oldest modern looking vehicle you can think of

[CyborgGT]

Stepping further back than my '99 thoughts... the '96 550 Maranello looks more modern than any of them. Certainly looks more modern than the '92 McLaren, so I take that one back as well. Also predates the NSX's facelift.



The 575 (basically the same thing as the 550) is one of my favorite ever Ferraris, so I looked into pricing... the majority are going for $100-200k on AutoTrader, but a couple people were asking beyond $500-600k. Half a million freaking dollars for an '04, holy hell.

[oni_cb7]

Lexus SC300. This car could be re-released today and everyone would think it was a brand new car. This design was way ahead of its time. Yes, the model year starts in 1991, but the design was originally created in 1987. This was during a time when boxy was the way to go for the design world, but Lexus created something that would be sold until the year 2000.

I am more partial to the facelift from 1997...

[JDMDriver]

3rd gen Honda Prelude =

Its the first Honda 4ws
The only solidstate 4ws
Lowest hood for Fwd
Beat ALL super cars in it's time in handling and agility

CRX Delsol =

Highest hp per litre engine at its time
Only Honda and a rarity among all car designs to have a retractable rear window
First and only Honda to come with a electric hard top
Still stumps peoples imagination on its operation
Makes people's jaw drop in seeing its operation


Accord 4th gen cb7 = 4ws

Similar and as said for above 3rd gen Prelude
Timeless and will not be surpassed due to 4ws on a sedan!!

[CyborgGT]

This thread is about appearances. Those cars all look old as dirt.

[emosun]

this is about blending into traffic without normal people noticing your car is old. if it's in bad condition it looks old. If it's an obvious classic like a hot rod or 50's 60's 70's car it looks old. But if it's in good condition , and looks pretty similar to most other vehicles , it disappears.

The "GENERIC LOOKING" factor helps a lot. like on the 92 econoline. it's so bland it really doesn't scream a specific point in time. other than the tail lights and grill , the exterior didn't really change from 92 to 2007.

there's a lot of 2007's still on the road so the 92 can go unnoticed.

but again the question is so general that there really no correct answers here , just hopes and guesses. lol

[CyborgGT]

Thread title is misleading then. "Modern" is not the same thing as "generic" and "blends in." In that case, anything from the last twenty five years with a straight body and good paint will "blend in." I was under the impression that you meant, from a design standpoint, which older cars look like they might be able to pass for a 2015/2016 model year car.

[F22Chris]

Any Miata.

[JDMDriver]

Doesn't look old to me. This vehicle attracted attention of owners who drove top end european and even a maserati driver cars costing half a house. They have never seen anything like it and being a humble Honda blew their thoughts.

Literally stopped traffic when transforming. Only hard top with vertically lifting boot.

[JDMDriver]

In my view take the fashion and low tech gear on new cars and it will be as unexciting as an old 80s or 90s car.

Take the LEDs out, HIDs, projectors, large rims, install a cassette player, reverse sensor cameras, put 13 or 14 inch, steel rims, hub caps, a single small muffler and fade the paint and the new car looks more comparable.

[CyborgGT]

That Del Sol attracted attention because of the unique way it took the top off when you decided to do it in a crowded area, not because it looked like an exciting new car, I'm pretty positive of that. Pull up in a Koenigsegg and people will stare in wonder as you open your 90-degree-rotating doors (not only because the car looks amazing). Install that same trick on a Civic hatchback, though, and people will still stare because it's unusual.

I'm not saying your cars don't look good, they fall right into my own taste in car design - I like them very much. I'm just saying that '80s/'90s body styling does not interchange with most of that from the last five years. Even you're saying that it takes modification to make an older car appear more modern, or vice versa. The small details change the look of a car in a huge way, but even so, for the most part it looks like the furthest back you can trace the lines of today's main body shells is the late '90s. You can get all the latest aftermarket pieces you want for a late '80s to early '90s Honda and it will never look like anything designed after 2000. The body lines are still very much of-that-era.

People that judge others based on the car they drive are going to be far more influenced by the exterior styling than the tech that they can't see hidden underneath. You can't tell that Car A has gadgetry that Car B lacks when they're both sitting unattended in a parking lot. Try parking that Del Sol next to a stock 8th or 9th gen Civic and asking passerby which is more modern... even with the roof repeatedly opening and closing itself.

[Ralphie]

^^^^ This.

I just don't see a large amount of vehicles fooling anyone into thinking they are modern by any stretch.

Look at what we have now.

New Accord.
New Lexus IF sport
Heck I see Tesla's rolling around frequently now.

What car can even stand a chance next to any of those?

The body lines are a dead giveaway, even for lay people. They would say, "oh it looks so 80's" even if it were a 90's car.

[wed3k]

im not going to post any pictures on a honda website but i think the corrado is a futuristic looking vehicle. hell, porsche boxster used the spoiler motor out of it since it is a direct plug in. however, everyone calls it a scirocco.

[CyborgGT]

Well it did both replace, and be replaced by, a Scirocco. Kind of odd, but in a way it is virtually the same thing. I love those cars though. I keep hearing online about a rivalry between the Volkswagen and Honda communities as old as Evo vs Impreza, but I've yet to witness it in the real world. In my opinion, old VWs are cool in a way that Hondas never will be (EF hatch comes close)... but I'd never take one over a Honda, don't ask me why.

[verothacamaro]

1988 Lotus Esprit



Or Porsche 959 (I know - it's cheating)



Otherwise I think the EG Civics have aged particularly well (less the 4 door):

[verothacamaro]

im not going to post any pictures on a honda website but i think the corrado is a futuristic looking vehicle. hell, porsche boxster used the spoiler motor out of it since it is a direct plug in. however, everyone calls it a scirocco.

Corrado is simply one of the best looking cars from any period. I love that thing - definitely collectible if you can find one in mint.