Recently, we asked you about what cars are best enjoyed from the driver’s seat, not just because they’re fun to drive, but because you also can’t see how ugly they are from there. As it turns out, there are a lot of cars out there that are a blast to wheel, even though they’re a bummer to look at.
The response with the most thumbs ups and the fewest comments – suggesting that the photo of the car spoke for itself and required no defending – was the BMW Z3M. Launched in 1997, the car is often referred to as the “Clownshoe” due to its odd proportions.
#BMW Z3M Coupe
While I don’t disagree that its odd proportions earn it its place at the top of the comments, I can also see how BMW might have convinced itself that it was good-looking. A shooting brake with very wide wheel arches and a long nose, if you only described the Z3M Coupe, I expect you’d see buyers lining up through the door of their local BMW dealership to buy it. But good ideas and good execution are not necessarily the same thing.
More: What Old Car Features Need To Be Brought Back?
#BMW M3 & M2
It turns out that BMW has a habit of making good cars that are ugly. I suppose their slogan is the “ultimate driving machine,” not the “ultimate driveway candy.” Indeed, the comment with the second-most thumbs ups suggested that the latest M3 and M2 are both as easy to drive as they are hard to look at.
Commenter ‘Ben’, echoing many complaints, said he still hasn’t “gotten over the ugly piglet nose” of modern M cars, and called the M2 “a complete mess.” The closest thing to a defense of the cars came from ‘SCBeachBum’, who said “the rear ain’t bad but that front…”
# Acura Integra, Alfa 145 / 155, Porsche 996
Other commenters complained that the U.S. market Acura Integra was uglier than the Japanese market version, that the mid-’90s Alfa Romeo 145 and 155 were hideously ugly from any angle but a riot from behind the wheel, and that the 996-generation 911, like all Porsches, is fun, but is particularly tough to bear visually. The Lotus Europa, the Austin Healey frog-eyed Sprite, and the Polaris Slingshot are all also poorly designed, despite being fun to drive.
# Mazda Miata
Among the vehicles proposed by commenters, pretty much the only one to garner any controversy was the latest Mazda Miata. While commenter ‘pcurve’ complained about its smiling grille, commenter ‘JESKO’ responded, “That’s not ugly, that’s straight up adorable.”
What do you think? Is the Miata’s grin a negative or a positive, and were any obvious contenders missed?
