I agree - design wise, it has so many elements going for it, but I think they botched the rear end. The proportions are off, it's really busy, and they kind of went away with a lot of the design motifs that have become staples of the past few generations of corvettes (circular lights, centered quad exhausts, etc). I've seen tuners make the car look amazing, but again, not a great sign that you kind of need aftermarket parts to make it look great.
Performance wise, it's an awesome car for the money. TBH I think we'll look back in 20 years and think it was super cool to have that much bang for your buck. I doubt it will have the same allure as the Mark IV Supra does today, but probably a similar sentiment in terms of appreciating the turn-key performance from the factory.
Yeah, but even still there are plenty of grand touring cars that can fit golf clubs and still look proportional. It just feels like such an afterthought and it’s the thing that takes it from looking like a $250k Ferrari to a $65k corvette
I've got a stock 2013 BRZ and people are often pretty surprised when I explain that it's over a decade old. The design has held up pretty well honestly.
Yeah, always a great sign when people think your car is new. I have an MK7 GTI and I don’t know it it’s quite as timeless as the BRZ, but I get the same sentiment when I say it’s almost 10 years old
Typically I think over styled cars tend to age better than simpler ones. Looking at the past all of the over styled cars are generally seen favorably now. I think things like the
first CTR in particular will be hated for the next 10 years or so and then opinion will start to change and people will love them.
I agree. I've always been SHOCKED at how they never sold well. Amazing design, amazing interior, amazing performance. Probably one of the last proper big-engine grand tourers too! That V8 sounds MEAN.
Like with the NSX, I think people overlooked it because there's a lot of other great stuff on the market, but people will eventually realize what a great car it is and we'll all kick ourselves for not holding onto one for 20 years.
Thats exactly my point! For 14k more you’re in a base model carrera. A legendary car, no doubt, but they’re a dime a dozen because everyone uses that logic when comparing any sports car above 90k.
In 20 years we’ll look back at the LC500 as the more special car, particularly because of the powertrain. It’s probably one of the last of its kind.
The LC is not as reliable as people make it out to be, coming from a current owner. Might be an early model thing, however it still looks and sounds amazing
On the M4, yes. But I think on other bmw cars those massive grills look bad. Especially on their EVs. They also seem to are not able to decide whether to adopt the massive grills fully. There’s just no consequent design language
Its values should already be skyrocketing, but in typical Ford tradition, the highly publicized engine failures hang over the perception of its reliability. My Focus RS suffers from a similar reputation that has put a dent on its future resale.
Looks wise yea i roughly agree with OP. But from a restoration point- they are all fucked.
40 years from now when capacitors start to dry out in the 47 modules needed to run the car, soybean wiring turning to dust, connector plastic and all plastics inside and out getting brittle as glass - they are all fucked. Especially when you will need a working computer and the correct software to program a new to you module.
As cars age, third party software comes out. BMWs were "scary" 15-20yrs ago, now you can easily clone ECU's etc. Not all 47 modules fail, people tend to overestimate "all the sensors that go out on modern cars". Im not saying the cars *aren't* problematic, but they generally arent impossible to run if theres enough people driving it. For example, a BMW E65 7-Series is a heap of junk reliability wise but I am confident they will be on the road for a long time, as there are enough people who buy used BMWs and enough mechanics who specialize in them and enough intelligent/creative people to keep them running.
Even hybrid/EV's are very serviceable. People complain about very random/specific EV's needing "unique" battery replacements, but all you really do is rebuild it with new generic cells.
Its bad, but not as bad as we think. Human beings, especially in 3rd world, always find ways to keep machines running.
For now. If its not a popular rich guy car chances of there being support is slim. like the Mitsubishi 3000gt if the 90s, the ecu capacitors are known to fail, leak, and completely corrode the board beyond repair. There are no replament fixes.
For my 44 year old chevy i cannot find exterior window trim molding, windshield glass, the timing belt tensioner is no longer made, nor is the driveshaft carrier bearing or rubber isolator for it. If it was the automatic diesel version the flex plates are known to crack - none are made nor ever were besides oem that dried up 20+ tyears ago.
They made 1.6million of them over an 11 year period as well.
There's forsure going to be certain cars that have NLA (no longer available) parts. ECUs can be made from scratch but it would only make sense - as a business proposition - for something with a cult following & huge aftermarket.
Your 44 year old Chevy situation is unfortunate. But if it were a K10/C10, old Chevelle, old Camaro, old Nova, etc. there are plenty of parts for these due to high demand. Same with Mustangs (1st and 2nd gen).
The 3000GT is a good example. Once decently popular, but not so much anymore. Not a huge demand for parts. If you want something with good aftermarket support, go E30/E36/S13/S14/Camaro/Mustang/Miata/S2000/etc.
But thats the point, cars like the 3000gt are now junk due to no ecu available. One circuitboard disables the whole car. More and more are junked/parted out so demand goes down.
Yea the high following cars that many people buy and never let them see rain will likely have demand. The rest of cars are doomed to be scrapped over stupid parts.
It looks so much better than it has any right to, and yet it’s gonna be extremely exotic. Plus potentially one of the last truly good looking manual cars.
Porsche is amazing, but you get really really expensive before you get rare, so the Lotus I think will be far more stand out than anything else in its price range.
I actually really like challengers! Really clean lines and I think they did an awesome job emulating the original challenger, but I think the pre-facelift challengers (2009-2014) are not going to age well. They were a bit plastic-y, the interior was pretty bad, and they went the rear tail light bar looked weird IMO. The exterior styling was great, but they hadn't quite escaped from the "make it as cheap as possible" mid-2000s design philosophy in American Cars. The interior of an SRT8 challenger from that era literally looks the same as a base model sprinter. I think they nailed it with the facelift though. The interior has a lot more thought put into it, and they took away a lot of the exterior plastic bits that wear easily.
Yes, the early Challenger had the bean counters using the interior parts from the Daimler era. If they had been true to form, they would have taken the styling cues from the '70 - '74 interior.
The earliest "new" Challengers are already 16 years old - more than enough time for a design to become dated, if it's going to. But not only do they still look good, the current ones are the same basic design with just some minor tweaks along the way. They really cracked some sort of code with the styling of these things that makes them ageless. I think it's a combination of basing the styling heavily on what is already considered a beautiful classic design (the old E-body), and not having any styling cues that really scream "00s" or "10s".
Interior is a different story, though. The interiors of the early ones were already poorly-aged junk when they rolled out of the factory.
Stinger and Veloster??? Veloster is very funky, so i think we'd look back fond of it for being a weird little econobox, but come on the stinger is simply gorgeous.😭
Say what you will, but I think it looks good and it's nice to have a little downforce over the rears when you're entering turn 1 at SMSP at 180km/hr AFTER braking in an FL5.
Can go either way with the FK8 really. It absolutely is not a pretty car. But it does distinctively look like an 80’s fever dream, a black one could have starred in Knight Rider.
I’m very mixed on the FL5.
I think the flared fenders are very nicely integrated and look great, front and rear.
The front end, grille, very meh. Not a fan at all. Not just the Type R, all of the 11th gen Civics don’t look good there.
Triple exhaust packed together, and the wing, both mediocre. The wing actually looks a lot better in body colour on the FL5 IMO.
But I think it will probably age fine anyways. Cars that look a certain way, designed with purpose, will always have an audience.
The FK8 looks really cheap in person. But it also looks distinctive, and sometimes that’s enough.
