marcellogandini - Jalopnik

posts about #marcellogandini more →
Acura ZDX: Design, Deconstructed
How The Stile Bertone Mantide Got Angular Rear Wheelarches
The Perfect Family Cars are Made in Italy With V12s Up Front

Your version of Internet Explorer is not supported. Please upgrade to the most recent version in order to view comments.

Dsmvwl Admin Promote to frontpage Approve user Ban user ×

quayzar
08/20/09

In reply to Acura ZDX: Design, Deconstructed
Note to Honda:

WTF!? Why are you doing this to Acura. I want the Legends and the Integras back. Who on Earth asked for this and who wants designs of the current Acuras. These designs are actually looking worse with time. Between the bucktooth grill and the awkward re-shaping of the vehicle range I have to question the Acura design teams sanity.

Buying an Acura for it's looks over a similar Honda is like buying the Beatles White Album for Yoko Ono's contribution. I love my 1st gen Honda Fit but I avoid Acura's current design team like oil avoids water.
Reply

quayzar was starred quayzar was unstarred

evoCS-Hench-Minion to the stars
08/18/09

In reply to Acura ZDX: Design, Deconstructed
Why? Can someone please tell me why we can't just have a good looking wagon?

(Disclaimer: I know we're looking at a current Acura, so "good looking" may not apply. This is more of a general question.)
Reply

Dallifornia
08/18/09

@evoCS-Hench-Minion to the stars: CTS Sportwagon?
I think that the looks of a wagon are far more polarizing than any other class.
Reply

evoCS-Hench-Minion to the stars promoted this comment Dallifornia was starred Dallifornia was unstarred

evoCS-Hench-Minion to the stars
08/18/09

@Dallifornia: Yes, CTS Sportwagon. I should have formed my question in the plural.
Reply

cgarison
08/18/09

In reply to Acura ZDX: Design, Deconstructed
It still looks like the result of a Prius Humping an Aztek.
Reply

wrx-tyrannosaurusWrx promoted this comment cgarison was starred cgarison was unstarred

tempesjo
08/18/09

In reply to Acura ZDX: Design, Deconstructed

How unfortunate for the ZDX. It had about a 50/50 chance of turning out decent and a slight chance of being incredible, but unfortunately the dominant genes came from the wrong donors.
Reply

area_educator promoted this comment tempesjo was starred tempesjo was unstarred

Tossed Accord taco salad over Malibu face
08/18/09

@tempesjo:

Man that was a ZINGER...

But honestly..
Who wouldnt want to Z I N G either of them?!
Reply

evoCS-Hench-Minion to the stars promoted this comment

wrx-tyrannosaurusWrx
08/18/09

@tempesjo: +1! Fucking Billy Joel...
Reply

evoCS-Hench-Minion to the stars promoted this comment

evoCS-Hench-Minion to the stars
08/18/09

@tempesjo: Oh my. I've got nothing else to say after that excellent example,
Reply

evoCS-Hench-Minion to the stars promoted this comment

Schm, enjoying his first desert winter. .
08/18/09

In reply to Acura ZDX: Design, Deconstructed
While I agree with pretty much everything, it's hard to say that just because they put one door handle semi-hidden,vertically mounted, that they completely stole it from Alfa.
Reply

IronicalBalls
08/18/09

In reply to Acura ZDX: Design, Deconstructed
I didn't bother reading the article so I was forced to figure out for 10 minutes why the rear door would have "no door handles." Then I did the unamerican thing and read the article and found out.
Reply

layabout SAVE THE JALOP 9 ! promoted this comment IronicalBalls was starred IronicalBalls was unstarred

Al Navarro
08/18/09

@IronicalBalls:
[OMBUDSMAN'S NOTE: Since I have to read every comment, I often don't read the article (unless a comment references it directly). But you sir, should.]
Reply

Al Navarro was starred Al Navarro was unstarred

Number_Six
08/18/09

In reply to Acura ZDX: Design, Deconstructed

Acura sees the one on the left. I see the one on the right.
Reply

Al Navarro promoted this comment Number_Six was starred Number_Six was unstarred

FTGDWolverineEdition'09
08/18/09

@Number_Six: It's called the beer goggle effect. I am pretty sure the designers were pissed out of their minds when they came with the design.
Reply

Al Navarro promoted this comment

bygeorge
08/18/09

In reply to Acura ZDX: Design, Deconstructed
I hate it when the greenhouse and the door cut-lines do NOT harmonize...it is the one sin in the new Taurus re-design, in my opinion. I always hated the lil' black triangle behind the door of the last generation Camaro. The Jeep Compass has to be the worst though...
Reply

area_educator promoted this comment bygeorge was starred bygeorge was unstarred

Maymar
08/18/09

In reply to Acura ZDX: Design, Deconstructed
I almost feel embarrased to admit this, but I kind of like it. It's reasonably sleek, it's a hatchback, and it's the best integration of Acura's power plenum design so far. If only it were TSX-based and around 3200lbs, I'd actually be pretty excited.
Reply

