100 Most Beautiful Performance Cars Since 1950........... Do you agree?

[Phil H]

"To determine how close each car’s design is to the golden ratio, we manually tagged 14 key points on an image of each car showing the vehicle front-on."

The assessed 'beauty' is only in respect of the face not the form, so it doesn't really tell us much. Good for debate though, and it does suggest that designers of the last century could teach the current generation a thing or two.

 

[mjheathcote]

Ha ha!!!!!!!!!

Of “all” the cars I have ever owned or own, nothing bar nothing has garnered more positive comments and waving etc than the Gold Elite. I have “wound the window down” more times to chat to people in that car than anything. Never had a negative comment.

it literally is totally bonkers!!

I am 50 (WTF?!) and loved Space 1999 as a kid in the 70’s and the Elite has always been for me one of the landing craft… odd I know..

I love Subaru’s so am defo a subscriber to the “beauty is in the eye of the beholder” and “function over form” schools

Stu

It was rad!
Which Honda I'm sure copied a decade later with the Aerodeck.
How can that be over 35 years old? I'd buy it today!

 

[Corranga]

Interesting list. At least there is some sort of definition of what's been used to generate the list, and not just the usual click bait opinions of 5 motoring journalists, if it genuinely is 100% algorithmic that is (which I doubt).

Some consistency at least, the Elite appears twice (with the Elite Excel appearing later) though the Eclat doesn't also feature.

Seems an odd basis for evaluation:

"By measuring and comparing the distance between different set points on the cars. In total, we plotted 14 different points on each front-on view of the cars, for example, the headlights, the wing mirrors and the corners of the windscreen. Using that data, we then computed and compared the distance ratios between these points, to reveal how closely their design followed the proportions of the golden ratio. "

And I doubt it was as, this description makes a mockery of it. Headlights. Popups up or down? Can't really have been through image analysis surely as a computer wouldn't be able to determine where the headlights are. What about cars with multiple headlights, or the GT40 used in the photos with the LM style headlights, or the F40 with it's pop ups half way up the bonnet. Still, using the front view explains how we got the Elite!

 

[Rwc13]

Ha ha!!!!!!!!!

Of “all” the cars I have ever owned or own, nothing bar nothing has garnered more positive comments and waving etc than the Gold Elite. I have “wound the window down” more times to chat to people in that car than anything. Never had a negative comment.

it literally is totally bonkers!!

I am 50 (WTF?!) and loved Space 1999 as a kid in the 70’s and the Elite has always been for me one of the landing craft… odd I know..

I love Subaru’s so am defo a subscriber to the “beauty is in the eye of the beholder” and “function over form” schools

Stu

I love the 70s wedge styling and therefore absolutely love the Elite. Interesting that it and the Excel make it into the 100 ahead of the Esprit!

 

[alfatwo]

Eventually they worked out how to get good HP out of a racing V8 engine... one was that nicely designed exhaust manifold/bag of snakes!

Dave

 

[Doctor Houx]

Eventually they worked out how to get good HP out of a racing V8 engine... one was that nicely designed exhaust manifold/bag of snakes!

Dave

Mine makes a lovely sound too. That photo is with the silencers on to meet the 95db track limit for racing. Other times I’ve got the straight through megaphones fitted!

 

[zagatoes30]

It was rad!
Which Honda I'm sure copied a decade later with the Aerodeck.
How can that be over 35 years old? I'd buy it today!
View attachment 89049

Was only looking at an Aerodeck a few days ago, still love it

 

[Sam McGoo]

I think the fact they done the test using front only images, then showed pictures from angles shows it's worth.
Interesting nonetheless as most of those probably do have quite pretty faces, and it's usually when you get to the hips and rear that it's starts to be a let down.

I'd like to see the study done again, but to include the rear and sides too, and then take an average of the 'whole' car . Think that would weed out the questionable ones.

 

[Delmonte]

Any top 10 not containing the Alfa tipo 33 Stradale stretches credibility.... Any top 100 without it is taking the pi55...

 

[Contigo]

Nope the only one on there which I agree on is the Miura. I could pick 9 way better-looking cars.

 

[Lozzer]

An XKSS as good looking as an E Type? Let’s say it’s just as well there is a swear filter on here because that’s a load of bolloxs.

An XJ13 is though, is that even on there? Can't be bothered looking through it, it's all clickbait shite.

 

[conaero]

Any top 10 not containing the Alfa tipo 33 Stradale stretches credibility.... Any top 100 without it is taking the pi55...

No truer word said.