Let's Talk About Angry Cars

This week, a special look into the trend of angry-looking cars. Why did this become standard? Why are these designs so popular? And why do they inspire such strong reactions, both positive and negative?
Left Lane Bandit Rant: • Roman's Rant on Left L...
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• Video

[@CapnGoof]

"My car looks angry to better display my dissatisfaction with how my life actually turned out."

[@73twall]

Nothing says that more than the Buick Verano's scowling tail lights.

[@docilehostile]

CapnGoof best comment and 69th like

[@KhushbuMel]

@@docilehostile Now flipped to 96 likes!

[@MrJPHinkle]

😂🤣😔

[@ToastLove]

best comment

[@claudiobizama5603]

Car design timeline 60's Winga Dinga 70's: Malaise 80's: SQUARE 90's Bubble 2000's: Round 2010's: EDGE ANGERY

[@angelgjr1999]

I think 90s cars looked the best.

[@wh0reb0t]

I'll take Bubble & Square please.

[@angelgjr1999]

Oldsmobile69 Let’s hope the new decade brings new interesting designs. I’m tired of seeing all these angry Japanese cars. Most of which don’t even make more than 200 hp.

[@seagullsoars]

50’s was winga dinga

[@goldenhide]

Indeed the 50s was Winga Dinga. But the 60s hallmark was Winga Dinga that might actually go fast. Hell half the decade was just a continuation of design from the 50s.

[@okeman7614]

ANGRY HEADLIGHTS with fake exhaust pipes

[@thomas316]

Fake vents and engine noises played through a cabin speaker.

[@EinachserLS]

Nothing gets my goat like all the fake diffusors on modern cars.

[@lawnmowerdude]

Fake exhaust pipes don’t get dirty.

[@lsswappedcessna]

@@thomas316 BMW i8 be like

[@christopherderrick3745]

HAHA! I drive a Fiat 500 Abarth! Round headlights and real exhaust pipes!

[@sammaxgoof8507]

Pop up headlights are the ultimate in breaking that agressive bs

[@goldenhide]

POP UP UP-AND-DOWN HEADLIIIIIGHTS!

[@OllamhDrab]

They're unfortunately illegal (for them to make new cars with) now, cause they don't fit with pedestrian safety standards, and, well, why take the aero penalty at night when you can have these big plastic lights to keep polishing? :)

[@Poorgeniu5]

By today's standard, it wouldn't comply with pedestrian safety regulation (Unless it's some limited production super car) but every time I hear/see a plead for pop up headlights I immediately thought about the winking headlights on the BMW GINA. But lets admit, the car looks like a vagina opening up at certain angles.

[@MacTechG4]

The latest Doug DeMuro review of the Vector W8 solved that issue, the W8 has “pop-down” lights, or as I would call them, “trapdoor” lights, they have a cover hinged in front of the headlight that drops down to expose the headlights

[@Cre8Lounge]

@@goldenhideREREREEMIXX! ROLL OUT UP AND DOWN HEADLIGHTS!

[@Christian---]

Car makers must bleed their brains out when they see a guy enjoying an NA Miata.

[@Miata_On_The_Homestead]

I'll do you one better. My garage consist of a NA8 miata, a 2012 Mazda3, and a 2012 Mazda2 (partners car). All of these cars are smiley little demons.

[@glibglab1751]

You would rather have a lamborghini

[@Christian---]

@@Miata_On_The_Homestead "THIS SHOULD NOT EVEN BE POSSIBLE, WHAT THE FUCK IS WRONG WITH YOU"

[@Miata_On_The_Homestead]

@@Christian--- mazda3: the person at work who loves their job and is a genuienly nice person to talk to. Mazda2: little kid excited to go to the toy store, see santa, or jump in a mud puddle NA miata: shy but genuienly happy to go on a date and walk in the park (with senpai) ND miata: snickering because they put whipped cream in their sleeping friends hand and is going to tickle their face. current mustang/trucks/ect.: Can i speak to your manager reeeeee!

[@TendieAssassin]

@@glibglab1751 nope

[@sgtpepper6379]

I'm more pissed that crossovers and SUVs are the norm now. They're all fugly.

[@theFORZA66]

At least it makes it easy to identify the lames

[@skuzzyj]

Blame shitty roads and massively improved fuel economy.

[@reginalwilcox90]

Kill the crossovers save the real big boy family cars

[@Cre8Lounge]

Those are the cars America drove in the 30's. Same size

[@cameronnorton5898]

Sorry some of us have families and shit to haul around. Sorry my selection of vehicle isn't tailored to your taste. It's almost as if people buy vehicles for reasons other than aesthetics.

[@Yeroc357]

I love when people try to make their wrangler look angry. It’s like a chihuahua trying to look tough

[@OllamhDrab]

Though that's why it's one of those things that's cute, I guess till *everyone* does it. :)

[@yjwrangler7819]

I dont like the angry look, but dont pretend if you're not scared to scratch your jeep up, they dont hang with the best of them. To equate them to the chihuahua of the 4x4 world is just silly.

[@Greasyspleen]

I wonder if you can put the headlight covers on opposite sides so it just looks sorta dopey and cute

[@calvinjohnson2382]

Like the angry, tough looking pick up Utes when I blow them away and their in my rear view mirror

[@spike.strat1318]

Hysteria357 Much like truck nuts and lambo-door mods, the first time i saw it I smiled and thought funny or wow neat. the thousandth time, ok, this isn’t amusing any more.

[@sarmatiancougar7556]

Why do people even associate angriness with being cool? It’s not. Remember the New Edge Mustang or the R34 Skyline. Both looked super tough without being overly angry. Tough guys don’t need to look angry.

[@charlieraffaniello4867]

I believe you may have found an important distiction. They need to find a way to make modern cars look tough without "angry".... for example, the Squarebody Chevy and K5 blazer doesn't have angry eyes, but it asserts itself on the road. Its a good looking, tough looking truck without slap on angry eyes. Its just the vibe it gives off... same can be said for first gen S10's, that era of F150, and even Nissan Hardbody's.