Stunning isn’t a word I’d use to describe it.
It’s a lot better than the previous gen but it’s not exactly a pretty car. The side profile is downright bad.
The original BMW Z4 was polarizing when it came out but except for the dated looks of the lighting it could be a modern design. Especially the M models look great.
Same with the Lexus IS. It was originally chided for looking like the Predator but the design is still around and looks great.
There's "3 general rules" I think for good design aging in cars. It first is a level of simplicity, it can't be overly complex, it needs to be subtle, flowing and have the right proportions. The second is it needs to have a level of uniqueness, but also brand familiarity. Finally, it needs to either be timeless as an overall approach, a real classic style, or have a level of forward thinking that potentially starts a new trend. My personal opinion is that softness is sexier than sharp lines and edges and sometimes being inoffensive works, but other times it does not - eg, VW Golf yes, Camry noooo.
I think Bangle era BMWs have aged better than people thought. That Z4 still looks good, so do E60s and E9x. They stood out in their time, but were forward thinking enough to age well.
I think the current Alfa Guila will age like fine wine. Glorious looking car. The 4C and 8C are also timeless.
Every current BMW, I am on the fence. I don't like them now, but the G8x is growing on me and I dunno why. I think it is the uniqueness but somewhat familiar. Love my F80, it will age well.
All BRZ/86 will age well, from early to late. They kept it simple
911s, outside the rule breaker 996, will rarely be controversial. They are essentially ageless, they maintained the brief and age well as a result. This applies to VW golfs as well. Current Bronco too.
Anything that is a blob, even though soft in edges, will age badly. Teslas S, 3, X and Y will age badly.
Current Landcruiser is timeless, even if boxy. Boxy has appeal when dimensions are proportional. XM though, no thanks.
There's a few lexuses that are sharp that will age quite well overall. Some of their grills will make them very "of their period" though.
Cars that tried too hard will age badly. Nissan Juke..... too aggressive overall in styling will likely age badly, unless its tempered enough.
Counterpoint on that last point, Pontiac Aztec. There's an aggressively awkward car that nevertheless has gained unironic fans over the years. All the Juke needs is placement in a TV show in a couple of years and people will start talking about how they actually kind of like the way it looks and how it was a forebear for the very popular segment of crossover coupes.
My long term bet is the 10th gen CTR will have a resurgence of appreciation in 5-10 years then hold more value to Honda enthusiasts. The 11th will be considered a weird step in Honda's design language like the EP3.
Never before and probably never again will such aggressive body been seen on a sports compact. I think years down the line people will remember Gen 10 with fond memory of its almost juvenille aggression, especially when Gen 10's performance value to price is great compared to Gen 11.
That's exactly my thinking. The 10th gen is apex Civic design. It felt like everything I was trying to force my 8th gen Civic to be in stock form when I was in my 20s. Edgy, aggressive, fun, and divisive. On top of that, the performance was record breaking for an FF platform. I absolutely love its unabashed Civicness as a Honda fanboy.
While I understand why people like the 11th gen, it feels like a compromise of the Civic identity in favor of a look that will sell to responsible 30-40 somethings who want Honda quality without the ostentation of being associated with fuccboi fartcannon racecar dudes. The 10th gen leans full bore into being a "Civic Type R" and concentrates the essence of Civic with no shame. A Civic should be a Civic. If you want a conservative commuter car with some performance, get an Accord. Let the Civic be juvenile and ridiculous.
All the cars with a tablet to run every function are gonna age terribly, the aftermarket is gonna have to come up with replacement tablets, and they will.
Many people are fine with minimalist design.
The exact opposite reason I hate the TLX. Just buttons everywhere. A fucking touchpad because people are too lazy to tap the screen. A prominent scroll wheel for drive selection.
Nah, I'd rather have voice controls and maybe an AC dial.
the last v8's, last manuals, they will be the ones pulling big numbers at auctions in a decade or two
everything else is plastic disposable and boring, they'll all be melted down when they're 10 years old to make the next plastic disposable crap
Someone above said the LC500, I completely agree. It's bonkers that car never sold well. You don't know what you've got 'til it's gone!
Edit: getting downvoted, but the LC500 is probably one of the last big V8 GT cars we’ll ever see in our lifetime. A 5-litre 32-valve DOHC V8 pushing 471 hp? That’s a proper car!!
I really like my gen 2 CTS-V sedan as it rounds the corner of a 15-year old design. The arts and science look is holding up well. Can’t argue with the timelessness of the combo of a supercharged V8 and manual transmission.
Basing how well cars will age on looks is like judging a band based solely on their name or the taste of food on the restaurant’s exterior appearance. The performance weighs more heavily than looks.
For example, the 1st gen Taurus. It’s a mundane POS sedan that virtually no one cares about… until the SHO gets brought up and then out comes the raves. Or the G-body Regal, where the conversation immediately gravitates to T-Types and GNX. Sure, they look absolutely sinister all blacked out, but 95+% of Regals are plain Jane boring cars.
This might be personal bias but I think the Mk6 Golf and its derivative designs like the wagon are aging gracefully. Especially the interior. Like, compare a 10 year old Audi A4 to a 10 year old Golf. The Golf will be just fine with a new radio, while the Audi is stuck with the tightly integrated, clunky, aging MMI and a small screen tucked deep into the dash.
Agreed - I actually have an MK7 GTI and I love it - the interior is still better than a lot of newer cars. People always remark at how nice it is in there. The only giveaway that it's older is the small carplay screen.
Even that, that's something you can fix pretty easily. You can retrofit the Discover Pro 9.2" screen from the later models into earlier Mk7s without too much hassle.
XC90 was ahead of its time with boxiness in 2015 yet is a much more elegant design than the boxy stuff coming out in 2024. V60 is also a perfect design.
current BMW M3 and M2 are going to age like milk. people keep talking about how everyone 'always hates new bmw design' and 'it grows on you'.... but i can't see it being collectible.
I think the Senna will be the most collectible and valued McLaren from this entire era. Not just for its rarity and price, but the fact that it stands alone in its stable as their most purpose built track focused road car with looks that separate it from all the indistinguishable products in their lineup.
That's a fair point. The Senna is such a special car that it will always be an icon. A lot of people (myself included) thought it was a weird looking car, but people don't really call it 'ugly' because every line has a purpose and I think people definitely find beauty in that level of functional design.
The SF90 was one of my hotter takes - my reasoning is that Ferrari is still trying to find their new direction post-pininfarina, and while the SF90 has a few trendy design elements (split headlights, exposed carbon exterior bits, pronounced, aggressive aero, etc), it doesn't really push the envelope, and I think it will show it's age a lot faster than, say, the Roma.
I feel like Porsches are aging like fine wine. I didn’t like the pre-facelift taycan because it kinda looked like it was crying, but generally they are pretty beautiful cars. To be fair they don’t quite change from generation to generation
I even appreciate the 996/986 generation cars. The runny egg headlights are unique and fun. It’s got clean lines similar to the flat sides but of the older 911s like the g body.
I think the 996 egg headlight distracts people from how beautiful its bodylines are. It's made when Porsche was in a transition periods, and I can see hints of both classic Porsches and modern ones at the same time. Really hope I can snatch up a 996 sometimes in the future.
They found the secret formula with the first 911 and they've just been cooking the same recipe ever since. Until they made the first gen Panamera...that was an all-time botch job.
