There are some proven ways to start an argument. One is to declare the Toyota Prius a masterpiece of automotive design. I think it is. But one of my readers recently described the Prius as "a deformed anteater that happens to be made out of metal instead of flesh."
This got me thinking about the nature of beauty, automotive and otherwise. What makes a car – or anything else – beautiful or ugly? Plato believed that beauty was rooted in a set of universal, abstract ideals. The Romans produced a set of style guidelines that are still in use today. Oscar Wilde saw beauty as a form of genius.
And then I thought of Hot or Not, the website where you post your picture and let people vote on whether you're good looking or not. (I don't recommend trying this.) But not every car falls into a clear category. We can all agree that the Jaguar F-Type, George Clooney's bride and the Porsche 911 are beautiful. And we can also agree that Dick Cheney and the Pontiac Aztek are not.
Stylistically, most cars are safe bets. The Accord and Camry are inoffensive but dull. The Audi A7 and the Mercedes C-Class are the vehicular equivalent of a grey Armani suit: sleek and buttoned-down, but not exactly memorable.
Then we come to the Fight Starters – cars that can divide a room into two warring camps. These are litmus-test machines that are both adored and reviled. Let's have a look at some prime examples.
Lamborghini Countach
The Countach is either an automotive masterpiece, or the most overwrought piece of kitsch since King Ludwig commissioned the Swan Grotto at Neuschwanstein. The Countach is not a conservative design – its overall shape is one of the most extreme, and it's festooned with enough vents, grills, strakes and splitters to equip a squadron of Mig 29s. The Countach arrived in 1974 and polarized opinion from the start. The Countach was driven by Leonardo DiCaprio in The Wolf of Wall Street, and a car buff named Ken Imhoff spent years building a homemade Countach replica. Imhoff's project is documented on a site called The Bull in the Basement – you can see it here. Love it or hate it, the Countach cannot be ignored.
Corvette C3
This car provokes powerful reactions. Built between 1968 and 1992, the C3 is known as the "Coke bottle" Corvette thanks to its pinched waist and bulbous nose and tail. It has legions of fans, and there are countless car clubs devoted to the C3. Some of the Corvettes that came before the C3 were aesthetic masterpieces (like the original Stingray). But the C3's shape veers toward the cartoon end of the scale. If it were a woman, it would be an over-endowed stripper working a truck stop. When director Paul Thomas Anderson chose a car for porn star Dirk Diggler in Boogie Nights, there could be no other choice than a Corvette C3.
Toyota Prius
The Prius represents automotive design at its best, because the shape is based on pure function: the Prius's curves and volumes are determined by aerodynamics and space efficiency, not the fickle vagaries of style. The sloped nose reduces drag, the tall roof creates space, and the cut-off tail is based on wind tunnel testing. Many of history's greatest cars were derided in their day as hideous, but went on to earn a lasting place in the pantheon of style thanks to their unwavering commitment to function (like the Model T, the Beetle and the Citroen 2CV). Even so, millions of people think the Prius is ugly. I think history will prove them wrong.
Nissan Juke
The Juke's unconventional appearance has gained it a loyal following. In my opinion, the Juke represents design at its fad-driven worst. The Juke resembles a bullfrog with headlights, and the contorted shape adds nothing to its function. The Juke's best asset is its ability to spark a spirited argument about car design.
Alfa Romeo 4C
Alfa is a legendary marque with a history of producing cars that go on to become enduring classics – like the Giulia GT Junior and the boat-tailed Spider roadster that Dustin Hoffman drove in The Graduate. But the 4C is a love-it-or-hate-it design. I think it looks like a Lotus Evora that got rear-ended. Fight it out among yourselves.
Porsche Panamera
When you think of Porsche, the image that comes to mind is the iconic, bullet-shaped 911. Then there's the Panamera, which resembles an over-padded athletic shoe. When I test-drove a Panamera a while back, one of my friends thought it was the most beautiful car she'd ever seen. Others thought it was a porcine desecration of the Porsche name. The Panamera is definitely a conversation-starter.
Original VW Beetle
The VW Beetle's shape survived longer than any other car in history. (It was manufactured from 1938 until 2003.) The Beetle was built at the behest of Adolf Hitler, who demanded a useful, low-cost car for the citizens of the Fatherland. The Beetle's shape was driven by efficiency, not style – designer Ferdinand Porsche focused on making a durable car that could be built with minimal materials, and could carry four people in a small package. The result was an egg-shaped little machine with a style all its own. Many considered it a rolling wart. Others declared it a masterpiece. I'm in the latter camp.
Now it's your turn. Are they hot or not? Cast your vote in the polls below: