Perhaps the BEST B1G Forum anywhere, here at College Football Fan Site, CFB51!!!

It's not only wind tunnel of course, it's also for cooling, which gets to be a serious issue with midengine cars.  Then there is downforce which is why the Z07 package has those large spoilers on the back end, and front aero tricks as well.  That Vette has the Z07 package on it.

Of course. I was being deliberately simplistic. 

Essentially, though, the idea is that they're all solving for the same issues.

First is that you need two human-sized seats, one of which has access to the vehicle controls. There are only so many places you can put the driver and so many shapes you can ask them to conform to without being TOO uncomfortable. 

Second is performance, which pushes you into mid-engine designs for weight distribution and traction. Which also involves downforce, and reducing drag coefficient as much as you can EXCEPT as it relates to downforce production.

Third are the effects of that performance, which is the need to cool your engine and brakes, which is why you're going to have air intakes in the same places on all cars of similar design and capabilities. 

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But where I came from was once hearing my dad complain about all the cars looking the same. Of course they look the same. Vehicles of a certain class, i.e. mid-sized CUVs for example, are all trying to accomplish the same thing regarding occupant seating and comfort, cargo capacity, aerodynamics/fuel efficiency. Since they're all designed to meet the same constraints, it's simple to understand why they all end up with the same solution, and all you have to distinguish is little styling cues. So I came up with the (short and oversimplified) saying of they're all the same because they're all designed by the same computer programs and optimized for the same wind tunnel.

In past eras, when we didn't understand aerodynamics, and gas was cheap, you had a lot more design freedom. 

Love the look of this.



and this

Humans seem to like seeing swoopy sporty cars with long hoods and a low slung chassis.

Humans also like color, seeing plant blooms, fall colors, paintings, colorful uniforms.  We like waterfalls, the sound perhaps is refreshing along with any splash.

Men may profess to like jacked up trucks with large lift packages because I suppose it makes us feel manly.

Why can't SUVs tow as much as trucks?  Is there no SUV on a 2500 chassis?

Yes indeed, you've answered your own question.  Presumably there wasn't enough market for it, to make it worthwhile to auto manufacturers.  The last 3/4 ton SUVs were around 2005-2006 or so.  As I've said many times, I much prefer towing with an SUV.  Better balance, better power to the wheels, more comfortable environment for passengers, more protected space for passengers and gear.  But I must be in the minority.

large sedans are also going away

apparently more demand in China

Apparently so, it's just slightly surprising to me.  Looks like a pocket of profit.  It could be that folks with heavy towing needs accept that a 2500 truck with the large cab is just fine for them anyway.  And you can fifth wheel it which could be a consideration as well.

Why is it called a fifth wheel?

Amazing what I learn around here, some of it plausibly useful ...

It's also an interesting comment that "sports cars look the same" because of aerodynamics.  This is an over statement of course, but it has some significant truth to it.  Porsches to me still look distinctive, but a 911 and a "Boxster" start to look the same.  The Vette certainly could be mistaken for a Ferrari.  And I'd guess any real effort to make one "distinctive" would involve tradeoffs in performance of some sort.  You would never of course start with a Ford Edge kind of design for a sporty car.  The square shapes are very efficient for volume and utility, but not sportiness.  That new VW Van thingee looks like an interesting shape, to me.  

Headlight design is probably a factor in this as well now that headlights can be sophisticated.  I read rear view mirrors may disappear from cars that will have TV cameras instead, like Caddy has a rear view inside mirror now that it s TV screen.