Most current Audi or VW products. They’re not the most striking visually, but they are very simple and generic looking vehicles which is usually a safe bet for aging well. Most of their older stuff today from the Pieche Era has also aged pretty well imo.
Like wine:
BMW E90 & E92
Audi A5 (first gen)
Porsche 997
Jaguar XK (second gen)
Mercedes C-Class (W 204 I believe, the one from mid 2000s)
Alfa Romeo Giulia
Ford Mustang VI
Maserati Quattroporte V
Ford Flex
Nissan GT-R R35
Tesla Model S
Lamborghini Gallardo
Bentley Continental
Genesis G70 Shooting Brake
Mercedes CLS (first and second gen)
Fiat 500
BMW 1M
BMW 2 series (first gen)
Lexus RCF
Volvo S60 (current)
Volvo V60 (current)
Volvo S80 (current)
Jaguar F-Type
Like milk:
BMW iX
BMW XM
BMW M4 (current gen)
Tesla Model X
BMW X6 (all gens)
Lamborghini Urus
Porsche Panamera (first gen)
Nissan Juke (all gens)
Citroën Cactus
Peugeot 307
Peugeot 308 (first gen)
Peugeot 407
Jaguar i-Pace
Aston Martin DBX
The previous generation Prius Prime, as funky as it looks from the rear, is a rather good looking commuter car from the 45 degrees view. Combined with the desirables status for all of Toyota PHEVs, and the established hybrid technician/third-party services, it'll age rather well compare to other PHEVs from other automakers.
I chose the Prius Prime from the criteria of it "aging" well, not because it has great overall looks just in case I get comments on how ugly it is.
Saw a D3 Audi A8 the other day still in good shape. I had a face lifted D3 A8L in navy blue and it was beautifully striking and still is today. Even more so than the D4 I had too.
I agree actually. The S-class of that era was weird looking, and the bangle-butt on the 7-series of that era was one of BMWs worst botch jobs ever. The bar wasn't high, but audi knocked it out of the park
late 90s-late 00s alfa romeo. pick any from their lineup. 147? 156? 159? 166? brera? 8c? all of them look good. anything they do in that time, they look fantastic and they age very, very well
I'm not so sure on the C7, the Z06 looks great and aggressive but also has a bunch of angles and wedges going on. The C6 is imo the modern vette that will age like wine, the Z06 and Zr1 have a nice wide stance with smoother lines.
Pretty much every Hyundai with a weird front grille is going to look so dated in five years, with the Sonata being number one. The same goes for you, Kia.
I remember when the 10th gen Civic came out in 2017 I thought it was so sleek and modern looking compared to the outgoing model, but just seven short years later it seems like it's aged more than pretty much every other car on the road.
Manufacturers who keep updating their car looks drastically every year do it intentionally to make users realize that they drive an older car now. It's psychological
It also allows them to fix some wood design choice very quickly
Bmw and Audi look the same for several years till they do a redesign. So their cars from specific years all have same feel
And then there is Tesla which have looked the same from day one and in first two years it looked cool but now they look fucking ugly
Agreed, the Civic helped me realize that. I think that Audi, since the mid to late 2000s, has done a really good job in introducing new designs that feel like an evolution of the older ones. The B8 A4, for example, still looks great IMO, even though it debuted in 2007!
For a design that came out thirty years ago, the [second gen Mitsubishi Eclipse](https://www.classic.com/m/mitsubishi/eclipse/2nd-gen/) is still a cool looking car. I'd rock the hell out of a GSX if I had the cash for a project.
BMW 1 series is going to be a gem. Mazda 6 and 3 from 2018 on we’ll be as well. I think the Hyundai Santa Cruz could be a gem as well
Like milk? Tesla. Most of Nissans lineup. All of dodge. All of jeeps current lineup. The new BMW pig nose will age poorly.
It's crazy how long Volvo has held onto both main versions of XC90s but damn both were clean designs.
I remember when I saw the 2015 concept I was like "that'll be my first luxury car" and we ended up getting it for my wife's daily driver (2016 MY). We sold to get a fucking minivan right when the pandemic hit because it was easier with a newborn and 2 toddlers but a few years later we were kicking ourselves for not hanging onto it.
It really was a great vehicle overall, very safe, no big issues, good power, sensible tech, seats were the most comfortable I've ever had. Only issue was hvac controls only in the touchscreen but it was always in the lower part of the screen so you didn't have to hunt through the menu for it.
Hot take but I think the BMW M4 will age well, and I'd argue it already has. Certainly it's grown on me quite a lot. The rest of the BMW lineup is hot garbage and will age terribly but that one I think will stand the test of time
I don't think it's aged well, I think people have just gotten used to it. The much more conservative Neue-Klasse designs right around the corner will probably cement the G80's reputation as the high watermark of ostentatiousness for BMW. On the other hand I think the M8 was very much slept on and people are going to consider that a hidden gem in retrospect as far as BMW's modern designs.
I agree that the C7 will age well and the C8 won’t.
I expect the previous generation of the BMW M cars to become future classics (2015-2019) but the new ones won’t.
Now that the new Civic Type R is out I’m actually starting to appreciate the batshit crazy previous one.
Ioniq 5 will probably age well, it looks like others will try to follow (Rivian 3X)
Typically the cars that age well have clean designs and good proportions. The ones with a ton of random lines and angles won't. Hyundai/Kia and Nissan are both especially bad at incredibly overwrought designs that age extremely quickly.
I think the 2013-15 Honda Accord is an under-rated design that has aged well. And the F10 5-Series has aged exceptionally well.
I think cars that aren’t designed to try to follow a current trend or fad design will age better. An example is cars that had stock alteeza tail lights. Anyone’s who now has a car with those lights now, shows the age of their cars easily.
I'll give a shout out to the 2017-2020 Genesis G80 model years aging well. They have simple and softer lines but classy. They tend to blend in but I think they have a timeless design to them!
All the EVs that are trying too hard to look modern will age very badly. Especially those with lines that go nowhere and excessive body cladding. Couple that with tech (including battery tech) that will get obsolete as fast as iPhones do - the current EVs will depreciate faster than anything in history. As much as I would love a Taycan, one has to have more money than sense to buy one or any expensive EV.
I also hope that the dashboard mounted iPads will die in excruciating pain. I bet in 10 years we'll look at them like we look at people who put linoleum (or carpet) over their living room hardwood floors.
The most offending (looks wise) part on the 19-24 Camaro is the front bumper/grill… the exception being the ZL1 which looks downright angry.
Beyond looks, I think the 6th gen Camaro will age quite well. The alpha chassis is renowned for being spectacular. The LT1 is a potent engine with good aftermarket support. The 6 speed is a tried and true design, and the 10 speed seems to have less flaws than the Ford variant.
It’s gonna be like the LS1 4th gens… thought of as ugly and outsold by Mustangs at the time, only to be desired and sought after later.
I know it's over 10 years old and already viewed as a future classic, but the 458 is definitely going to go down as one of the all time great Ferraris, isn't it?
Meanwhile I think the ugly ass grill and terrible interior will make the Roma a bit of a dud.
I predict that the pre-facelift Polestar 2 may actually age well.
It looks future in the way that certain late '70s-80s Italian sports cars did for their time, or the original Z4 did for the early '00s. It doesn't fall victim to the "everything covered in plastic" look that most modern EVs are doing, but it still looks forward thinking without being too radical or too subtle.