Maymar was starred Maymar was unstarred

FTGDWolverineEdition'09
08/18/09

In reply to Acura ZDX: Design, Deconstructed

Also reminds me of the hybrid gang.
Reply

FTGDWolverineEdition'09
08/18/09

@CadillacCimarronOwnersClub: .
Reply

FTGDWolverineEdition'09
08/18/09

@CadillacCimarronOwnersClub: Of all the three I seem to prefer the volt design.
Reply

FTGDWolverineEdition'09
08/18/09

@CadillacCimarronOwnersClub:
Reply

UglyDuckCar
08/18/09

In reply to Acura ZDX: Design, Deconstructed
When I was a younger, more eager lad back in highschool I dreamed of being an automotive designer, who would one day either work for Pinafarina or have his very own design studio. But alas, such dreams were crushed when reality pointed out certain facts like salary wages or more importantly how "only 10% of car design students are hired." And that was before the economic crisis. However, the one thing I took from that is to understand and appreciate the beauty of design in all cars. I mean imagine how nice your car looked on concept before being beaten down with cost cuts, government regulations, and "design committees." I can only imagine how wonderful looking the Acura ZDX looked in concept form on paper. It probably looked awesome. But translated into reality something got lost. Going through the same dream destroying process, proportions became altered until it was made to be awkward.

That all said, I think this car is ugly overall, which is a shame, cause I see all the beauty it could have had. And hell, I'm a caliber owner after all.
Reply

Ben Wojdyla promoted this comment Edited by UglyDuckCar at 08/18/09 9:23 AM UglyDuckCar was starred UglyDuckCar was unstarred

NewbiusMaximus
08/18/09

@UglyDuckCar: Actually to be fair, the design made it mostly intact from the sketch books to production. It really DOES look like that in the designer's mind (a 25 year old lady... forgot her name).
Reply

FP - Funny how it seems quiet around here, eh? promoted this comment NewbiusMaximus was starred NewbiusMaximus was unstarred

MushyHeirloom
08/18/09

@NewbiusMaximus: Then how in God's name did she get hired? Equal representation of disabled individuals?
Reply

MushyHeirloom was starred MushyHeirloom was unstarred

layabout
08/18/09

In reply to Acura ZDX: Design, Deconstructed
"The 156, one of the greatest sports sedans ever made"

Hahahahaha,good one!
Reply

layabout was starred layabout was unstarred

scroggzilla raids again
08/18/09

@layabout SAVE THE JALOP 9 !: "The 156, one of the greatest-looking sports sedans ever made"

Fixed.

In the 156's defense, it did make a decent platform for touring car success. However, that probably had something to do with Mssrs. Tarquini and Giovanardi.
Reply

layabout
08/18/09

@SCROGGS!!!: Agreed, nice pic!
Reply

layabout was starred layabout was unstarred

Van Sarockin, rogue trebuchet
08/18/09

In reply to Acura ZDX: Design, Deconstructed
You might have been safer simply referencing the X6, and a CRX on steroids. I wonder if Acura can get some help in rehab, or whether they've permanently disrupted their endocrine system. They may even require a green balls transplant to restore their credibility and poise.
Reply

Ash78, tryptophanatic
08/18/09

In reply to Acura ZDX: Design, Deconstructed
Simple. Big butt, weird proportions, tries hard to pretend it's not overweight...just like my seedy ex-girlfriend. Acura: Everyone has a ZDX. Yes, CDX would have worked better, but it lacks the edginess inherent in using multiple instances of the last few letters of the alphabet. Marketing wins that battle.
Reply

FTGDWolverineEdition'09
08/18/09

@Ash78: Seedy ex-GFs are edgy.
Reply

Armand
05/07/09

In reply to How The Stile Bertone Mantide Got Angular Rear Wheelarches
I've been hanging around with a lot of Alfa enthusiasts lately, and looking at old Alfas is a good way to understand the whole Pininfarina/Bertone divide. Look at a Duetto (boat-tail) Alfa Spider, designed by Battista Pininfarina. It's all convex curves, except for the concave section halfway up the side-- cut off the windshield and it'd look a bit like a wheeled torpedo. Then look at a "step-nose" Giulia GTV, designed by Giorgetto Giugiaro, who might disagree with Peter's assertion that Gandini was the most influential designer at Bertone. It's curvaceous too, but it's much more muscular and aggressive. The two cars are both recognizably "Alfa-ish," but they're completely different from a stylistic perspective. This is awfully surprising, considering they're basically the same car under the skin. Luckily, we don't have to choose just one.
Reply

Armand was starred Armand was unstarred

Earlier discussions Other discussions Show all discussions Show featured discussions only Start a new discussion

#marcellogandini

Jalopnik

SUBSCRIBE TO Jalopnik

Acura ZDX: Design, Deconstructed

How The Stile Bertone Mantide Got Angular Rear Wheelarches

The Perfect Family Cars are Made in Italy With V12s Up Front

Login

Reset Password

Register

Submit Your Comment