[@86twin]

GamesGoodBeeBad that is the most accurate description of a late 4th gen Camaro I have ever heard.

[@KomboAndy]

R34 is a boxi boi.

[@angelgjr1999]

YES! Thank you. I love the looks my my new edge mustang. It looked like it wanted to have fun and get in trouble, with a hint of a smile. Look at the new mustang, looks angry. I don’t like it. I want a car that puts a smile on my face, not a car that makes me feel angry or badass.

[@HanSolo__]

Show me a person that will call Mustang 2005-2010 an aggressive one. It's ridiculous.

[@LazerLord10]

It almost looks like the only options nowadays are aggressive or bulbous bubbly things (I'm looking at you, nissan leaf).

[@alexanderboulton2123]

Nissan Leaf or Fiat Multipla...who would win??

[@VectraQS]

The most irritating part of this trend for me has been the doing away of the actual bumper. Now we just have grilles.

[@pervertedspeed164]

so true. 10 yrs ago, we had fake bumpers with no substance, now they've just given up and done hood to road grills. It's vulgar. And to think, 30 yrs ago, there were cars that had shock absorbers that the STEEL bumper mounted to. 15 mph impacts caused NO damage to the car.

[@jordantomblin2302]

I honestly agree. New Nissans are the worst offender of this

[@hamsterama]

I have a co-worker who, while driving his Buick SUV (which doesn't have an oversized grille) on the freeway, a rock went through the grille a punched a hole in the radiator. He got the engine overheating light, pulled over, and had to call for a tow truck. Knowing that, owning a car with a big, oversized grille would make me nervous. A big grille just gives more space for a rock to smash into your radiator.

[@VectraQS]

@@hamsterama Wow. What are the odds of that? I personally drive a car that literally has no grille -- a 1992 Ford Taurus wagon.

[@hamsterama]

@@VectraQS When I was a little kid, my friend's parents had an early 90's Taurus wagon. I really liked the look of it. Anyway, my coworker should maybe start playing the lottery, because the rock went through a small opening in the grille, and hit it at exactly the wrong spot at the wrong angle. I saw the SUV after it was repaired, and I'm just amazed that it happened. The rock also damaged the A/C compressor. It wasn't a case of bad GM design or quality or anything like that. It was just crazy bad luck.

[@12ealDealOfficial]

I get bullied on the road in my peppy MR2 by bloated SUVs and muscle cars with aggressive styling, piloted by disinterested women on cell phones and young men stabbing their gas pedals immersed in their own sound and fury. My parents were people of what either Roman or the Regular called the "90's convergence" of pop culture and public opinion, a time of agreeable adult contemporary music and films like Shawshank Redemption and Pelican Brief, despite my mom being quintessentially feminine and my dad traditionally masculine (former military renaissance man). If I were nostalgic for the vehicles my parents drove, I'd be into cars of every make aside from American muscle, so the love of that profile was never passed on. This is why I view one's desire for an angry car to be rooted in the zeitgeist, even when said desire is considered nostalgic for a time predating the contemporary. The zeitgeist became electrified with fear post 9/11, and our cars reflect an outward desire to appear AS a bully in lieu of the strength that was taken from car buyers with economic downturn and societal entropy. The look of peppy, happy looking cars that I personally enjoy is a reflection of the opposite. The late '90s were a time of optimism for the future, economic prosperity, and the still tangible fumes of modernism. My happy looking car, and preference for round headlights (like on my first car, a '94 Integra), is probably indicative of my assemblage, and I dislike angry, swole cars which represent their antithesis (bolstered by drivers I perceive to be poor/ not paying attention/ too needlessly loud/ too needlessly aggressive/ riding my ass at 10 over the speed limit, etc). I don't like angry headlights, but I dislike them for the same reason I dislike bloated bodies and needless safety tech- it's all a representation of a post- 9/11 world that I am sick of.

[@Yelzabub]

Way to express yourself fam, I feel ya ni

[@ricmahurin7535]

i remember reading in Car And Driver, the chief stylist of the LX Chryslers were getting the "CHOPTOP" look as a response to 9/11, implying a sense of safety.

[@shesmashingit]

You summed up my thoughts in a way I wouldn’t have been able to. Thanks for that.

[@kujiko88]

A very well thought out and written comment. I can understand your point. I like the mr-2 as well. Like the look of it. It looks fun. Like it just wants a road to drive on and have a blast. And I feel like owning a smaller car just makes it look like everyone else in their SUV or crossover is trying to eat you. I personally own an '18 impreza sport sedan. I bought it in that island blue color. I didn't like the red, and the black, blue silver, and white colors looked too plain. The blue was a bright, happy color to me. The exhaust isn't overly loud, and the car isn't fast, like at all. It does, however, have a grill that puts my old outback sport's to shame in sheer size, and headlights that are angled downward in a slight scowl. I like the look of the car, but I don't think it should really have that look. It's a 152bhpncar with a cvt and awd that I use because the roads suck here during the winter time. Gas mileage is decent and the stereo was a selling point for me and my simple self. I personally prefer the slightly boxier design of the 80s and 90s. In short, I don't think cars like my grocery getter impreza (as much as I love her) should have as overstated a style as they do. Save that for the cars that can own up to that lookbwithbtheir performance.

[@12ealDealOfficial]

@@kujiko88 Agreed 100%

[@UncleTonysGarage]

Holy shit, what an awesome video! Had me glued the entire time. Now, I understand why everything on the road looks like pissed off salamander...and here I thought the styling was just an homage to our Reptilian Overlords.