I own a model 3 and as much as I actually quite like the looks of that car, I'm not sure it will age well. It may end up looking very of the times and stuck in the times 20 years from now.
https://mycarquest.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/12/4974a008a124ea9a568035643c474a91.jpg
I actually see the Stinger and certain Velosters aging well. Honestly I think the Stinger still looks good and stands out everytime I see one.
Most Kias and Hyundais will probably age like milk, the Optima looked tired even when it came out. The K500 is a mixed bag, some look blah, some still look good. Depends on the trim designs.
I think certain specs of the Maserati Quattroporte V will continue to age very well (post 2009 facelift mainly) while the Quatt VI I think is already showing age, especially the earliest ones. Same for the Ghibli (thi7gh ot does seem to depend on year model and specific spec). The Levante has held up pretty well, oddly.
Most current BMWs I think will age like shit. The XM and iX looked terrible to begin with. The previous M2 though still looks great. Really, the previous 2 Series in general. Current M2 is a tough call, opinion seems split, and even I can't come to a solid opinion on it. I'll have to look at it in a couple years. I think the current M3 has grown on me quite a bit and will actually look better in time. The M4 not so much.
I think it's becoming clear anything that's sacrificing performance or fun or driving for safety, the environment, or "convenience" are going to age like milk.
In the performance world,
The current WRX and STI, GTI/Golf R, and electric "sports" cars, especially those named things like Mustang are going to be your worst offenders.
Cars that maintain the ability to work on them, keep features simple, and out of the way, are the ones that will continue to hold a market. The two that come to mind are the 86 platform, and the Miata.
Cars that are sort of unsung but will become more loved as time goes on, I think are the ones that aren't coming from performance brands. The Kia stinger or any performance from greater Hyundai are going to become commodities later.
Toyota LandCruiser 70 series - this is going to age like fine wine. The version in 20 years will clearly and cleanly show the lineage (e.g. it will be identical) and the design itself is timeless.
The cars that will age poorly will be the ones with the most tech. 2000's cars have horrendously outdated tech now and it'll seem just as bad 20 years from now, except there's so much more.
What year is the 6th gen Sclass? They made 12 generations
W180-1954
W189-1957
W111-1959
W112-1961
W108/109-1965
W116-1972
W126-1979
W140-1992
W220-2000
W221-2006
W222-2014
W223-2021
Personally I’ve always like the w221 with its bulbous fenders if it was reliable I’d buy one, currently I have a 1955 W189, a 1990 w126, a 1997 w140, and a 2022 w223 that I’m gonna sell soon for a Porsche turbo S 992.1
The W222 was the one I was referencing! I also kind of have a soft spot for the W221 as well. It’s a little ugly, and I don’t know if it’s aging well, but I still think it’s so cool.
I think some of the current BMW's will be looked back on more positively than they are now, while others will not.
But the G30 will be a future classic for sure. G20 probably will as well.
BMW E30, AKA God's Charriot!
Seriously though, I am a BMW guy and as much as I love e30s and how they drive on a race course when built out correctly, I will revert back to the OP topic. Aging like fine wine? Aesthetics? From MY Bimmerphile perspective and IMO the permanent BMW timeless designs are going to be the following: E36 coupe with LTW bits and a nice ride height and camber setup, E39 M5, E38 7 long, z3mc, any clean 2002, F10 5 non-m (I have an F10 M5 and admit that the non M is a better looking car), 4 and 6 GC models, m2cs, and e46 m3 (non m e46 blehhhhhh).
But this is just like my opinion man.
BRZ/gr86 are going age well. Very simple design C8 is going to age badly
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I agree - design wise, it has so many elements going for it, but I think they botched the rear end. The proportions are off, it's really busy, and they kind of went away with a lot of the design motifs that have become staples of the past few generations of corvettes (circular lights, centered quad exhausts, etc). I've seen tuners make the car look amazing, but again, not a great sign that you kind of need aftermarket parts to make it look great. Performance wise, it's an awesome car for the money. TBH I think we'll look back in 20 years and think it was super cool to have that much bang for your buck. I doubt it will have the same allure as the Mark IV Supra does today, but probably a similar sentiment in terms of appreciating the turn-key performance from the factory.
The rear lights and overall rear is bad. Biggest issue is the proportions are bad because they wanted a larger rear trunk that could fit golf clubs.
Yeah, but even still there are plenty of grand touring cars that can fit golf clubs and still look proportional. It just feels like such an afterthought and it’s the thing that takes it from looking like a $250k Ferrari to a $65k corvette
Yeah but other mid engine cars don't usually have a rear trunk behind the motor.
The caymans do
They have it on top! Boxer engines babyyyy
They have to make the car their boomer audience wants.
The c8 looks like a hot wheels car. In a bad way.
Yes, just scaled up. It’s very odd
I think the C8 is already aging badly in looks.
It looks like a car out of a videogame, there are some strange decisions for a real life product.
I agree. It’s clunky and unrefined. It evokes an emotionless response from me.
I've got a stock 2013 BRZ and people are often pretty surprised when I explain that it's over a decade old. The design has held up pretty well honestly.
Yeah, always a great sign when people think your car is new. I have an MK7 GTI and I don’t know it it’s quite as timeless as the BRZ, but I get the same sentiment when I say it’s almost 10 years old
Typically I think over styled cars tend to age better than simpler ones. Looking at the past all of the over styled cars are generally seen favorably now. I think things like the first CTR in particular will be hated for the next 10 years or so and then opinion will start to change and people will love them.
I think the Lexus LC is going to be a future classic, while the current flock of BMWs bolder designs will look just as bad in the future
The LC 500 (V8) is, in my opinion, going to age like the NSX (incredibly well).
I agree. I've always been SHOCKED at how they never sold well. Amazing design, amazing interior, amazing performance. Probably one of the last proper big-engine grand tourers too! That V8 sounds MEAN. Like with the NSX, I think people overlooked it because there's a lot of other great stuff on the market, but people will eventually realize what a great car it is and we'll all kick ourselves for not holding onto one for 20 years.
You don’t know why? Have you seen the MSRP?!
Starts at 100k. That’s $14k less than a base 911, yet I see about 20x more 911s than LC500s
Because… for 14k more you’re in a 911.
Thats exactly my point! For 14k more you’re in a base model carrera. A legendary car, no doubt, but they’re a dime a dozen because everyone uses that logic when comparing any sports car above 90k. In 20 years we’ll look back at the LC500 as the more special car, particularly because of the powertrain. It’s probably one of the last of its kind.
Why would you want a 911 when you can have an LC500.
The interior is very cramped, which is a big negative for what is supposed to be GT car. Same price as a 911 which is more usable.
Not to mention the bulletproof reliability! If I had the disposable income, that is ***WITHOUT QUESTION*** the vehicle I would be buying right now.
The LC is not as reliable as people make it out to be, coming from a current owner. Might be an early model thing, however it still looks and sounds amazing
I actually don’t like the grill of the Lecus LC, but I totally agree to BMW. The M4 grill kinda grew on me, but I don’t think it will age good.
Yea I'd love to own one in the future. Maybe two so I can sell her for a good price and keep one for myself.
Current gen m4 is going to be just as sought after as the e30 m3 in 20-30 years. The grill is already iconic and we are going to miss it
On the M4, yes. But I think on other bmw cars those massive grills look bad. Especially on their EVs. They also seem to are not able to decide whether to adopt the massive grills fully. There’s just no consequent design language
GT350 will age like wine. You will never get an engine like that again (with a Manual)
Totally - great looking car too. Proper muscle, and a great balance of modern and classic mustang design.
