrate stuff like this to stop in time? how does it calculate a hydroplane stop or ice?