12-01-2018, 01:12 AM
On a motorcycle, a lot of attention is usually paid to how the fuel tank looks. The styling, the shape, the design, the finish. Folks also obsess about the engine -- how it looks, how it dominates the focal point of the bike, how it sounds, etc. And headlights certainly haven't escaped the designer's influence either. For many of us, I think these three components (tank, engine, headlight) either attract or disuade us from considering a bike.
On a car, the fuel tank is buried under the vehicle. Same with the engine -- it's under the hood and usually not too attractive. I can't remember the last time I cared to look at mine. While they're both critical styling elements on a bike, they're inconsequential to most car buyers.
So my question is simply: Assuming the tank, engine, and headlight are the focal design elements on a motorcycle, what are the key design elements on a car? The hood? The grill? The shape of the bodywork? What distinguishes one car from the next and gives it a personality, an image, a statement? Why is one car perceived to be cooler, or meaner, or softer, than another?
On a car, the fuel tank is buried under the vehicle. Same with the engine -- it's under the hood and usually not too attractive. I can't remember the last time I cared to look at mine. While they're both critical styling elements on a bike, they're inconsequential to most car buyers.
So my question is simply: Assuming the tank, engine, and headlight are the focal design elements on a motorcycle, what are the key design elements on a car? The hood? The grill? The shape of the bodywork? What distinguishes one car from the next and gives it a personality, an image, a statement? Why is one car perceived to be cooler, or meaner, or softer, than another?