Ned Potter is the science correspondent for ABC's "World News with Charles Gibson." He has reported on such topics as space exploration, the human genome and climate change.
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Tough Cars for Tough Times
October 15, 2008 3:29 PM
Take a look at the BMW 5 Series sedan. It's a well-built upscale car -- but that's not the issue for the moment.
Does the front of the car resemble a face to you? It does to many people. What do you think of it? Please feel free to weigh in below.
Now, take a look at the Toyota Prius. It's the darling of environmental consciousness -- but that's not the issue for now either. What do you see when you look at its "face"?
The car companies would be really interested to know your answers because, to put it blandly, there are billions of dollars on the line. So Karl Grammer, an anthropologist at the University of Vienna, got together with Truls Thorstensen, a design consultant there; they and several colleagues asked 40 people (half men, half women) to rate the "faces" of 38 different cars.
"All subjects marked eyes (headlights), a mouth (air intake/grille), and a nose in more than 50 percent of the cars," writes Grammer on the university website (full text HERE).
The researchers are publishing their results in the December edition of the journal Human Nature, and the abstract is HERE, but the key point is in Grammer's summary:
"The better the subjects liked a car, the more it bore shape characteristics corresponding to high values of what the authors termed 'power', indicating that both men and women like mature, dominant, masculine, arrogant, angry-looking cars."
Dominant? Arrogant? Angry? It doesn't take an academic journal to tell us that a lot of cars run on testosterone, even if all they do is sit in traffic.
A few years ago I did a story about a charming, eccentric French-born anthropologist-turned-consultant named Clotaire Rapaille, who argued that in a stressful world (the guy on your tail honking at you?), people retreat to the "reptilian instincts" that drive us all.
We met at a Chrysler dealership. Pointing out at the highway, Rapaille said, in a lilting French accent, "People feel it's a jungle out there. It's 'Mad Max.' It's very dangerous. And the message they want to give is, 'Don't mess with me.'"
Rapaille advised Chrysler in the development of the PT Cruiser, a car with a 1930s design, made very much on purpose to look like Al Capone's getaway car. You expected toughs in fedoras to climb out of it with machine guns. And as for the car's grille, Rapaille said, "It does look as though it has a sly smile, does it not?"
The PT Cruiser has served Chrysler well in otherwise-dismal times. And in the Vienna experiment, test subjects much preferred the hooded "eyes" of the BMW to the happy little grin of the Prius.
But when times get really tough, do you have $45,000 (minimum) to spend on the BMW? Or do you wish you had the hybrid that gets 45 miles a gallon?
(Pictures courtesy BMW and Toyota.)
October 15, 2008 | Permalink | Share | User Comments (20)
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Take a look at the smart car. It looks like it is smiling, doen't it.
DwytDee
Posted by: Dwyt | Oct 15, 2008 4:02:14 PM
Don't your remember the Disney movie, Cars? Even kids can see the faces on a car.
Posted by: lisa | Oct 15, 2008 4:21:03 PM
The new Acuras appear to be scowling.
Posted by: helloworld | Oct 15, 2008 4:39:02 PM
I've always seen faces on the fronts of cars. But I never put car likes with the faces on the cars. I'll have to look at the cars I like and see it they've got the manly faces. Is there any corrolation(sp) between truck faces and truck owners choices? Being a truck man, this would be nice to know.
Posted by: Lawrence | Oct 15, 2008 9:02:43 PM
The sedan has big nostrils, so it looks like a nerd. The Prius looks like it has big shiny teeth and it's smiling.
Posted by: Chris | Oct 15, 2008 9:04:40 PM
The German cars are the best, the most luxurious. I am just a child, I would definitely chose the BMW 5-series sedan, but I prefer the 2008 BMW 750Li.
Posted by: Erich von Albeser | Oct 15, 2008 9:13:24 PM
Nothing says "Get outta the way, Yuppie, I don't give a damn about you and your prissy car!" like a rusted '64 Chevy pickup truck.
Posted by: Uncle Moe | Oct 16, 2008 3:11:49 AM
The most powerful car I see ...BMW
Posted by: raed | Oct 16, 2008 4:37:13 AM
I was just looking at BMWs this past weekend for my mom. She wants a "luxury" car but that to her means a Monte Carlo. She has much to learn. I picked out the 328xi for her since we have wonderful winter months and if she thinks the Monte Carlo is fast, well, the 328 will suit her well. :)
Posted by: Beth | Oct 16, 2008 11:59:34 AM
The Mercedes definitely looks better. As for the Prius, wouldn't want one on any terms. Very overrated. My Cavalier gets about 37mpg, way outperforms the Prius, and in the 2-door package, looks a lot better too. In the long run, it's actually more economical when you factor in cost of batteries, ect. Heck, the Geo metro got 50mpg, what's the big deal about 45 in a Hybrid?
Back to the main question, the Mercedes looks aggressive and tough and yes, looks way cooler.
Posted by: Phil | Oct 16, 2008 12:14:17 PM
Face of car isn't as important to me as the rest of the body shape and more importantly, it's safty, reliability, and fuel economy...
Posted by: privatemale | Oct 16, 2008 12:22:04 PM
The split grille is a BMW trademark, nice but I always preferred the classic Jaguar design of the XK120-150 series and Mark II series.
In the pictures, the Prius is more aerodynamic of the two as the beamers headlamps will cause eddys and drag.
But I do see a mean BMW and a happy Prius and actually do not care for either one. I'll take the face of a 1960 Jaguar Mark II over either any day.
Posted by: Quietman | Oct 16, 2008 1:09:25 PM
I know what I like and what I don't. In my mind, the Prius looks like it's a little beetle with the word "conformist" written all over it. If the car companies want to get the world to buy hybrids, start giving us designs that don't assume we're all liberals and green children. Half the market are conservatives and we almost wretch when we see the Subarus and Toyota Prius's - If you want us buying hybrids, start designing for our sensibilities too.
I want a car that looks fast, has personality that is definitely not like some little bug or econobox feel and has the classic lines of a great car - The Mustang, Camaro and even the older retro classics like the Malibu and Charger of olden times are more in line...
Posted by: Jon | Oct 17, 2008 1:32:06 AM
To me it does not look like a face!!!!!!!
Posted by: Jon Ash | Oct 17, 2008 8:45:58 AM
The BMW looks like a cat to me, see car as agile.
Posted by: sharon | Oct 17, 2008 10:39:21 AM
I see a BMW with headlights that look like women's eyes with makeup, and an overall look that says "I mean business".
The Prius simply looks happy as cars do on Disney.
But there is also a definite difference in appearance of quality, the better being BMW.
Posted by: Rick | Oct 17, 2008 2:28:15 PM
I have Prius just like the photo. Absolutely the "best" car I've ever owned! ( I've had lots)
Posted by: r.compton | Oct 18, 2008 2:24:31 PM
I don't think people will buy a car if it has a face or not. They still want to know how the car feels more than if it has a face. No matter the face, the pricetag still counts more.
Posted by: Joey Franzetti | Oct 20, 2008 8:58:08 PM
I have found PT Cruiser owners to be the coolest, and friendliest people on the road.
Posted by: pt | Oct 21, 2008 1:28:44 PM
Funny. It's the exact opposite of me. I only buy cars that look 'happy'. I like happy looking cars because I'm a happy person. Hmm...I wonder if that's why I keep getting rear-ended and side-swiped? Interesting...
Posted by: Mscanon | Oct 23, 2008 7:12:52 PM
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