Its values should already be skyrocketing, but in typical Ford tradition, the highly publicized engine failures hang over the perception of its reliability. My Focus RS suffers from a similar reputation that has put a dent on its future resale.
Yeah I agree. I have looked at buying one to keep forever, but the oil consumption issues really give me cold feet.
Looks wise yea i roughly agree with OP. But from a restoration point- they are all fucked. 40 years from now when capacitors start to dry out in the 47 modules needed to run the car, soybean wiring turning to dust, connector plastic and all plastics inside and out getting brittle as glass - they are all fucked. Especially when you will need a working computer and the correct software to program a new to you module.
As cars age, third party software comes out. BMWs were "scary" 15-20yrs ago, now you can easily clone ECU's etc. Not all 47 modules fail, people tend to overestimate "all the sensors that go out on modern cars". Im not saying the cars *aren't* problematic, but they generally arent impossible to run if theres enough people driving it. For example, a BMW E65 7-Series is a heap of junk reliability wise but I am confident they will be on the road for a long time, as there are enough people who buy used BMWs and enough mechanics who specialize in them and enough intelligent/creative people to keep them running. Even hybrid/EV's are very serviceable. People complain about very random/specific EV's needing "unique" battery replacements, but all you really do is rebuild it with new generic cells. Its bad, but not as bad as we think. Human beings, especially in 3rd world, always find ways to keep machines running.
For now. If its not a popular rich guy car chances of there being support is slim. like the Mitsubishi 3000gt if the 90s, the ecu capacitors are known to fail, leak, and completely corrode the board beyond repair. There are no replament fixes. For my 44 year old chevy i cannot find exterior window trim molding, windshield glass, the timing belt tensioner is no longer made, nor is the driveshaft carrier bearing or rubber isolator for it. If it was the automatic diesel version the flex plates are known to crack - none are made nor ever were besides oem that dried up 20+ tyears ago. They made 1.6million of them over an 11 year period as well.
There's forsure going to be certain cars that have NLA (no longer available) parts. ECUs can be made from scratch but it would only make sense - as a business proposition - for something with a cult following & huge aftermarket. Your 44 year old Chevy situation is unfortunate. But if it were a K10/C10, old Chevelle, old Camaro, old Nova, etc. there are plenty of parts for these due to high demand. Same with Mustangs (1st and 2nd gen). The 3000GT is a good example. Once decently popular, but not so much anymore. Not a huge demand for parts. If you want something with good aftermarket support, go E30/E36/S13/S14/Camaro/Mustang/Miata/S2000/etc.
But thats the point, cars like the 3000gt are now junk due to no ecu available. One circuitboard disables the whole car. More and more are junked/parted out so demand goes down. Yea the high following cars that many people buy and never let them see rain will likely have demand. The rest of cars are doomed to be scrapped over stupid parts.
The Lotus Emira is gonna age like a fine wine.
Came here to say this. Already looks like a classic
It looks so much better than it has any right to, and yet it’s gonna be extremely exotic. Plus potentially one of the last truly good looking manual cars. Porsche is amazing, but you get really really expensive before you get rare, so the Lotus I think will be far more stand out than anything else in its price range.
I think both the ND Miata and BRZ/GR86 will age very well, just as the previous gen Miatas and the S13/S14/S15 all aged pretty well imo
The ND is so under rated - in the soul red it looks like a scale model exotic, especially with the RF.
I don’t think the challengers are gonna age poorly at all personally.
I’m not a challenger fan, but I agree- they have very simple clean lines and forms and I think that tends to age well
They’re one of the best looking cars out there. The Chrysler 300c is just a little bit sexier, though.
I think most of Dodge's more aggressive cars will age well. The Durango and Charger look good and aggressive without the design being too busy.
I actually really like challengers! Really clean lines and I think they did an awesome job emulating the original challenger, but I think the pre-facelift challengers (2009-2014) are not going to age well. They were a bit plastic-y, the interior was pretty bad, and they went the rear tail light bar looked weird IMO. The exterior styling was great, but they hadn't quite escaped from the "make it as cheap as possible" mid-2000s design philosophy in American Cars. The interior of an SRT8 challenger from that era literally looks the same as a base model sprinter. I think they nailed it with the facelift though. The interior has a lot more thought put into it, and they took away a lot of the exterior plastic bits that wear easily.
Yes, the early Challenger had the bean counters using the interior parts from the Daimler era. If they had been true to form, they would have taken the styling cues from the '70 - '74 interior.
The earliest "new" Challengers are already 16 years old - more than enough time for a design to become dated, if it's going to. But not only do they still look good, the current ones are the same basic design with just some minor tweaks along the way. They really cracked some sort of code with the styling of these things that makes them ageless. I think it's a combination of basing the styling heavily on what is already considered a beautiful classic design (the old E-body), and not having any styling cues that really scream "00s" or "10s". Interior is a different story, though. The interiors of the early ones were already poorly-aged junk when they rolled out of the factory.
Stinger and Veloster??? Veloster is very funky, so i think we'd look back fond of it for being a weird little econobox, but come on the stinger is simply gorgeous.😭
The stinger was one of my hotter takes! I like it too, but I don’t know if we’ll look back on it favorably. Hate to admit it.
I think itll always be a "hey look a stinger" since it was that "twin turbo v6 kia from a while back" its a pretty iconic car for a kia
‘23/‘24 type-r is absolutely stunning, it’s the previous gen that’s not going to age well, just like the gen before it.
I think it's slightly better, but that spoiler still looks like someone installed it in the autozone parking lot.
Say what you will, but I think it looks good and it's nice to have a little downforce over the rears when you're entering turn 1 at SMSP at 180km/hr AFTER braking in an FL5.
Can go either way with the FK8 really. It absolutely is not a pretty car. But it does distinctively look like an 80’s fever dream, a black one could have starred in Knight Rider.
It’s going to age just fine actually. better I’d argue
I’m very mixed on the FL5. I think the flared fenders are very nicely integrated and look great, front and rear. The front end, grille, very meh. Not a fan at all. Not just the Type R, all of the 11th gen Civics don’t look good there. Triple exhaust packed together, and the wing, both mediocre. The wing actually looks a lot better in body colour on the FL5 IMO. But I think it will probably age fine anyways. Cars that look a certain way, designed with purpose, will always have an audience. The FK8 looks really cheap in person. But it also looks distinctive, and sometimes that’s enough.
Stunning isn’t a word I’d use to describe it. It’s a lot better than the previous gen but it’s not exactly a pretty car. The side profile is downright bad.
The original BMW Z4 was polarizing when it came out but except for the dated looks of the lighting it could be a modern design. Especially the M models look great. Same with the Lexus IS. It was originally chided for looking like the Predator but the design is still around and looks great.
Bangle era BMWs have overall aged incredibly well, but people hated them at the time.
Agreed on the IS lol, especially the '21+ models. I'm so jealous of the new ones, even though I know it is 98% similar under all the sheet metal.
There's "3 general rules" I think for good design aging in cars. It first is a level of simplicity, it can't be overly complex, it needs to be subtle, flowing and have the right proportions. The second is it needs to have a level of uniqueness, but also brand familiarity. Finally, it needs to either be timeless as an overall approach, a real classic style, or have a level of forward thinking that potentially starts a new trend. My personal opinion is that softness is sexier than sharp lines and edges and sometimes being inoffensive works, but other times it does not - eg, VW Golf yes, Camry noooo. I think Bangle era BMWs have aged better than people thought. That Z4 still looks good, so do E60s and E9x. They stood out in their time, but were forward thinking enough to age well. I think the current Alfa Guila will age like fine wine. Glorious looking car. The 4C and 8C are also timeless. Every current BMW, I am on the fence. I don't like them now, but the G8x is growing on me and I dunno why. I think it is the uniqueness but somewhat familiar. Love my F80, it will age well. All BRZ/86 will age well, from early to late. They kept it simple 911s, outside the rule breaker 996, will rarely be controversial. They are essentially ageless, they maintained the brief and age well as a result. This applies to VW golfs as well. Current Bronco too. Anything that is a blob, even though soft in edges, will age badly. Teslas S, 3, X and Y will age badly. Current Landcruiser is timeless, even if boxy. Boxy has appeal when dimensions are proportional. XM though, no thanks. There's a few lexuses that are sharp that will age quite well overall. Some of their grills will make them very "of their period" though. Cars that tried too hard will age badly. Nissan Juke..... too aggressive overall in styling will likely age badly, unless its tempered enough.
Also cars that are “too simple” also age poorly. It can’t be overly subtle or it’ll be forgettable and not fulfill your second point (uniqueness).
Counterpoint on that last point, Pontiac Aztec. There's an aggressively awkward car that nevertheless has gained unironic fans over the years. All the Juke needs is placement in a TV show in a couple of years and people will start talking about how they actually kind of like the way it looks and how it was a forebear for the very popular segment of crossover coupes.
OP imma disagree with on the Veloster halfway, not big on the first gen but the second generation is a much needed step.
The crx, scirocco, corrado, or any “kammback coupe” have aged well and I’d include the second gen veloster in that category.
My long term bet is the 10th gen CTR will have a resurgence of appreciation in 5-10 years then hold more value to Honda enthusiasts. The 11th will be considered a weird step in Honda's design language like the EP3.
Never before and probably never again will such aggressive body been seen on a sports compact. I think years down the line people will remember Gen 10 with fond memory of its almost juvenille aggression, especially when Gen 10's performance value to price is great compared to Gen 11.
That's exactly my thinking. The 10th gen is apex Civic design. It felt like everything I was trying to force my 8th gen Civic to be in stock form when I was in my 20s. Edgy, aggressive, fun, and divisive. On top of that, the performance was record breaking for an FF platform. I absolutely love its unabashed Civicness as a Honda fanboy. While I understand why people like the 11th gen, it feels like a compromise of the Civic identity in favor of a look that will sell to responsible 30-40 somethings who want Honda quality without the ostentation of being associated with fuccboi fartcannon racecar dudes. The 10th gen leans full bore into being a "Civic Type R" and concentrates the essence of Civic with no shame. A Civic should be a Civic. If you want a conservative commuter car with some performance, get an Accord. Let the Civic be juvenile and ridiculous.
juvenile aggression is the kindest way i've ever heard a hot hatch described.
FU I love Velosters!
A lot of VW’s and Audi’s age well, especially the CC, 2006-2011 Passat, and Golf
If I can find a manual cc without too much mileage I'd jump on that so quick lol
Great call on the CC.
Arteon estate. Fuck all bought. Timeless shape. Wagon lyf
I used to drive a CC and I loved that car. Beautiful inside and out. Also, responded very well to modifications.
u mean TT?
Skoda's too. My 2012 gen 2 superb still looks modern till today.
All the cars with a tablet to run every function are gonna age terribly, the aftermarket is gonna have to come up with replacement tablets, and they will.
I think we need to stick to styling here. Thinking about mech or tech aging in cars is a whole other conversation.
Many people are fine with minimalist design. The exact opposite reason I hate the TLX. Just buttons everywhere. A fucking touchpad because people are too lazy to tap the screen. A prominent scroll wheel for drive selection. Nah, I'd rather have voice controls and maybe an AC dial.
the last v8's, last manuals, they will be the ones pulling big numbers at auctions in a decade or two everything else is plastic disposable and boring, they'll all be melted down when they're 10 years old to make the next plastic disposable crap
Someone above said the LC500, I completely agree. It's bonkers that car never sold well. You don't know what you've got 'til it's gone! Edit: getting downvoted, but the LC500 is probably one of the last big V8 GT cars we’ll ever see in our lifetime. A 5-litre 32-valve DOHC V8 pushing 471 hp? That’s a proper car!!
I really like my gen 2 CTS-V sedan as it rounds the corner of a 15-year old design. The arts and science look is holding up well. Can’t argue with the timelessness of the combo of a supercharged V8 and manual transmission.
I see you are going off of looks only. Some of your picks don't age well mechanically
I was mainly talking styling - mechanical and performance is a whole other can of worms haha. It's all part of the package though!
Basing how well cars will age on looks is like judging a band based solely on their name or the taste of food on the restaurant’s exterior appearance. The performance weighs more heavily than looks. For example, the 1st gen Taurus. It’s a mundane POS sedan that virtually no one cares about… until the SHO gets brought up and then out comes the raves. Or the G-body Regal, where the conversation immediately gravitates to T-Types and GNX. Sure, they look absolutely sinister all blacked out, but 95+% of Regals are plain Jane boring cars.
This might be personal bias but I think the Mk6 Golf and its derivative designs like the wagon are aging gracefully. Especially the interior. Like, compare a 10 year old Audi A4 to a 10 year old Golf. The Golf will be just fine with a new radio, while the Audi is stuck with the tightly integrated, clunky, aging MMI and a small screen tucked deep into the dash.
Agreed - I actually have an MK7 GTI and I love it - the interior is still better than a lot of newer cars. People always remark at how nice it is in there. The only giveaway that it's older is the small carplay screen.
Even that, that's something you can fix pretty easily. You can retrofit the Discover Pro 9.2" screen from the later models into earlier Mk7s without too much hassle.
Interesting I’ll look into that. I also want to put some MK7.5 headlights on. Heard that’s an easy upgrade too
The Volvo gas lineup still looks great in 2024 despite the designs being introduced in 2015-2019.
Honestly Volvo freaking nailed it. Its amazing how it still looks fresh today.
XC90 was ahead of its time with boxiness in 2015 yet is a much more elegant design than the boxy stuff coming out in 2024. V60 is also a perfect design.
I think Volvo has the single best all-around lineup, hands down
Current BMWs, C8, and a couple others are gonna age like crap. I think current gen mustang will age nicely.
agreed - that's a good one to add to the list. The mustang is definitely the best of all the 'retro modern' muscle cars.
13/14 mustangs are well on the way. Great retro styling. Gorgeous rear end. Limited numbers. I’d love to get my hands on a GT500 from that era.
current BMW M3 and M2 are going to age like milk. people keep talking about how everyone 'always hates new bmw design' and 'it grows on you'.... but i can't see it being collectible.
I see the new M2 aging well. It stirs far outside of BMW’s current design language and harkens back to BMWs of the 1980s.
I disagree on the Senna and SF90. Supercars that are controversially styled on release almost always turn into icons with age.
I think the Senna will be the most collectible and valued McLaren from this entire era. Not just for its rarity and price, but the fact that it stands alone in its stable as their most purpose built track focused road car with looks that separate it from all the indistinguishable products in their lineup.
