OFFICAL "I've decided that the new BRZ isn't that bad looking" REGISTRY

[ZDan]

Originally Posted by DarkSunrise

My understanding is it wasn’t a styling gimmick but was designed that way to allow 3-4” deformation space between the hood and all hard points in the engine bay in response to Euro pedestrian safety standards implemented in 2010. The engine sits low being that the heads are on the sides so that wasn’t an issue but the top of the struts needed the fender arches. I suppose you could stylistically eliminate the arches by just having a higher hood all the way across but that’d be pretty ugly IMO.

The styling "bumps" are WAY outside of the engine bay, and the peaks are also well outside the tops of the struts (in fact looks like the bumps only begin outboard of strut tops).

The '22 doesn't have higher hood or fender lines, in fact the fenders should be a lot lower as they've shaved off the bumps while leaving simpler but (to me) nice-looking smooth curves.

[ZDan]

Originally Posted by Dadhawk

Like I said, I'm not the best judge. Overall, I'm just not a fan of the S2000 design. It just looks like a rolling bathtub to me, similar to the Miata in that particular aspect. I admit I'm in the minority in this, and that's OK.

More I looked at S2000 (before getting one), the more I loved it. Meanwhile the NC Miata *is* a bit of a bathtub looking thing... (albeit a great sports car!)

Again, if everything did that then all cars of a particular size and purpose would look exactly the same.

Here, at one time I would agree, but the more you look into things you see that even with *very* few parameters to tweak, there are for all practical purposes *infinite* options. Like the number of possible chess games is estimated at 10^120, while there are less than 10^100 particles in the entire observable universe! Also, look into Conway's "game of life". Very few *simple* rules, practically infinite possibilities...

Not disagreeing with you as I think it looks great on both cars, it just isn't "functional" any more than the 86 fenders are.

Of course it is, you have to cover the wheel openings in a way that is somewhat aerodynamically efficient, right? Smooth curves = more functional than added-on "bumps" (usually, but we are in a favorable pressure gradient region so yeah...)

Also, its not the fenders I object to on the 2022 BRZ, its the "stuck on" looking aero portions and the gapping holes in the front, along with the "base end civic" rear end. I do think in pictures it looks a little too "thick" firewall forward, but it's a good design.

It's not any "thicker", it's just eliminated the fake fender "vents" or vanes at the upper/aft sides of the fenders, which interrupted the flow but gave a false impression of "lowness" of the cowl when veiwed from the sides.
Somehow the side vents aft of the wheels, which I HATE on many cars, look great to me, and the little kicked-out fin behind the doors to me adds a nice counterpoint to that and also gives some shape to an otherwise shapeless void area between the doors and rear wheels (a blank space that would not exist in a proper 2-seat FR sports car!). So yeah, that one's a gimmick I kind of don't mind...

Anyway, sometimes gimmickry can be outrageous enough to look cool as hell. Getting back to 1971, a Corvettes front fenders are quite outlandish and over the top, but somehow at the same time clean and in their own way beautiful! Diametrically opposed to the more staid conservative but also beautiful lines of the Daytona...

[DarkSunrise]

Originally Posted by ZDan

The styling "bumps" are WAY outside of the engine bay, and the peaks are also well outside the tops of the struts (in fact looks like the bumps only begin outboard of strut tops).

The '22 doesn't have higher hood or fender lines, in fact the fenders should be a lot lower as they've shaved off the bumps while leaving simpler but (to me) nice-looking smooth curves.

Ah you could be right. I did a quick search and found some snippet attributed to the lead engineer (Tada) saying they were put there for styling and to help the driver better locate the front corners.

Oh well I still like them stylistically. I think they add some nice curves to the front, even if apparently non-functional!

[ZDan]

Originally Posted by DarkSunrise

Ah you could be right. I did a quick search and found some snippet attributed to the lead engineer (Tada) saying they were put there for styling and to help the driver better locate the front corners.

Oh well I still like them stylistically. I think they add some nice curves to the front, even if apparently non-functional!

Not gonna lie, initially I hated them, but I like them fine, even appreciate them now!
But at the same time I don't mind them being eliminated, imo good to see some things change just for variety's sake, as long as it's not outright ugly...

[joro2]

Originally Posted by ZDan

The styling "bumps" are WAY outside of the engine bay, and the peaks are also well outside the tops of the struts

For (under the hood) reference here’s the strut tops (circled),
it does seem as if w/o the fender bumps there’s clearance but not a heck of a lot.

[MJones_RB]

Whenever I get into my FR-S, look down the hoodline and see those humps, it always reminds me of the Mach 5 from "Speed Racer." Big difference from my previous GS-R.

[Willpower]

Agree on the Daytona’s fender arches are there, just longer and more subtle. Have to say also that the S2000’s front fenders are, in my opinion, some of the most beautiful fenders ever sculpted on a vehicle, at any price.

[ZDan]

Originally Posted by Willpower

Agree on the Daytona’s fender arches are there, just longer and more subtle.

Just like on the '22 BRZ. The current-gen, UNLIKE the Daytona and the '22, *interrupt* the smooth curve of the fenders with the bumps. For sure the '22 and the Daytona's lines here have a lot more in common.

Have to say also that the S2000’s front fenders are, in my opinion, some of the most beautiful fenders ever sculpted on a vehicle, at any price.

Troof...

[Vides990]

Originally Posted by ZDan

For sure the '22 and the Daytona's lines here have a lot more in common.

Lol, they look absolutely nothing alike.

[ZDan]

Originally Posted by Vides990

Lol, they look absolutely nothing alike.

I never said the 22 looks like a Daytona. Just pointing out for everyone boo-hoo-hooing over the loss of the "fender bumps", that not everybody thinks they're necessarily all that great. And gave the Daytona as an example of a car with a *similar* (not same!) no-bumps fender profile to the '22 (though obviously the Daytona has a MUCH longer hood). And a '71 Javelin as an example of another "fender bumps" car. Although it certainly doesn't look like the current gen either!

[extrashaky]

Originally Posted by ZDan

Not gonna lie, initially I hated them, but I like them fine, even appreciate them now!

Nah. I don't believe that. Nobody devotes a full page of rambling criticism to something they appreciate.

[wbradley]

I'm still not sure about the back.

[Vides990]

Originally Posted by ZDan

I never said the 22 looks like a Daytona.

You were comparing their fenders, and there's nothing to compare there lol.

[ZDan]

Originally Posted by Vides990

You were comparing their fenders, and there's nothing to compare there lol.

In comparison to the current-gen's fender bumps, yes there is. Fender line starts out flattish at cowl and smoothly curves down over and past the wheel opening.
For all the crying over the loss of the bumps, just pointing out that maybe they shouldn't be considered a requirement...

Bumps:


Nobumps:


Nobumps: