197 replies to this topic

[Otaku]

For the 20+ years I watch F1 cars have never been so ugly. It all started with the ugly front and rear wings and deepens.

For me, after 98 (narrow cars and grooved tyres) everything went downhill. OFC there were exceptions in the middle, but to my eye cars looked like out of proportion. I like wide big beasts with big slick tyres, not silly small narrow cars.

[Pikachu Racing]

The majestic eye candy beauty of F1 cars is NO more. It turned into awful crap. Even Dallara from Indycar looks good.

[Peat]

What's not beautiful about a car engineered to perfection within a set of boundary conditions?

I would be a hell of alot more peeved if we had madated 'retro' themed styling. The retro liveries are bad enough. F1 should be about moving forwards, not looking backwards.

[Raifosa]

Well my 7 year old nephew saw the pic with the McLaren & the Lotus and even though he knew that Kimi was in the Lotus, he said to me 'the silver car is better'. We have a saying in my country: "From a crazy person and a child you will learn the truth'

But I have to say after watching some videos, the Sauber & Lotus look great on track.

[Gridfire]

What's not beautiful about a car engineered to perfection within a set of boundary conditions?

I would be a hell of alot more peeved if we had madated 'retro' themed styling. The retro liveries are bad enough. F1 should be about moving forwards, not looking backwards.

QFT

[djned]

while nostalgia is definitely a factor - we all like the cars we grew up with and dislike the ones that came later - you have to say almost everyone in this thread is citing cars with clean lines and a lack of ugly winglets. look at the photo of the 2009 bmw: of course i don't like the narrow/high rear wings that were enforced that year, but the other regulations around sidepod winglets meant a cleaner look too. the simplicity of the bmw is beautiful. on the balance of this thread (and all the other 'favourite car', 'ugliest car' ones), it's what the fans want.

you could also point to the 2009 bmw and say that those clean lines made the car slow compared to compared to ones with more fully developed front wings. that would back up the argument of engineering to the limit of the regulations. but if most fans want clean lines, the blame then comes back to the fia. after all, look at what adrian newey would design if he was unconstrained by any regulations at all:



*nb i am obviously not advocating f1 cars get canopies, covered wheels, and forces that exceed human capability!

[HoldenRT]

The good thing about live timing is that you can't see the cars themselves.. only the laptimes and sector times and this is what matters.

Same with onboards.. so maybe FOM should consider showing only live timing and onboards? Hey I could live with that.

[Mr2s]

Don't see why fans are upset about the slope up to the tub. The front spoliers are by far the ugliest looking part of today's F1 car. Everyone seems to be used to them now though.

[Henri Greuter]

They were butt ugly already due to those snowploughs what some call frontwings.
Te universaly loathed '79 Ferrari 312T4 was a beauty compared with the cars of recent years

But the current breed reminds me to the duckbill platypus that lives in Australia.
but then even more ugly.


Henri

[Peat]

QFT

which means?

[Kif]

which means?

"Quoted for Truth"

http://answers.yahoo...21094353AAiopc8

The poster is agreeing without the effort of actually typing it.

[Rob]

For me, after 98 (narrow cars and grooved tyres) everything went downhill. OFC there were exceptions in the middle, but to my eye cars looked like out of proportion. I like wide big beasts with big slick tyres, not silly small narrow cars.

Agreed. The aesthetics and the racing went downhill with the 1998 regs.

[Peat]

Ah, why thankyou!

[fieraku]

I loved the 07-08 cars with all the winglets,simply beautiful and when I saw renderings of the 09 cars my reaction was " sh** "....BUT come the first race in 09 I had already forgotten the old cars and moved on.

I'm sure once the real racing starts 90% of F1 fans won't give a sh** about the ''looks''.

[Gridfire]

The poster is agreeing without the effort of actually typing it.

Oops, sorry. Bad habits from gaming forums have begun influencing my posts here.

[Skinnyguy]

Agreed. The aesthetics and the racing went downhill with the 1998 regs.

The racing, yes. The aesthetics, no. The 1998-2008 generation cars were good looking even carrying the grooved tyres, which isn´t easy. Of course thy were terrible for racing. Too much nostalgia around, I´m a long time fan and I think that early-mid 2000´s cars are the best looking ever. Then double level front wings and overcomplicated winglets ruined it, but 2000-2006 cars are gorgeus even with those tyres, which says a lot.

I don´t think the 2009 revamp needed to go that way, we had cars showing that wing proportions and a bit of bodywork (less than F1 cars) were not necesarily the problem stopping GOOD racing...



If F1 cars still had those wings, but got rid of all the bodywork stuff, it might still have worked.

Edited by Skinnyguy, 09 February 2012 - 16:43.

[racinggeek]

Actually, the new Lotus looks kinda nice in full side view, as seen in the gigantic photo in Post No. 99 on the third page of this thread. IMHO.

But from every other angle ...

[noikeee]

Actually, the new Lotus looks kinda nice in full side view, as seen in the gigantic photo in Post No. 99 on the third page of this thread. IMHO.

But from every other angle ...

Pretty much so, yes. I laughed my arse off when I saw this post - hadn't seen pics from the track yet:

Beauties of 2012:

http://photos.gpupda...arge/192206.jpg
http://photos.gpupda...arge/192191.jpg
http://photos.gpupda...arge/192150.jpg

It's so atrociously bad it's hilarious. The Ferrari then it's a complete joke, surely a contender for one of the ugliest of all time whichever breed of cars, modern or classic, you prefer.

[Paco]

Man alive this years car are beyond horrible looking. Actually, COMICAL. Almost makes me not want to watch the season as its painful on the eyes.

Starting to confirm what I've thought for a long time that the technical working group are a bunch of idiots. Complete dumb arses.

Both the front and rear wing situation is critical now. Just stupid.

1st the dumb tires now dumb wings to boot.

[R Soul]

The cars look like those magazine pictures that spread across both pages.

[noikeee]

The cars look like those magazine pictures that spread across both pages.

[hunnylander]

F1: 2012 Car Launch Poem


In 2012,

F1 rules did change.

Causing the cars,

To look quite strange.



The first to Launch,

Was Caterham.

With the nose of a duck

during a rectal exam.



Next was McLaren,

With its sexy lines.

Hiding its secrets,

Under paint that shines.



Then was Ferrari,

With an awful bump,

But damn that car has,

Quite a tight little rump!



Force India launched,

Right on the mark.

With the nose of a duck,

And hammerhead shark.



Many then followed,

With similar styles.

Hoping to test,

And put on some miles!



Sauber unveiled,

Their C31.

F1′s ugly era,

No doubt had begun.



The Lotus looks sharp,

All black and gold.

But it’s just a new nose,

On a car that is old.



The RB8,

RedBulls new car.

Has a slot on its nose,

That’s quite bizarre.



And let’s not forget

The STR

Unpretty from both

Close and afar.



The Williams was launched,

In a deep dark Blue.

But a Platypus snout,

This one had too!



It’s the best they could do,

Under design restrictions.

But these will not be,

Their final depictions.



There’s much more to come,

From now until OZ,

Changes and parts,

To iron out flaws.



They will be reviewed,

by watchful eyes.

Journalists,

And rival spies.


http://f1goggs.wordp...ar-launch-poem/

[King Six]

People posts lots of poems on the internet, usually my instinctive reaction is to scroll right past, but I actually read this one, and it was pretty damn good.

[PretentiousBread]

For some reason I can only read that poem in my head with the voice of Jonathan Legard and it sounds completely rare as a result.

[V8 Fireworks]

I think many of them, for example, people in the US, if could get exposed enough to F1, would embrace them in the way that we do.

Sure if you took away their baseball, and gave them the American 20/20 league maybe you could make Americans like cricket. But why?

Maybe Europe should be the one embracing stockcar racing?

[Morbus]

It the metric wasn't so bonkers, it would have been pretty awesome. This way it's just nice.

Nice

[PeteTheDuck]

I loved the 1989 McLaren MP4-5. That was simply beautiful, and with Ayrton Senna and Alain Prost at the wheel, it was fantastic!

[glorius&victorius]

[macoran]

Yes ??

[CrucialXtreme]

2012 F1 Noses



via amsonline

[Mc_Silver]

I am in love with McLaren's nose

[Watkins74]

I hated when the cars went to huge front wings and little rear wings. By the 3rd race I didn't even notice it. I am already getting used to these front noses.

[johnmhinds]

I don't mind the stepped noses that much.
The thin profile views of one like the Sauber look rather exciting to me.


But the stubby boxy nose on the Ferrari really rubs me up the wrong way. :/
Just doesn't look right at all...

[Fastcake]

I hadn't before noticed just how ugly a nose the Red Bull has until now. They are all pretty bad outside the McLaren, but the Sauber's sleek, long profile extending the nose beyond wing, or the VJM05's hammerhead shark look at least have some redeeming features.

The RB8 doesn't, it has the curved shape with a sudden drop similar to previous years, making me think it's just an old one with a broken face.

Worst after the Ferrari, so far.

[S3baman]

2012 F1 cars look awful with the stepped noses, wide front wing and high rear wing. Some might have gotten used to them since their introduction in 2009, but I for one haven't. The image we see on the TV, which is usually from a front viewing camera position, is very disproportionate. I prefer the older regulations although by 2007-2008 the cars had way too many winglets all over the place. The beauty of an F1 car is in it's aerodynamic lines and how everything is supposed to look like one package. The only place where I see this in the current cars is in the sidepods and the tight rear packaging.

Edited by S3baman, 13 February 2012 - 22:01.

[LiJu914]

I am in love with McLaren's nose

I´m not in love with McLaren's nose...and even less with the whole car.
Yet it´s by far the best looking car of 2012, which is quite telling.

[Skinnyguy]

I hated when the cars went to huge front wings and little rear wings. By the 3rd race I didn't even notice it. I am already getting used to these front noses.

You´re a lucky guy. I still feel like I´m watching a minor Formula because of the wings and the void in front of the back wheels.

[Watkins74]

You´re a lucky guy. I still feel like I´m watching a minor Formula because of the wings and the void in front of the back wheels.

Then I feel your pain my friend.

[RSNS]

At the end of the year people will be saying the broken noses are wonderfully aggressive... Unless maclaren wins, of course.

[mmmcurry]

I don't mind the snowplough front wing so much, it's the narrow rear wing I still can't stand. As for the new noses, I doubt I'll get used to them all that fast either.

It could be due to when I started watching F1, but I think the late 80's / early 90's cars look the best.

Steve.

[Mastah]

Hans-Joachim Stuck:

"The tyres are too narrow, the rear wing too small and the front wing too big, and the nose is a complete failure," he said.

"It's like imagining Heidi Klum without her nice behind and bosom, and that's unfortunately what they've done with the new cars.

"Let's hope that they're fast, at least."

http://www.onestopst...ld of 2012.html

[Visionz]

"Mercedes motorsport vice-president Norbert Haug told AUTOSPORT: "The nose is the most discussed issue. It's a stepped nose as some have seen. It's a very nice solution really and a very dynamic one."

nice & dynamic

Edited by Visionz, 17 February 2012 - 15:56.

[icecream_man]

I hated when the cars went to huge front wings and little rear wings. By the 3rd race I didn't even notice it. I am already getting used to these front noses.

I hated the huge front wings and small rear wings too.... and I still do !!!

To me that absurd snow plough of a front wing ruins the look even more than the hideous noses

But on the subject of noses, the McLaren aside, some teams have done better than others - the Lotus stepped nose at least makes an attempt to blend in a bit !

My favourite was Damon Hill's Williams....

Edited by icecream_man, 17 February 2012 - 19:13.

[CaptainJackSparrow]

The cars have look sh*t since 2009, its just that some ppl have gotten used to the ugly, and of course there's always a few weirdos who are into that sort of thing.

Edited by CaptainJackSparrow, 17 February 2012 - 20:06.

[icecream_man]

... and of course there's always a few weirdos who are into that sort of thing.

lol too true, that applies to all walks of life !

[Konsta]

Nope, FIA ballsed up the rules for lowering the nose height, I'm sure they had McLaren style noses in mind. Teams have rather easily spotted the loop hole that allows nose height to remain the same if not higher by shaving the top off. FIA can't even argue about "interpretation" because it's clearly within the regulations. FIA had a million easy ways to lower the nose height and chose the stupidest way possible, it's amazing really.

You can't blame a team for using a loophole, I can't even call it a loop hole because it seems as if the regulations want stepped noses. Even though they are no safer than old noses. It's ludicrous, the whole thing is a shambles.

Yeah, the FIA should´ve written the rule so that the height would be regulated but fugly designs would be banned on aesthetic reasons Those hideous noses could be banned for bringing disrepute to the sport.

[King Six]

So maybe the FIA will change the regulations for 2013. Vettel seems to think they'll be gone for 2013 already.

http://www.yallaf1.c...y-2013-f1-cars/

World champion Sebastian Vettel admits that the 2012 outcome “doesn’t look that nice”.

But he told Sun newspaper: “For next year’s cars, the steps will be gone.”

The excuse of cost involved in developing new chassis is such bullshit, too.

There's still ways they could keep the current high chassis and lower the nose without having a step too, the nosetip would just have to be much lower, so people adopt a BGP 001 style nose. Instead of 550mm above reference plane make it 200mm or less*

*They could still theoretically make a step with the new regulations, but a step from 625mm to 200mm in a space of like 100mm or whatever would create a bulldozer front end

Edited by King Six, 29 February 2012 - 19:53.

[R Soul]

Instead of 550mm above reference plane make it 200mm or less*

They'd still need to remove the current rule, because it says no bodywork more then 1950mm in front of the rear of the cockpit may be more than 550mm above the floor of the car. I don't mean to sound patronising, I'm sure you know that, but I don't think this thread has a definition of the rule. There's a good drawing to go with the rule on the FIA's regulations page (Technical Appendix, page 64).

I think they should just define the maximum height for the tip of the nose. Could the teams find an ugly way round that?