[@Meekmillan]

That's the last time I accept a pair of glasses from a homeless man

[@Vicus_of_Utrecht]

@@Meekmillan 😏

[@cameronlloyd9752]

Theory on people who like angry cars vs. friendly cars: Angry cars appeal to people who see the car as an extension of themselves that they wear as a suit to interact with other drivers. Friendly cars appeal to people who treat the car as an independent thing to have a relationship with. It's "I'm going to show that guy in traffic who's boss!" vs. "I'm going to take my car out to some back roads where we can play."

[@reinbeers5322]

As a fan of the 90s, I prefer happy looking cars. They just feel like they're going "hehehehehe do it one more time" when you floor it. Even if they are slow, that relatively old tech feels good to drive, even with barely 3 digit hp numbers. Always happy to go out for a drive, whether it's a supermarket run or a roadtrip.

[@angelgjr1999]

Exactly. Also the new transmissions in cars make even high hp cars feel slow. I’ll always have fun in a 5 speed car with 200 hp, compared to a car with 300 hp with a cvt or 10 speed that’s constantly confused. Looking at you Ford and Honda.

[@gunnerkobra]

I want cars with big anime eyes.

[@Miata_On_The_Homestead]

NA miata with halo jeep lights its straight anime eyes.

[@joshuakorynta3385]

Baka! S-Senpai, don't crash into me!

[@cesariojpn]

ITASHA.

[@claudiobizama5603]

That would be the 1st gen Twingo

[@TRUENO83MOBILE]

Jimny

[@TV-8-301]

I like it when different brands have distinctive personalities, such as older Cadillacs and Lincolns looking dignified and reserved, or Porsches with that nice bright expression. Although their Taycan doesn't follow that pattern super closely, but that makes sense -- they're trying something new, so it's going to look new. Also, notice how the Taycan's slits just below the headlights resemble the markings on a cheetah's face? Beautiful

[@jayyydizzzle]

Roman, you're pieces never feel rushed and you convey so much emotion with you're tone. You're a joy to listen to. Thank you

[@brosephstalin5321]

Honestly my favorite rcr content is a tie between these well thought out, longform, insightful pieces and the max grossout/weird reviews.

[@vincedibona4687]

*_DICK MAGNETS_*

[@scuderiatororosso1422]

Hot Dicks for 47 seconds

[@That1BVP]

Mad cars have their place but I want another NA Miata. Or another 60s beetle. I want another car that is happy to see me. Happy to be driven.

[@Eeter26]

Brooks Van Pelt exactly! Everyone in my life is disappointed in me, i don’t need my car to be too.

[@benb50001]

Don't know about cars, but "happy" looking motorcycles are definitely hot right now. Check out the Yamaha xsr900

[@Caledon91]

Austin-Healey "Bugeye" Sprite: The happiest looking car in the world.

[@silvafox07]

Pop ups are illegal now :(

[@SlidTossedPissed]

The 2012 - 2015 Mazda3hatch... was a perfect example. But people didnt buy it.

[@ZReviews]

I own the 2012 Caprice PPV Mr Regular reviewed. Since that review it has been worked pretty hard. Wheels, Engine, Exhaust, Suspension. It is a scary looking and sounding car.. And I love that. I'm from the Mad Max generation. I want my Car to become Christine and kit and the A-Team van. My other car, a 97 1.6 corolla, is the opposite in looks, power, sound. But I find I drive that far more aggressively to compensate. I cruise in the scary car and kill in the old man. Go figure.

[@Kenster1025]

Love Christine, Maximum Overdrive and The Car.

[@dasstig5274]

Yes, A new Roman monologue. I think i appreciate these more than standard RCR content these days.

[@markmiller3279]

They aren't as overloaded with dumb jokes, only 20% of which make me smile.

[@HakanKoseoglu]

Standard RCR writing has gone a bit down and there aren't enough farting and shitting cut-scenes.

[@jonafun0516]

To Roman’s point at the beginning, I think pareidolia is essentially the specific way we anthropomorphise our vehicles. I view my car as a living creature with a personality, but more like a pet than a toy. It’s the modern steed. If you have a sports car, the goal should be to look sleek, muscular and aggressive- like an athlete gearing up for competition. Not all cars can or should be anthropomorphised to this extent though. Your basic Ford Escape doesn’t need the same aggressive lines as the mustang.

[@lucywucyyy]

YES! finally somone else who cares! angryness makes sense for muscle cars and supercars and shit but cmon does an econobox really need froney headlights and giant fake vents? i like cute cars why arent there more cutes

[@lawnmowerdude]

There should be a little bit of everything.

[@nakoma5]

Like the Ford Transit van.

[@WavveBoi]

This is why I want a 240 or a 300zx. Although I like alot of the contemporary designs, I find that it's way overdone. Like. Look at a 2005 STI vs the newer ones.

[@MajorSpam]

I sure as hell like to be bullied in my econobox by the average Crossover because it's slightly underpowered and round. Modern A-segment cars (Fiat 500, Suzuki Baleno, VW Up) are completely undesirable as in: being *too weak* and *not aggressive enough / look silly if they would be aggressively styled* so they either have to go minimalist/retro or just go super cheap. The B-segment (VW Polo, Citroen C3, Mazda 2) is where it's at, the cars aren't as spartan as the A-segment and are considered good cars by most people even with only 90hp. These don't make much sense in the US because of the geographic and the cheap gas so C-segments (VW Golf, Toyota Corolla, Mazda 3) are the minimum there with B-segment based Crossovers (Mazda CX3, Suzuki Vitara, Nissan Juke) to almost C-segment prices. All cars above the B-segment have the full right to be aggressive (by most people) because they aren't the bottom of the barrel, most A-segment cars are actually styled to be cute/retro/minimalist.

[@larrylentini5688]

Probably because they didn't sell

[@tjeremiah9747]

that's why I like Porsche design, it either looks just excited, confident or relaxed. And more importantly, no over sized grills. That's also the reason why I like how the new Supra looks.

[@Tarkov.]

I love how you interchanged the pictures of the RCF and GTR Because they're the two most interchangeable laptops on the market.

