Posted by Matt Wilson on Tuesday, March 04, 2003 at 6:41PM :
In Reply to: A Brief Digression on Aesthetics.... posted by Sean on Tuesday, March 04, 2003 at 4:55PM :
Everything you guys have said below, regarding mass market appeal, and such, is true. However, there are other things that play into it in a big way.
One is fuel mileage. The more things stick up off an object as it moves through the air, the more drag there is, and the more energy is required to keep that object moving. This goes up proportionally with the square of the speed of the object. So today, with the faster driving we do, it becomes even more important to have smooth, flowing lines to keep fuel consumption down. Having headlights that stick up can make a significant difference. The other side of that coin is that the more sleek and aerodynamic something APPEARS TO BE, the better it will sell, regardless of how well it actually performs in that regard.
By the same token, a lot more plastic is used in vehicles these days, so that weight is reduced, and the vehicle will get better gas mileage.
The sheet metal on today's vehicles is arranged so that it will crumple and cave in on itself in a collision, rather than remaining highly rigid, the way it did on the old vehicles. The reason for this is not so that the automakers sell more spare car and truck body parts, but rather to preserve our human body parts. In the old days, if you had a semi-serious accident, the car would often survive, but the occupants would absorb all of the impact, often causing massive internal injuries to the organs, and often resulting in death. Today's cars crumple, much like an accordian, sort of mimicking a "cushion" made of steel, if you will, so that the occupants don't come to such a sudden stop in an impact. The sudden stop can really jar the organs. Unfortunately, in relatively minor collisions, then newer cars need more extensive repairs than the older ones.
As for the double steel walls used in pickup beds these days, I kind of like that idea. It's nice to be able to throw whatever in the bed of the truck without being concerned that you will see the dent and the flaky paint on the OUTSIDE of the bed, along with what happens to the inside of the bed. That double wall keeps the truck looking a little nicer, and it definitely makes the bed more rigid.
Matt
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