​Aesthetics seem to be the layman’s understanding of the motor industry. Install the most impressive and latest technologies in a vehicle and you will impress a seasoned connoisseur. But the average consumer will appreciate only the visible craftsmanship and reliability. Understand that with the state of present technology, to build an unreliable car is embarrassing. Thus, appearance remains. Buyers demand a certain type of craftsmanship and art in the car they seek. Boring or safe designs will no longer do. Advancements in mass production allow companies to produce exotic looking vehicles without too much extra concern for cost. Why, then, do car manufacturers continue to make unattractive cars?

​First of all, for a car to seem exotic, there must be a normal. If Ferrari is to succeed in becoming a unique build, there must be a Honda Accord to compare to. If all production cars looked like doppelgangers of the beautiful 458 Italia, Ferrari would have no business asking for $200,000 for a vehicle. Exclusivity is incredibly important when making an expensive car, especially in house. Take the new, obsequious Dodge Dart, for instance. If it did not appear so bland, then the Dodge Viper would carry far less significance. If the Dodge Dart were as attractive, it would be as though Angelina Jolie had a twin sister. Sure, the world would be better off, but Angelina would wind up with far fewer roles. However, exclusivity is not the only factor to take into consideration. Sometimes, poor judgment simply overwhelms technological capability.
​Take the Ford Escape, for instance. It looks as though the designer took a snapshot of an explosion, cut it in half, and made it symmetrical. It does sound exciting, but, in practice, it is a confusing, disappointing mass of shiny plastic. The front end is gaping, the sides do not give a clear sense of direction, and the rear end expands like a bloated carcass. The Porsche Panamera and Hyundai Veloster suffer the same pitfalls. Some developers take too much liberty with the powers of radical design and forget that there is such a thing as too many lines. Unfortunately, sometimes the opposite affliction takes hold.
​The Dodge Challenger is an excellent example of combating progress. The muscle cars of the sixties and seventies were indeed glorious, but they were of the sixties and seventies. The old Mustang was simple and brutal because that was the only design possible with sheet metal. Now, most cars are made with plastic, and morons can bend plastic in their basements with hairdryers. It is an incredibly pliable material; yet, the American car companies continue to produce dinosaurs for the sake of nostalgia. The new Corvette Stingray is a fantastic step in the right direction for GM; hopefully they can bring the Camaro up to date as well. My advice to classic car fanatics: buy a classic car. The Charger may appeal to your old school sentimentalities, but stop looking for a modern production of old classics. Satisfy yourselves with the genuine article.