Click image to enlarge to close to full screen. Chevy's new Volt on the left, and the equally new Cruze on the right. Sometimes I make big changes in my chops, to make entirely new cars. Sometimes I just make small detail changes to show that I think the real designers could have changed just a few things to make the cars better looking. This is an example of the latter.
The original press photos for the Volt and Cruze. How many changes can you spot in my chop, lol?
C H O P S — The biggest change I made to the Volt, on the left, was to replace the odd black paint under the windows with body color. I also changed the rear side window and door shapes. I also added a bit of darker color at the bottom of the car. Chevy most likely used the black paint under the windows to make the body sides seem less tall. I did the same thing, but by moving the darker paint to the bottom, I've created a more 'classic' look. I also changed the weird front body color grille to a darker argent, or charcoal color. I filled out the shape all the way to the headlights, and to keep the modern two-piece Chevy grille I added a thin chrome molding with a larger Chevy 'bowtie' in the center. I made a few more changes, which you can find on your own. lol, but overall I think the Volt is still 'hybridy" looking, still contemporary, but less awkward and bulbous. I think it looks more like a $40,000 car now too.
The Cruze has had less work done to it. Basically I added a black roof to blend the sunroof in better, and I added darker paint and a chrome strip along the bottom of the car. I painted more of the headlight coves a gray color to go better with the glass portion of the headlights. I think the Cruze is very good looking, and my changes are really only details. They could actually just be a different trim level, maybe and LTZ model, to use an alpha designation Chevy has used in the past.
N O T E — I'm going to be out of the house most of Sunday. I'm going to photograph flowers that Mary is designing for a wedding. I'll get shots of the wedding party flowers, the wedding venue flowers and the reception flowers. I'll also have plenty of time to wander the estate it's taking place in, a turn-of-the-century mansion and grounds that were left to its small city several years ago and is not a public space available for rent for parties and weddings. It's right on the water, so I should have some nice pics, and I know Mary's flowers will be gorgeous.
First and foremost, I hope you have an enjoyable time at the estate doing all your photographing! Sure sounds fun to me!! Oh, I went to Mary's site and love her design work. I was a florist in another life about 25 years ago. :)
ReplyDeleteAs for the cars, love most of your changes!! But couldn't you do something with the grill on the Cruze to make it look a lot less like a teenager's mouth with braces on? LOL
Later
Katie
The change I liked the best were the colored glass panes in the building behind the two cars! LOL!
ReplyDeleteBut in fairness, your Volt does look better than the factory fugly version. Too bad your's isn't the production version. Which leaves me wondering why a car that started as a clean sheet of paper already needs tweaking. I know this isn't the best that GM can do. For a car at it's pricepoint, $41,000, the styling should have been a homerun. The Volt barely makes it to first base.