[@govinlock8568]

😂

[@MajorSpam]

The Mitsubishi "Jetfighter" face was extremely attractive and a way better execution of angry cars than any BMW before it. The modern Outlander Sport and Triton also look overly angry but in a good way where it feels like there was much thought put into it during the design process. Stuff like the 2nd gen Smart is angry done wrong where it's not a full commitment featuring lots of fake vents.

[@ROBinJVILLE]

that poor guy wanted japanese reliability and bought a nissan. RIP

[@mateuszzimon8216]

My friend bought a used Navara/Frontier with 2,5dCi/190HP, car was serviced in Nissan Authorized Service, all preventive maintenance, oil changes 2 times in year etc. Now get almost 250k km and sometimes goes offroad, but not broke (only replaced a left mirror after meet with tree)

[@SpecialKLSX]

Well if it was a 90s nissan...

[@kayman2893]

i have a nissan 350z with almost 300,00 miles

[@elonsus9747]

kay man My friend has a 350. We just put in a used engine. His old motor had 200k on it.

[@Somethin5041]

Pre-Nissan/Renault cars were extremely reliable.

[@The1wsx10]

i was caught off guard when i saw the dodge challenger. it looks modern but the front end doesn't look angry. it's unmistakably a muscle car, but also seems classy.

[@325xitgrocgetter]

The trend of over-sized grills...which was started by Toyota and Lexus and BMW twin kidneys...the design is not going to age well.

[@eyyop]

More like Audi started the recent trend.

[@goldenhide]

The twin kidneys always looked tiny to me but I'm thinking 00's BMW's.

[@325xitgrocgetter]

@@goldenhide Go back further to the 70s or 80s...say the E30 or the 6 series coupe. The kidneys were small in proportion to the rest of the grill. Probably the best kidneys in my mind were the e46...about the right balance of grill and car.

[@goldenhide]

@@325xitgrocgetter No doubt my man. I've wanted an E46 M3 since like 2007. I mean I know I could go a bit more modern with the S55-powered M2 or M4, but I just *really* like the looks of the E46 more. And that hot hot hot Carbon Black Metallic, like if there was ever a car color that I liked: it's a blue so deep it looks purply-black in certain lighting and deep ass blue in other lighting. (Which I find funny that I have to search them by Black and Blue to find, because people will classify them as one or the other).

[@dongonzulman6478]

I'd argue the EVO X started the huge grill thing

[@CLK944]

Who doesn't like a twingo? Just look at it! It's so cute

[@jae-86]

Merci twingo

[@ddoormatt4834]

@Coby Williams bruh most men I know would whip one. Mega Street cred.

[@devianb]

I have a fondness for cute cars, especially Kei cars.

[@zgSH4DOW]

I need to pat its eye bulges before I die

[@hendo337]

The new Twingo based '16-'17 Smart Fortwo with a turbo and 5 speed manual is something I actually wouldn't mind checking out...seems like the perfect slowcarfast.

[@Unb3arablePain]

Oh boy, another "podcast" to get me through my morning at work!

[@TheRCish]

your morning at work is only 40 minutes long?

[@Phenom98]

@@TheRCish "It ain't much, but it's _honest_ work."

[@WillowEpp]

When I first saw the latest style overhaul of the Civic a couple years ago, I burst out laughing. I nearly had to pull over, I was laughing so hard. That's the point at which I really started to think modern aggressive styling had jumped the shark. On further reflection, though, the biggest issue for me is probably that everyone's trying to look exactly the same.

[@kinger2005]

It's also the Chinese market. It's why bmw has gigantic sniffers now

[@TheRCish]

the massive scam that the entire Chinese economy is based on can't collapse soon enough

[@jonathanryan2915]

WTF, China has only had cars for about 10 years. What do they know about cars?

[@wraithmedaberry5795]

Sniffers

[@Orenoryori]

Jonathan Ryan Money. That’s it.

[@WavveBoi]

@@jonathanryan2915 it's a huge market that's looking for more luxury products

[@THX5000]

As someone who is prone to road rage, it does not help when an angry faced, lifted truck starts tailgating me. For some reason, I subconsciously perceive it as the tailgater being aggressive towards me personally. Please pass me or get off my bumper.

[@shawnbottom4769]

Old comment: but it actually is personal. Their behavior says they dgaf about you. I suppose you could feel sorry for them because they’re a miserable selfish idiot. Except the real problem is their behavior endangers other motorists. Not cool.

[@jaypioh]

for me its crossover and toyota tacoma drivers. the absolute lowest common denominator behaves in the way that you described and they have these high tech "sporty and mean" family pullers. their taste in vehicles and their driving habits don't hide their inferiority complex. it really is personal.

[@gamedodo5397]

Looking slow and being fast is much better 😂

[@XanarchistBlogspot]

You get it... That is old money style.

[@benb50001]

Chevy SS gets it

[@TheShowOff2I]

GaMeDoDo E63 Wagon 👌🏼

[@MacTechG4]

Sleepers FTW! :)

[@gamedodo5397]

@@MacTechG4 hell yeah ♥️

[@Vanagons4Eva]

I’m about 47 seconds into the rant and I’m already happy. I also feel exactly the same about angry car designs. If you look out any given five-year period of car design you can see that car designers are exactly as fashion conscious as clothing designers. It’s all fashion and lemmings.

[@werbinich7908]

fashion everywhere but very little taste

[@CardboardSliver]

18:05 The 9-3 went from cute, to slightly miffed, to "your daughter calls me daddy, too."

[@ete5706]

Cardboard Sliver hahahahahahahaha nice!

[@NorthWestOffroadAdventures]

"Nissan GTR Nismo, Lexus RCF" ehh.. close enough

[@ThaKenMan]

Graham White Pics were out of order, but for all great stories he’s told and funny songs he’s made he gets a pass, lol

[@lolz111000]

I figured it was done on purpose lol

[@lucywucyyy]

i think these angry edgy cars are gonna look very dated in 10 years, they wont age well the same way the edgy designs from 2005 have aged horribly, people will look back on the cars of this era and find it funny i expect

[@scowler92]

If they can get past the post-9/11 mentality.

