Is it from being the icons of the automotive design? Or is it being afraid of getting criticized and back lashed for any new possible design direction?
The companies of Porsche, Aston Martin, and Rolls Royce all suffer from the Lazy Design Syndrome. Yes, there are very subtle differences between all their models. Of course, you can cheat and just go the rear of the car to look at the badges to distinguish the models. But, you would have to have a doctorate degree just to be able to tell the differences between their current models, even from the past ones.
Porsche
The current 911
The iconic, Hitler-commissioned, design of Ferdinand Porsche was used for both VW Beetle and the later Porsche 911. Since 1963 one could argue that, in essence, the 911 is the same basic design. A victim of its own success, Porsche has been trying to replace this model so many times with superior chassis. But from the public outcry of its fans and customers, Porsche is forced to keep updating this almost 70 year old design.
What makes it offensive is not the refreshment of the 911 design, but making every new Porsche models (since the 1990′s) a variation of the 911. Porsche needs to stop bastardizing the 911 design and actually make some interesting cars, take the 924 and 928 for example.
The Boxster is smaller version of 911. The Cayman is a Boxster with the top on it, which is a smaller 911. Cayenne is basically a VW Touareg with a 911 nose. Finally, the upcoming Panamera looks like a Cayman with 4 doors and a funny rear-end, with the vestiges of the 911 design. The only exception to the 911 rule being the Porsche Carrera GT, but even the mighty GT carries the 911′s grinning front bumper and Boxster’s tail lamps.
Rolls Royce
Aside from the modern touches, it looks like Rollers from yester year.
The legendary Rolls Royce has a long, rich history of being the world’s best car, an opinion mostly shared by the British motoring press and historians. But if you were to look at a Rolls Royce of the 1960′s and RR of today, not too much has changed. Yes, the windows are more flush; thanks to advancements in automotive manufacturing techniques.
It is as if they are basically telling it’s buyers not to worry about their cars going out of style. Perhaps, they’ve run out of funding to pay its designers. Please, give us a different looking Rolls in the future. You can follow Bentley’s lead, as even though their Continental might be Audi/VW based, it’s a great looking car.
Aston Martin
Guess this variant of the Aston line up. Time's up. It's a DB9
Here’s a company that takes the whole Lazy Design Syndrome to another level. Aston Martin designers must be narcissistic or are elitists. Much like Rolls Royce, another UK company, they make one design and decide this is what you’re going to get. It just might be Ford’s doing when they purchased the car company in the mid-1990′s, which coincides with the beginning of Aston’s LDS (Lazy Design Syndrome), or maybe movie producers of ’007′ films told them that they cannot produce any other Aston Martin design for James Bond. Whatever it is, it’s tragic. From DB9, Vanquish, Vantage, to the upcoming One-77, they are all basically the same car. Actually, this basic design goes back to DB7.
We’ve had three James Bond changes in the time of DB7 to One-77. Isn’t it time for a change in Aston Martin design?
-KF