Those plastic rear window continuations

block58 · 13-12-2009, 10:32 PM

They seem to be appearing out of nowhere on new cars because I have never seen them before.

(If you dont know what I mean then I mean the wedge shaped plastic bits at the rear of the rear doors to continue the arc look of the windows)

Just wondering what everyone thinks of them and if you think they look tacky.

Some examples:

Kia Rio

Holden Cruze/Daewoo Lacetti :evil3:

Ford Taurus

Cant think of any others off the top of my head but there probably are others.

bf tubs · 14-12-2009, 01:35 AM

mid 90s mondeos had them too but i cant remember if they were in the door or after it

Antwon · 14-12-2009, 03:16 AM

Notice they have them on the front as well?

The Ford one looks alright but Kia and Daewoo failed, I think because their uber large, and small on the Ford.

BA-Fan · 14-12-2009, 08:47 AM

Older cars had them too:

who could forget the VB-VH Commodores and I think the old Nissan Pulsar had them too!

The Stylist · 14-12-2009, 09:14 AM

The current Mazda6 sedan has them, and they make that area of the car look busy and ungainly - if they'd just stretched that rear quarter window out to fill the chrome area it would look so much better.

Riksta · 14-12-2009, 01:08 PM

The Daewoo ones were ugly as sin

There was one model similar which had a bit of a honeycomb in the plastic bit, don't think I'll be able to find a picture in a hurry though.

fordOwner · 14-12-2009, 01:23 PM

I agree the daewoo ones are the worst ESPECIALLY the ones with the holes in them. ERCKH!

block58 · 14-12-2009, 02:24 PM

I remember there was once a tv show and two car journalists were blindfolded and had to guess a car just by its feel.

One of the cars was the Daewoo pictured above with the honeycomb bit and the presenter was surprised when one of the journos didn't get the car right because of the honeycomb.

It would be nice to know what that show was...

Mr Brooksy · 14-12-2009, 03:53 PM

Don't they add this piece of plastic triangle so that they can continue the design of the glasshouse while removing the possibility of the glass becoming to thin and more open to cracking or breaking? For example the tips of a glass triangle is weaker and more prone to chips and cracks?

Mind you they have been doing ok for plenty of years with the other thin edge.

Could it also be for weight saving? Or cost? I know it would be only incrimental, but it all helps right?

block58 · 14-12-2009, 08:58 PM

I just had a thought.

For these cars its really either this, or the Mazda3 look.

imugli · 15-12-2009, 01:18 AM

I'll take the 3, thanks.

outback_ute · 15-12-2009, 07:16 PM

The 80's cars pictured had the air extraction vents in those pieces of plastic.

It's not exactly the same but the FG Falcon has a large blacked-out section at the rear of the fixed window pane which has the same effect as those.

The worst one I've seen recently is the Chevrolet Volt where there is a fake black bit below the side windows to make it look like the waistline of the car is lower.

Nikked · 15-12-2009, 09:15 PM

Its just an easy way to continue the window lines without bringing them to a halt. Alot of cars are now having them on the front as A pillers are moving foward, and without the plastic there would be a big ugly thick piller. It helps the car look more roomy an flowing.

Ohio XB · 16-12-2009, 06:54 AM

Quote:

Its just an easy way to continue the window lines without bringing them to a halt.

That's it in a nutshell.

The Fox bodied Mustang of the 1980's started with a louvred look at the rear of the side glass, like in this pic...

Then they changed from the louvres to glass, but there was no opening on the inside and the glass was just blacked out...

So I would say, yes, it is just to continue the line.

Steve