[@TheJMan1K]

Scowler and what is that exactly? I have an idea but I wanna hear your thoughts. I was born 03’ so 9/11 is more or less something I’ve always just been told about. Never got to experience it but did get to see the affects of it.

[@lucywucyyy]

@@TheJMan1K born in 97 and 911 was always just a meme to me lol, i dont rly know what he meant either

[@machinerin151]

What edgy designs from 2005 aged horribly? Give us some examples to look at, please :)

[@TheJMan1K]

Mundane Cemetary a lot of economy cars look dated but tbh prefer it

[@philmaples9865]

One of my favorite things to do when I went over to my grandparents house in the early eighties was to pour over my grandfather's MOTOR books. The big blue tomes that came out every few years (I believe). He was a Ford mechanic from the end of WWII till his death in 1983. My biggest interest was in the beginning of each section; Grille Identification. I spent HOURS doing this. Your video made me think of that. It's a silly thing to love about cars but that's what got my interest in cars started. Can't wait for the next RCR Stories!

[@user-ib5mx8ro4k]

Angry cars make people drive like jerks. Hawaii is full of them.

[@markmiller3279]

Hawaii is full of Priuses. Not exactly angry looking, just ugly.

[@phoenixproto3149]

As the owner of an '82 Firebird S/E, what drew me to it wasn't only the nostalgia of my dad owning like... 3 in the past, but it was just the smooth lines, the pointed, beak-shaped nose, the popup headlights, and just the overall sharp but smooth look. The styling is similar to a grinning hawk or eagle, with the split grills in the front. Amazing how a teen like me can be drawn to such an outdated yet so timeless design.

[@larrylentini5688]

Oh boy, I'm supposed to be productive right now...

[@flashuser777]

Same here bucko. I have a final in 1 hour

[@larrylentini5688]

@@flashuser777 oof

[@rtmpgt]

one trend I notice amongst pretty much all cars these days? Hexagonal grills.

[@batterybuilding]

PGT Film and Design, I think you can trace that to Fords ownership of Aston Martin. They took the grill and dispersed amongst all the Fords. Once that happened, other companies started copying it too.

[@rtmpgt]

@@batterybuilding goddamn it, Ford.

[@matrixmirage2148]

I love the older NA Miater looks better than the current one

[@michelefarroni93]

My two cents NAs are designed with a clear inspiration from italian sporty little cars from 60s and 70s, like alfa romeos. A combination of cuteness, self-awareness, class and aggressivity. That design that makes you turn your head.

[@TechInspected]

It's stupid. Mazda didn't want the MX-5 to be considered "girly" or "hairdresser" anymore so they gave it the snarly catfish look. Fuck that.

[@jmanninja]

I personally really like the design! I drive one every day so I'm definitely biased, but I owned the NC before the ND, and I can say that it may have been difficult to make the car look modern without having atleast_some_aggressive styling..

[@DrewLSsix]

@@TechInspected it's exactly what the more insecure Miata owners have been doing for years. Some people like the cars but cant stomach driving something that cute, so the standing flares and angry headlight mods become standard.

[@DrewLSsix]

@@jmanninja the NC was purposely designed to hark back to the NA, and lots of people hated it for being bland. The facelift for the NC of course went right for the aggressive look and it probably saved the car. Personally, while the hard core fan buys are all about the NA or especially the early NA my favorite is the NB. They are just plain pretty cars. Not as plain as the NA but not even remotely aggressive in nature.

[@SteelSkin667]

Even though it was way before my time (I was born in '88) I've always had a soft spot for the designs of the early 80s that were really angular but without looking angry.

[@-POISON-]

The stupidest thing are the angry headlights on the latest Miata. Makes no sense and ruined the design of the car.

[@davidfrend]

I think the thing that makes up for the headlights is the signature goofy grin of Mazda grills. The headlights look angry, but that grin looks just so upbeat. Again, that's how I see it, and everyone sees things differently, and I love you for who you are... P0lS0N.

[@-POISON-]

@@davidfrend My issue with those headlights is that they look like an afterthought and don't really fit with the design of the car. The ones on the Fiat version integrate so much better.

[@lolok9246]

Nah dude, cause of the grill it looks like it's snarling it's tiny teeth at you, but in a cute way. Like the GC8 WRX has somewhat aggressive styling, but it's like a cute growl

[@P0k3D0nd3M4cG]

Nah, the new Miata is the second best Miata.

[@P0k3D0nd3M4cG]

@@-POISON- nah, they look hard. The new miata is up there with the NA in my opinion

[@soundlesspeal]

can we just have popup headlights again?

[@ArruVision]

Exactly! Good luck designing an angry pop-up face! Or, we could just mandate sealed beam headlights again. World wide this time.

[@soundlesspeal]

@@ArruVision no, angry cars are lame

[@Kyntteri]

How about Hyundai i40 2011? It does not look very angry but more like "I stayed up all night and ate everything I found from the toilet cupboard" sort of happy.

[@DiegoRuiz1991]

It's just a cheap copy of the ¿4th? Opel Astra

[@mateuszzimon8216]

@@DiegoRuiz1991 What u do to me.... Now i can't look on Astra and think Hyundai make it better.... (I drive both and i40 drives better)

[@sirstrongbad]

I used to call the aggressive looking hot hatches an "angry high-top sneaker"

[@Zanox-bp3ob]

was Lexus RCF and Nissan GTR Nismo switched on purpose? just curious

[@FoxFireUnlimited]

I laughed because I thought they were transposed for two reasons: 1. See who noticed. B. Piss off those fanboys.

[@Dr.stein55]

Thats because in many ways there the same car😂

[@stevebarnes2]

"Mistakes" like that are often used by KZbin creators as it generates comments like yours and viewer engagement helps the video.