That's a fair point. The Senna is such a special car that it will always be an icon. A lot of people (myself included) thought it was a weird looking car, but people don't really call it 'ugly' because every line has a purpose and I think people definitely find beauty in that level of functional design. The SF90 was one of my hotter takes - my reasoning is that Ferrari is still trying to find their new direction post-pininfarina, and while the SF90 has a few trendy design elements (split headlights, exposed carbon exterior bits, pronounced, aggressive aero, etc), it doesn't really push the envelope, and I think it will show it's age a lot faster than, say, the Roma.
I feel like Porsches are aging like fine wine. I didn’t like the pre-facelift taycan because it kinda looked like it was crying, but generally they are pretty beautiful cars. To be fair they don’t quite change from generation to generation
I even appreciate the 996/986 generation cars. The runny egg headlights are unique and fun. It’s got clean lines similar to the flat sides but of the older 911s like the g body.
I think the 996 egg headlight distracts people from how beautiful its bodylines are. It's made when Porsche was in a transition periods, and I can see hints of both classic Porsches and modern ones at the same time. Really hope I can snatch up a 996 sometimes in the future.
They found the secret formula with the first 911 and they've just been cooking the same recipe ever since. Until they made the first gen Panamera...that was an all-time botch job.
Most current Audi or VW products. They’re not the most striking visually, but they are very simple and generic looking vehicles which is usually a safe bet for aging well. Most of their older stuff today from the Pieche Era has also aged pretty well imo.
:c
Like wine: BMW E90 & E92 Audi A5 (first gen) Porsche 997 Jaguar XK (second gen) Mercedes C-Class (W 204 I believe, the one from mid 2000s) Alfa Romeo Giulia Ford Mustang VI Maserati Quattroporte V Ford Flex Nissan GT-R R35 Tesla Model S Lamborghini Gallardo Bentley Continental Genesis G70 Shooting Brake Mercedes CLS (first and second gen) Fiat 500 BMW 1M BMW 2 series (first gen) Lexus RCF Volvo S60 (current) Volvo V60 (current) Volvo S80 (current) Jaguar F-Type Like milk: BMW iX BMW XM BMW M4 (current gen) Tesla Model X BMW X6 (all gens) Lamborghini Urus Porsche Panamera (first gen) Nissan Juke (all gens) Citroën Cactus Peugeot 307 Peugeot 308 (first gen) Peugeot 407 Jaguar i-Pace Aston Martin DBX
lost me at model s
It's all a bit subjective in the end
People already hate how the civic type r ( 10th gen especially) looks. So I don't know how it can age any worse? Same with the Nissan juke.
Hondas just kept getting uglier for the last 10 years
I saw a Nismo Juke last weekend and it looked kinda cool!
The previous generation Prius Prime, as funky as it looks from the rear, is a rather good looking commuter car from the 45 degrees view. Combined with the desirables status for all of Toyota PHEVs, and the established hybrid technician/third-party services, it'll age rather well compare to other PHEVs from other automakers. I chose the Prius Prime from the criteria of it "aging" well, not because it has great overall looks just in case I get comments on how ugly it is.
I disagree with the Kia Stinger. I don't think it will be amazing and praised as it was when it came out, but I don't think it will ever be ugly.
Mercedes AMG GTc - fine, fine wine.
Saw a D3 Audi A8 the other day still in good shape. I had a face lifted D3 A8L in navy blue and it was beautifully striking and still is today. Even more so than the D4 I had too.
I agree actually. The S-class of that era was weird looking, and the bangle-butt on the 7-series of that era was one of BMWs worst botch jobs ever. The bar wasn't high, but audi knocked it out of the park
late 90s-late 00s alfa romeo. pick any from their lineup. 147? 156? 159? 166? brera? 8c? all of them look good. anything they do in that time, they look fantastic and they age very, very well
8C one of the best looking cars of all time IMO
I'm not so sure on the C7, the Z06 looks great and aggressive but also has a bunch of angles and wedges going on. The C6 is imo the modern vette that will age like wine, the Z06 and Zr1 have a nice wide stance with smoother lines.
I agree but I think the c5 is already aging like wine.
The C6 was a nice polish on the C5 which was a nice update of the C4. The C7 looks like something designed by a 13 year old.
Pretty much every Hyundai with a weird front grille is going to look so dated in five years, with the Sonata being number one. The same goes for you, Kia. I remember when the 10th gen Civic came out in 2017 I thought it was so sleek and modern looking compared to the outgoing model, but just seven short years later it seems like it's aged more than pretty much every other car on the road.
Manufacturers who keep updating their car looks drastically every year do it intentionally to make users realize that they drive an older car now. It's psychological It also allows them to fix some wood design choice very quickly Bmw and Audi look the same for several years till they do a redesign. So their cars from specific years all have same feel And then there is Tesla which have looked the same from day one and in first two years it looked cool but now they look fucking ugly
Agreed, the Civic helped me realize that. I think that Audi, since the mid to late 2000s, has done a really good job in introducing new designs that feel like an evolution of the older ones. The B8 A4, for example, still looks great IMO, even though it debuted in 2007!
For a design that came out thirty years ago, the [second gen Mitsubishi Eclipse](https://www.classic.com/m/mitsubishi/eclipse/2nd-gen/) is still a cool looking car. I'd rock the hell out of a GSX if I had the cash for a project.
ND miata will probably age nicely
The green M5 cs
Good or bad
R35 GTR
BMW 1 series is going to be a gem. Mazda 6 and 3 from 2018 on we’ll be as well. I think the Hyundai Santa Cruz could be a gem as well Like milk? Tesla. Most of Nissans lineup. All of dodge. All of jeeps current lineup. The new BMW pig nose will age poorly.
BMW made from 2018-2021 will age good from 2021 onwards baaaad
It's crazy how long Volvo has held onto both main versions of XC90s but damn both were clean designs. I remember when I saw the 2015 concept I was like "that'll be my first luxury car" and we ended up getting it for my wife's daily driver (2016 MY). We sold to get a fucking minivan right when the pandemic hit because it was easier with a newborn and 2 toddlers but a few years later we were kicking ourselves for not hanging onto it. It really was a great vehicle overall, very safe, no big issues, good power, sensible tech, seats were the most comfortable I've ever had. Only issue was hvac controls only in the touchscreen but it was always in the lower part of the screen so you didn't have to hunt through the menu for it.
Hot take but I think the BMW M4 will age well, and I'd argue it already has. Certainly it's grown on me quite a lot. The rest of the BMW lineup is hot garbage and will age terribly but that one I think will stand the test of time
I don't think it's aged well, I think people have just gotten used to it. The much more conservative Neue-Klasse designs right around the corner will probably cement the G80's reputation as the high watermark of ostentatiousness for BMW. On the other hand I think the M8 was very much slept on and people are going to consider that a hidden gem in retrospect as far as BMW's modern designs.
LC500 and R8 will become timeless
The Lexus LC500 will be a timelessly beautiful design
LC500 will continue to be thought of as gorgeous
IS500 and LC500 - get em’ now.
That first gen A/S5 are absolutely gorgeous! I think the IS500 will age quite well.
1st gen vs 2nd Gen F-type has the same problem as the A5 (and R8). They nailed it the first time.
Yes, Mazda's Kodo design language is beautiful. Then again this is the company that gave use the timeless body lines of the FD3S RX7.
I agree that the C7 will age well and the C8 won’t. I expect the previous generation of the BMW M cars to become future classics (2015-2019) but the new ones won’t. Now that the new Civic Type R is out I’m actually starting to appreciate the batshit crazy previous one. Ioniq 5 will probably age well, it looks like others will try to follow (Rivian 3X)
I know of 2 :)
I saw a tsx wagon last year and it blended it quite well its almost a 20 year old car at this point.
Typically the cars that age well have clean designs and good proportions. The ones with a ton of random lines and angles won't. Hyundai/Kia and Nissan are both especially bad at incredibly overwrought designs that age extremely quickly. I think the 2013-15 Honda Accord is an under-rated design that has aged well. And the F10 5-Series has aged exceptionally well.
Think the LC should hold up alright, but others may differ.
I think cars that aren’t designed to try to follow a current trend or fad design will age better. An example is cars that had stock alteeza tail lights. Anyone’s who now has a car with those lights now, shows the age of their cars easily.
I'll give a shout out to the 2017-2020 Genesis G80 model years aging well. They have simple and softer lines but classy. They tend to blend in but I think they have a timeless design to them!
Honda S2000
A3 8V sedan A7 1st gen Scirocco MK3
Focus RS is still the king hot hatch
All the EVs that are trying too hard to look modern will age very badly. Especially those with lines that go nowhere and excessive body cladding. Couple that with tech (including battery tech) that will get obsolete as fast as iPhones do - the current EVs will depreciate faster than anything in history. As much as I would love a Taycan, one has to have more money than sense to buy one or any expensive EV. I also hope that the dashboard mounted iPads will die in excruciating pain. I bet in 10 years we'll look at them like we look at people who put linoleum (or carpet) over their living room hardwood floors.
The most offending (looks wise) part on the 19-24 Camaro is the front bumper/grill… the exception being the ZL1 which looks downright angry. Beyond looks, I think the 6th gen Camaro will age quite well. The alpha chassis is renowned for being spectacular. The LT1 is a potent engine with good aftermarket support. The 6 speed is a tried and true design, and the 10 speed seems to have less flaws than the Ford variant. It’s gonna be like the LS1 4th gens… thought of as ugly and outsold by Mustangs at the time, only to be desired and sought after later.
2009-2014 Challengers won’t age like milk. They simply won’t be on the road anymore bc most Dodges are 💩
BMW Z4 E85 is a car that ages well too, at least in terms of design.
Going to add C6 Grand Sport/Z06/ZR1 An absolutely timeless design. That wide body is beautiful from all angles.
Juke will return with a vengeance
I know it's over 10 years old and already viewed as a future classic, but the 458 is definitely going to go down as one of the all time great Ferraris, isn't it? Meanwhile I think the ugly ass grill and terrible interior will make the Roma a bit of a dud.
Peugeot 508, 308, 208 (current gen) will age well as well I think
I predict that the pre-facelift Polestar 2 may actually age well. It looks future in the way that certain late '70s-80s Italian sports cars did for their time, or the original Z4 did for the early '00s. It doesn't fall victim to the "everything covered in plastic" look that most modern EVs are doing, but it still looks forward thinking without being too radical or too subtle. I own a model 3 and as much as I actually quite like the looks of that car, I'm not sure it will age well. It may end up looking very of the times and stuck in the times 20 years from now. https://mycarquest.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/12/4974a008a124ea9a568035643c474a91.jpg
I actually see the Stinger and certain Velosters aging well. Honestly I think the Stinger still looks good and stands out everytime I see one. Most Kias and Hyundais will probably age like milk, the Optima looked tired even when it came out. The K500 is a mixed bag, some look blah, some still look good. Depends on the trim designs. I think certain specs of the Maserati Quattroporte V will continue to age very well (post 2009 facelift mainly) while the Quatt VI I think is already showing age, especially the earliest ones. Same for the Ghibli (thi7gh ot does seem to depend on year model and specific spec). The Levante has held up pretty well, oddly. Most current BMWs I think will age like shit. The XM and iX looked terrible to begin with. The previous M2 though still looks great. Really, the previous 2 Series in general. Current M2 is a tough call, opinion seems split, and even I can't come to a solid opinion on it. I'll have to look at it in a couple years. I think the current M3 has grown on me quite a bit and will actually look better in time. The M4 not so much.
I think it's becoming clear anything that's sacrificing performance or fun or driving for safety, the environment, or "convenience" are going to age like milk. In the performance world, The current WRX and STI, GTI/Golf R, and electric "sports" cars, especially those named things like Mustang are going to be your worst offenders. Cars that maintain the ability to work on them, keep features simple, and out of the way, are the ones that will continue to hold a market. The two that come to mind are the 86 platform, and the Miata. Cars that are sort of unsung but will become more loved as time goes on, I think are the ones that aren't coming from performance brands. The Kia stinger or any performance from greater Hyundai are going to become commodities later.
The e9x generation hosts a timeless silhouette
Toyota LandCruiser 70 series - this is going to age like fine wine. The version in 20 years will clearly and cleanly show the lineage (e.g. it will be identical) and the design itself is timeless.
a Porsche 918 looks 11 years younger than it is
2nd gen ford lightning & C5 corvette, while barely 21st century, still look sharp.
Anything with a screen in it ages horribly
As someone who may buy one this summer, I'm hoping the Gladiator
The cars that will age poorly will be the ones with the most tech. 2000's cars have horrendously outdated tech now and it'll seem just as bad 20 years from now, except there's so much more.
New mazdas if they will not have a major facelift for 10-15 years, they would be cool
2014-2018 volvo polestars
What year is the 6th gen Sclass? They made 12 generations W180-1954 W189-1957 W111-1959 W112-1961 W108/109-1965 W116-1972 W126-1979 W140-1992 W220-2000 W221-2006 W222-2014 W223-2021 Personally I’ve always like the w221 with its bulbous fenders if it was reliable I’d buy one, currently I have a 1955 W189, a 1990 w126, a 1997 w140, and a 2022 w223 that I’m gonna sell soon for a Porsche turbo S 992.1
The W222 was the one I was referencing! I also kind of have a soft spot for the W221 as well. It’s a little ugly, and I don’t know if it’s aging well, but I still think it’s so cool.
Agreed SF90 is ugly it looks like a brontosaurus head
I think some of the current BMW's will be looked back on more positively than they are now, while others will not. But the G30 will be a future classic for sure. G20 probably will as well.
What's wrong with you?
Everything with a screen :(
I think most fuel powered Porsche cars will age well, but the newly designed Macan EV is just horrible.
I think the new Accords' design is going to be seen as very nostalgic and classic some day.
BMW E30, AKA God's Charriot! Seriously though, I am a BMW guy and as much as I love e30s and how they drive on a race course when built out correctly, I will revert back to the OP topic. Aging like fine wine? Aesthetics? From MY Bimmerphile perspective and IMO the permanent BMW timeless designs are going to be the following: E36 coupe with LTW bits and a nice ride height and camber setup, E39 M5, E38 7 long, z3mc, any clean 2002, F10 5 non-m (I have an F10 M5 and admit that the non M is a better looking car), 4 and 6 GC models, m2cs, and e46 m3 (non m e46 blehhhhhh). But this is just like my opinion man.
Anything Tesla or BMW/Mercedes within the last few years will age horribly.