Ongoing General Automotive Thread 2.0

[calgarygeologist]

I generally don't like small SUVs because I find the designs to be boring and ugly but I saw the new Volvo C40 today and that is a sexy looking small SUV. I especially like the roof spoiler that they have designed.

[Wormius]

Has Hyundai done something ridiculous with their rear signal lights and changed the location from the rear brake light cluster to a tiny spot below the rear bumper that is difficult to see l?

[bagofpucks]

Originally Posted by Wormius

Has Hyundai done something ridiculous with their rear signal lights and changed the location from the rear brake light cluster to a tiny spot below the rear bumper that is difficult to see l?

Yes, yes they have. I’m not sure which exact models, but I’ve seen it on Hyundai and I think Kia SUVs and it’s really dumb and dangerous. Especially considering how dirty bumpers can get for 4-6 months of the year.

[you&me]

The rationale for the lower placed signal lights is some regulation requiring the signals to be visible if a tailgate is open.

I agree that it looks stupid and probably causes more harm than good, but that's the reason. Surely there's a better solution...

[calgarygeologist]

Originally Posted by Wormius

Has Hyundai done something ridiculous with their rear signal lights and changed the location from the rear brake light cluster to a tiny spot below the rear bumper that is difficult to see l?

Yeah, I think Kia/Hyundai basically started it a few years ago and some other manufacturers have picked it up now including Toyota and I think some European vehicles are doing it now (I can't remember which Euro vehicles I saw it on recently.)

[Wormius]

Originally Posted by you&me

The rationale for the lower placed signal lights is some regulation requiring the signals to be visible if a tailgate is open.

I agree that it looks stupid and probably causes more harm than good, but that's the reason. Surely there's a better solution...

It was really strange seeing it. Couldn’t they at least have kept the original location and added new ones lower down if it was to meet some new requirements?

[kevman]

Man, I'm pretty excited for this thing (and it's more affordable Toyota brother on the way).

https://expeditionportal.com/lexus-g...6xKFq__FAcqCHM

Spoiler!

[Fuzz]

Mercifully better looking grill.

[TorqueDog]

Aston Martin unveiled the 2025 Vantage this morning, a much needed improvement on the 2018-2024 models which started life looking like someone forgot to design the front end, and phoned in the side gills. They tried to rectify this by offering a slatted grille later in the lifecycle but the car's look was still a bit... eh.

A proper slatted grille right out of the gate.


No more Mazda Miata-looking headlamps.


Rear end is a tweak on the existing car, quad exhausts standard over the piddly pea-shooter duals that were equipped on the 2018 launch models.


And the interior is much nicer than the outgoing model.


The seats are deceptively comfortable, I tried them in the DB12.


... AND (mostly) PHYSICAL BUTTONS:


https://carbuzz.com/reviews/2025-ast...odern-interior

I still prefer the look of mine (and so does my bank account) but this one I can honestly say looks damned good. I'd have one in Plasma Blue. The configurator for the new models is live.

[Table 5]

Like the new lights.
Like the back.
Dislike that huge gapping maw of a grille.
Interior is whatever.

Overall still a bit over-designed in places, and still nowhere near as elegant and timeless as the previous generation...but I guess they had to move on from that design language eventually.

[undercoverbrother]

Buttons, who would have thought how much they would be missed.

[photon]

I mostly like it but yeah not a fan of the rear. I mean I like the look of the narrow rear in itself, but on that car the narrow rear with the wide tires and stance don't really match with the front.

Might be one of those things that look different in real life vs. pictures.

[Cappy]

Originally Posted by calgarygeologist

I generally don't like small SUVs because I find the designs to be boring and ugly but I saw the new Volvo C40 today and that is a sexy looking small SUV. I especially like the roof spoiler that they have designed.

This is my wife and I's go to next car - we are actually looking to take advantage of the overseas pick up for it but that isn't available for Canada yet.

Other choices are the Audi Q3 and the Polestar 2

[TorqueDog]

The interior center stack really seems to take cues from the Porsche Panamera, which I don't think is a bad thing. It is a lovely place to be in person in the DB12, and is a largely a copy-paste job here. The center stack configuration definitely seems to eliminate any possibility of a three-pedal manual box, as was assumed when the 2018-2024 model only featured the 7-speed manual for a model year or two, and in vanishingly low numbers.

Originally Posted by photon

I mostly like it but yeah not a fan of the rear. I mean I like the look of the narrow rear in itself, but on that car the narrow rear with the wide tires and stance don't really match with the front.

Might be one of those things that look different in real life vs. pictures.

The rear of the new one isn't a big difference over the previous model save for some extra scoop-y things, so if you didn't like that one in the flesh then you probably won't like it on this one either.

Spoiler!

[DoubleF]

You know how sometimes you're doing your own thing but then you can't help but suddenly turn your head and stare at a car...?

I just saw a car stopped at a light with alloys on the front and rusted steelies in the back.

[TorqueDog]

Originally Posted by DoubleF

You know how sometimes you're doing your own thing but then you can't help but suddenly turn your head and stare at a car...?

I just saw a car stopped at a light with alloys on the front and rusted steelies in the back.

"I only need winters on the drive wheels."

[Sliver]

Originally Posted by DoubleF

You know how sometimes you're doing your own thing but then you can't help but suddenly turn your head and stare at a car...?

I just saw a car stopped at a light with alloys on the front and rusted steelies in the back.

Askew license plate held on with only one bolt perchance? That's always the sign of a total disorganized crapbox-driving weirdo.

[DoubleF]

Originally Posted by TorqueDog

"I only need winters on the drive wheels."

I know the fronts said Blizzaks. I couldn't find the brand on the back tires before it started driving, but I did identify the word "Radial" making me believe it's not same tires front and back.

What happens to a vehicle if you have such a difference in weight for the front vs the back tires? Would it shake after you exceed a certain speed?

Originally Posted by Sliver

Askew license plate held on with only one bolt perchance? That's always the sign of a total disorganized crapbox-driving weirdo.

I don't recall seeing that. But the driver looked like a middle aged lady, furthering my disbelief.

[Sliver]

Originally Posted by DoubleF

I know the fronts said Blizzaks. I couldn't find the brand on the back tires before it started driving, but I did identify the word "Radial" making me believe it's not same tires front and back.

What happens to a vehicle if you have such a difference in weight for the front vs the back tires? Would it shake after you exceed a certain speed?

Dude, careful with this one. We've fought about this on CP before.

I drove a Celica GTS in university with all seasons on the back and Blizzaks on the front. It was awesome. You could fishtail like a RWD car and power out of them like the FWD it was. Mountain roads were awesome. Stopping is great. Pure fun, but does require some skill. No shaking or anything weird.

[DoubleF]

Originally Posted by Sliver

Dude, careful with this one. We've fought about this on CP before.

I drove a Celica GTS in university with all seasons on the back and Blizzaks on the front. It was awesome. You could fishtail like a RWD car and power out of them like the FWD it was. Mountain roads were awesome. Stopping is great. Pure fun, but does require some skill. No shaking or anything weird.

Yeah, but ignoring the tire part, didn't you have identical wheels on the front and back, just different tires? Don't they sometimes put weights on the wheel when they do a re-balancing or alignment or whatever?

The tire thing, whatever. I've seen it, no big deal. But I've never seen a combination of round steelies on a car and criss crossed shaped alloys on a car before. This isn't some weird *o*o wheel you be my valentine inside joke, right?