[@sh0ryualfa393]

Most likely intentionally switched to keep everyone's attention. Anyone who noticed what happened definitely got confused.

[@maggs734]

I think FoxFireUnlimited put 1. and B. to: - See who noticed. 2. Piss off fans of listing by letters. C. Piss off fans of listing by numbers.

[@tiborklein5349]

It sounds like Roman recorded this at 3am and is whispering to not wake up his mother upstairs...

[@TheOzthewiz]

Very nice to have that calming voice when I am LISTENING at 3:00 AM..

[@bb6279]

I have nothing but respect for how honest and open-minded you are.

[@MrPizzapuppy]

The old RAV4 was cute... but the V6 is wicked fast for a crossover. 0-60 in 6ish seconds, passing power for days, and it's fun to hoon. Mine will get 23 MPG average. (If you drive sensibly ;P)

[@522viper]

I just bought a 2019 Jeep Wrangler and I... AM GOING.. TO PUT AGNRY HEADLIGHTS.. AND A FURROWED GRILL... ON IT.. TO HIDE MY INSECURITIES!!!

[@fordf-2505]

REEEEEEEEEEE

[@miracleeskimobattleship2874]

I applaud your daring innovation.

[@Bartonovich52]

Time to fight the war again.

[@jonathanryan2915]

Actually cars look FAT and angry especially SUV's and "Crossovers"

[@Kenster1025]

Because the population or audience maybe fat and angry.

[@govinlock8568]

I miss skinny cars like late 90's cars.

[@dylanorr2127]

I was talking to my neighbor about her Honda CR-V and how she likes how " agressive" it looks. But it's shaped like a fat potato and doesn't have a sporty trait anywhere to be seen.

[@angelgjr1999]

Yup. Look at the new mustang and put it next to a foxbody. It’s literally almost twice as big and heavy. I hope small cars make a comeback.

[@OmegaF77]

The car I like is Porsche 911. It has aggressive performance with a cute, round design.

[@Account.for.Comment]

I enjoy looking at older luxury cars with simple circles on its light bulbs instead eyeshapes. It called out, my life is simple and I have no worry.

[@Matteo_Licata]

I've been a car designer for around a decade, and you'd be surprised to see how rarely such discussions are made in studios. Too rarely, in my view. On personal taste grounds, I believe car design should strive for a certain degree of "honesty": the aesthetics should not write a check the vehicle can't cash in terms of overall performance and function. Unfortunately, such well-principled thinking often gets overruled by managers, marketers, etc. Regarding aerodynamics, it's not really a factor: you can model a very smooth front end but still make it aggressive with the graphics (grille and headlights cut lines). European pedestrian regulations have sometimes contributed to making front ends taller, and when you got a lot of "volume" to disguise, you often got to do "something", even resorting to the fake intakes I personally despise. To close this off, I believe the current success of angry cars is the byproduct of the uncertainty that has been pervading Western society since even before the 2008 economic crash. Cars have always been a projection of our personalities, hopes, and dreams... Or lack thereof. Love your channel, BTW. Feel free to check out mine too: it's about automobile history and design, so you may like it!

[@lesnainss]

To rephrase MB's CEO : "We drink to our youth, and to days come and gone, for the Age of Aggression is just about done."

[@rturner4205]

We'll drive out BMW and restore what we own. With our oil and our panels we will take back our home!

[@mahlenbiznes3419]

Love how nobody gets the reference even a few weeks later.

[@angelgjr1999]

Look at the new design of the Honda Civic. I’m happy to say that happy faces in cars are making a comeback. I’m tired every car giving me a death stare nowadays.

[@samuelmorgan2933]

I wish the retro styled cars from the 2000s would make a comeback. Although they might not be successful. They were extremely unique. In fact, I’m currently looking for a FJ Cruiser, one of those retro styled cars from the early 2000s. I feel like a lot of those cars were not successful due to the wrong time coming out.

[@carlosandleon]

I think the Honda Civic made it look coherent and okay. Kia Stinger doesn't look angry for example

[@WavveBoi]

No. It looks smug. And I like that.

[@UpperRobin29]

@@WavveBoi The Stinger looks like it's trying too hard to prove it'self.

[@Josh0718]

UpperRobin29 That’s because it is. Which is fine.

[@theFORZA66]

@Christoochi it looks pretty good in person tbh, but it could definitely be toned down

[@WavveBoi]

@@UpperRobin29 not more than literally any CUV with black plastic accents to look tough. At least the stinger has some performance to back up it's design language.

[@2K-Tan]

A big attraction to my '16 ND Miata GT was it's "less than Miata esque lines and face" owning an NA myself it was a fresh take to see as close of a throwback Mazda could make to the original car. With the less than stellar reception of the 3rd gen car and their new "Kodo Design Language" already in place they really didn't have any choice but to go a bit more agressive on the styling and edges. It was also smaller than the 3rd gen so it had to make up for it somehow. Personally the refresh inside and out is very awesome and i love it. Getting in it every time it returns me to a time when i was rowing gears in my old clapped out NA but now im in a sleek new ND and doing it in style there. I feel aggressive designs are something that'll stick around awhile.

[@paulyshore98]

My favorite example of a beautiful car is the FD3 RX-7. Swoopy lines and the spoiler just give me goosebumps when I see them.

[@piper636]

I like modern aggressive styling, and I think it has less to do with looking "angry" and moreso an appearance of focus, and intent. I've only ever driven manuals, and the first car I ever loved was a 98 Mustang GT in all black. I still have that car, it's my daily. It's rough and unforgiving and sketchy as all hell. It demands that you pay attention, shift confidently, and pleads with you to always give it more bang bang juice. For me, driving has always been an activity, and an pretty intense one, never just going point A to point B. Ive always felt like my car was an extension of myself.

[@lonelylupus5960]

Well I like happy cars ...... like Mx5s , foxbody, 240s ,and etc

[@otto_jk]

Sunday, Monday, Happy Cars

[@matrixmirage2148]

Like the old Mazdaspeed 3 and NA Miater

[@mr.razington7881]

90's Dodge Neons always make me smile too, just look at its grille lol

[@Coolguy98765]

I wish I could import a Twingo.

[@claudiobizama5603]

I want an Austin Healey Sprite. You couldn't get happier than that

[@kyboy8499]

Like most trends, what starts out as cool or fresh by a few, gets overdone and exploited by the me too crowd.

[@sulejmani.]

my 3000gt has alot of presence on the street without having an angry front end.

[@benyaminloudmer1689]

during my internship in Honda I developed a project based on the "mean looking car problem" weare facing these days in the industry and why honda should definetly discourage this attitude in their design language. i'd like to share with youmyproject . keep up the good work you are doing!!! Benyamin from Italy

[@eriknephrongfr8847]

I was so struck by the phrase that I googled it, and I have good news: “ All roads lead to nostalgia(edit)” is yours. Congrats.

[@promiscuouscrab4040]

I love the calm confident look of the 80 series Landcruiser 300ZX 2006-2008 Forester 2020 Explorer Just level & well shaped headlights that match & compliment the rest of the vehicle. These ultra slanted, glaring headlights are a hype focal point without the car body to validate their use. Meanwhile many super cars have relatively calm & poised headlights with outstanding bodies.

[@snailshaman7948]

I've wanted to see someone talk about this for ages. I love faces on cars, adds so much character. My Scirocco R looks like a real grump.

[@dekoldrick]

My 93 accord is just a box. It look just like any other box sedan from the early 90's. But all it takes to change that bland boxy look to a slightly more aggressive look is to change the grill from the factory honda grill to open mesh grill, the amber front turn signals housing to clear, and a slightly bigger front lip. Still only 125 hp in the end though.

[@quintessenceSL]

I think you could further divide car design into cars designed to impress others and cars designed to impress yourself. Angry cars fall distinctly into the former. As someone who adores older designs with their focus on proportions and grace, I find little to admire in current designs. I'm not trying to impress anyone. I want something beautiful to behold.

[@jasper_saberwolf]

Fascinating commentary. As much as there are a few cars out now that I do really like the look of that I would say are aggressive looking cars (newest Audi A7 etc) but I do really miss the old days of sports cars looking happy...like Porsche 911s and old Ferraris for example. many vintage Ferraris like the 275 GTS and 90s era cars like the 355, F50, and 456 had smiles like those cars were genuinely enthusiastic about going for spirited driving....not just angrily sneering to exude aggression or true performance on the track... they seemed to have the low-key childhood feeling that some older racing games like 90s era Need For Speed had...they put the "joy" in joyride.

[@WolfHreda]

"Have fun messing up each other's hair all day." 🤣

[@IstasPumaNevada]

"Beauty is in the eye of the beholder; what further explanation do you need?" Well, it's relevant to discuss marketing and societal pressures too, because those things can drastically shift what that beholder eye is looking for. Especially when companies are explicitly doing research on ways to exploit it.

[@ItsCleto]

Chevy's SUV lineup.. angry headlights but the inability to pass you on a city road or a highway.

[@pezz_pezzer]

No problem Nick, I always stick around until the end of your wonderful stories and rants. I was trying to explain to a friend of mine the other day about the quality of the writing and humor on this channel. As a college dropout I do not have the the amazing use of wordsmithing and literary style as you and Brain do so it is really challenging for me to express how amazing you guys really are. Well the fact is you two are just incredibly good at this and I have enjoyed everything you have posted over the passed seven years or so. Thank you sir!

[@joshuachandra6677]

I'm judging anyone that believes the current Civic R is attractive

[@skuzzyj]

It would be if it just chilled out a bit

[@tompraisan]

Civic R would be very attractive if it loose all the body kits and wings... Ok, forget it

[@michaelclark3192]

Current Honda and Subaru design are the best at the moment, with their sharp futuristic Japanese looking designs. I suppose you just don't like angry aggressive sharp edge cars.

[@TheOzthewiz]

ANY late model Lexus beats the Civic R for FUGLINESS!

[@Hallowsaw]

It's only attractive for its space and performance. Styling is hideous.

[@qball680]

Would be interesting to do a photo side-by-side of the faces of cars and the faces of people that match the appearances / style / "look". That 60's Caddy picture evokes images of the 60's beach girl sunglasses or anything with dark pointy glasses. Would be a fun montage. Imagine there are several examples already out there.

[@kaiokendo]

11:41 this ferrari wants my lunch money

[@Eeter26]

kaiokendo ferrari wants lunch money from lotus

[@kaiokendo]

@@Eeter26 the ferrari looks like a Dennis the menace villain

[@CoalChrome]

I reckon I oughta throw my double pennies into this. Aggressive designs are good on relatively aggressive vehicles, the Demon/Hellcat, Mustang 5.0, Porches, Ferraris, Lamborghinis and the pickups of the world, but unique designs like the Cybertruck are good as well. they grab attention. One of the things I like about my 10th Gen F-150 are that it has a slightly aggressive style to it at a certain angle when you're looking at the hood. However that same truck has a soft appearance, like the face of an old friend who hasn't seen you in ages, it greets you with a slight smile every time it greets you as if to say "Hey come on friend, let's go for a jaunt". It can still haul 7800lb and a half ton in the bed, but you get inside and yeah, it's a truck no doubt, but it feels welcoming, the way the surface-print leather seats hug your body combine with the soft restraint of the seat belt, the soft curves of the interior, it's like hanging out with a friend everytime you go for a drive. It's that kind of hard edge to a soft design that I like, yeah I've also grown up with this truck and sure that factors in, but once you have experience with a 10th gen Ford truck, specifically the F-150, you begin to understand why there are so many of them.

[@ddoyle11]

I am so glad you addressed this topic. I’ve been complaining about this for years. It’s as though auto makers are specifically designing cars to appeal to frustrated, sexually repressed teenage boys who have no other outlet than to buy the meanest most aggressive looking car. This, along with the trend of most new cars looking like Darth Vader are what keeps me from buying one.

[@pricklypear300]

I havent listened to the entire essay but the fact that Crown Vic is not one of these angry cars but they still manage to bring out a certain emotion, the sense of authority and respectability not only due to cultural implications but by how it looks, is remarkable. Its how 5 series' angel eyes worked.

[@RandomDuude]

The Lada Niva is basically the opposite of this. The front reminds me of Milhouse from The Simpsons 😅

[@fl1ppy810]

When a modern car has a more aggressive appearance it more often than not just makes the car look like it's trying too hard to be "cool" and "edgy", making it just another dreary, boring car in a sea of dreary, boring cars. The only recent cars I can think of (off the top of my head) that pulled it off well was the Dodge Challenger and the BMW M4. Its gotten to the point where I believe that older cars with scratches, dents, faded paintwork and other kinds of wear and tear look WAY more aggressive than most modern cars (for example, the Buick Roadmaster and the pre-facelift AE86 Levin), like they've had to keep their anger pent up inside them for the last couple decades as it had to deliver grandma to the local church every sunday, and it's about to snap like a kid that has just been pushed a little too far by his/her bully. TLDR; Most modern cars look angry and aggresive making them all look way too similiar, while making older once boring cars stand out more than they probably should (not that I'm arguing).

[@Taytayflan]

I felt my BRZ was more mischevious than angry looking...

[@nthgth]

It definitely looks a lot more aggressive than it's capable of being. Coming from an FR-S driver lol

[@brokenmotorwagen1328]

I think (kids) people are just too biased about their own cars. I never felt like i needed to get out of anyone's way because of the front of their car looked aggressive. And "angry" add-ons just make me chuckle. In a sea of angry cars picking an angry car to buy just makes one blend in even more. Times will change and angry looking cars will look old and outdated.

[@ihave_noidea]

The best angry car designs are the 70 year model Dodge lineup

[@FirebirdCamaro1220]

70 Coronet Super Bee ftw 👍

[@kingofroses302]

Those were simply angry, not overstyled angry

[@rabit818]

We have angry looking cars because we are an angry society in 2021. Art imitates life.

[@luso7916]

USS Liberty moment 😳🤤

[@nolan738]

Based

[@recklessjelly1484]

Layvon affair intensifies

[@kylegilmore3810]

Ya'll need to cool it with this anti-seminism

[@nolan738]

@@kylegilmore3810 oy vey

[@JavierHernandez-fq4hu]

@@kylegilmore3810 Lmfaoooooooo

[@latrace1986]

Great video -- thanks for the detail and care on this one. Funny story -- I was a political science major in college, and in my first political theory class (DePaul in Chicago), we had this old Socrates looking professor (who I ended up taking many classes with) hand out a printed online article about the Dodge Caliber wagon. In the article, it mentions that the headlights were shaped to look like crosshairs from a gun scope. After giving us about 15 minutes to read the article, he just asked the class about why we think he decided to share this with us on the first day. No one could figure it out, so he started probing... "Was there anything in this that stands out? What about the name of the car and its design?" Someone finally pointed out the line about the crosshairs for headlights and he perked up and said something like, "Yes, exactly! Ok, so now, why would anyone need or want crosshairs or guns on their vehicle?" Again, blank faces around the room. Someone sheepishly said, "... to kill someone? ..." And the professor went berserk. "YES, THAT'S PRECISELY WHY YOU'D HAVE CROSSHAIRS FOR HEADLIGHTS!!! TO FUCKING KILL PEOPLE!!!!" And that was the beginning of my appreciation for and many classes I'd take with this professor, including my senior year capstone. His name is Dr. Jim Block from DePaul University if anyone is interested in learning about him.

[@garrettlloyd8101]

“A car is a face we present to the world to cover our own.” Damn. Thanks Roman.

[@Gorilla_Jones]

Bullshit.

[@girardbynumbers]

I feel like there's a few parallel car design trends lumped in with the mentioned examples: Angry designs, sporty designs, and "more is more" designs. Maybe it was in the thrown-out rant, but I was surprised by the omission of the connection between this trend and other subcultures like instagram gymhardos, fake survivalists, new vikings, salt lifers, tactical clothing wearers, people who buy $600 coolers, people with gun manufacturer bumper stickers, and perhaps the thin blue/red line crowd. A lot of American dudes seem to be on an inescapable path of toughness worship and while I don't begrudge auto makers making a buck off them, it's dull driving down a highway in MA surrounded by angry Camry's with grimaces, bristling with extra body lines, strakes, vents, etc.

[@fkflip]

people who say they love "weird car designs" are like girls who say they like "weird music" then put on Arctic Monkeys

[@RogueBeatsARG]

GTR doesnt look Angry, it looks Serious and Motivated imo, specially the Skylines

[@ImAlrightITHINK]

A lawn musk. Love u man. Even if u can't pronounce something. I have your back against internet bullies and non fans okay?

[@DampNoodles]

I like that it felt like Roman grew as a person from being to end... Love these longer story's from the Roman.

[@lucywucyyy]

angry cars can be done right, mazda and bmw for example get just the right amount of edgyness to still be good looking

[@aaronmackenzie2411]

Bmw used to be great till now there grills are ridiculous

[@aliabdallah102]

"SNOOORF" -BMW

[@danielr9708]

I don't find my Mazda particularly over the top (2018 6), honestly. It looks quite sharp, but it's not plastered with fake vents or purposeless lines.

[@advancedmagfedchannel6577]

In Germany there is a word reflecting how angry that car is. It is called "Überholprestige", which translates roughly to how much the car will promote the car in front to switch to the right lane. Speaking out of my own experience, driving an angry looking bigger car definately improves the chances that people in the left lane move over.