Like many car-freak kids, when I was young, I could identify the make and model of oncoming or preceding cars in the dark, which completely amazed my parents – or so they say.
The way the headlights and cornering lights were positioned according to the car’s silhouette, or the way the taillights were shaped and how they glowed, made guessing the model a piece of cake. Are today’s kids as good as we were back in the day? Actually, do they even care?
If they do, one thing’s for certain; identifying cars and trucks in the dark is harder today than some 30 years ago. These days, most if not all cars under a same brand have family resemblances that are stronger than ever, which poses a challenge.
Back in the ‘80s, pretty much every Chevy looked different apart from the bowtie glued to the front grille. Chevette, Camaro, Corvette, Cavalier, Caprice, Celebrity and Monte Carlo; they were all quite distinct. Today, when the sun goes down, try and figure out which Toyota just went by; was that a Corolla or a Camry?
Actually, recognizing the brand of a lot of recent models takes practice. You see, cars from the ‘90s and ‘2000s all seem to have copied each other’s design, making it harder for kids to distinguish one brand from another. At least with new, edgy designs from mainstream brands such as Kia to luxury vehicle peddlers like Mercedes-Benz, some of the fun is coming back into this pre-pubescent, car-nut hobby.
With nothing better to do on a Saturday but to drive around in the dark – although a 518-hp, spine-tingling, twin-turbo V8 is a compelling reason to do so – I brought my trusty Rebel with me and took a few pics. Can you identify the car in this picture?
LED technology will obviously play a major role in making makes and models easier to recognize in utter darkness, as more creative illumination patterns are designed and applied to tomorrow’s cars and trucks.
Parents, if you want your kids to become car freaks like you (which is a safer hobby than bungee jumping or playing with firecrackers), your first step is to teach your kids all the makes and models and showing them how to spot their taillights in the dark. Start now.
Oh, and the car in this picture? If you haven’t guessed already, it’s a 2012 Mercedes CLS 63 AMG.
The way the headlights and cornering lights were positioned according to the car’s silhouette, or the way the taillights were shaped and how they glowed, made guessing the model a piece of cake. Are today’s kids as good as we were back in the day? Actually, do they even care?
If they do, one thing’s for certain; identifying cars and trucks in the dark is harder today than some 30 years ago. These days, most if not all cars under a same brand have family resemblances that are stronger than ever, which poses a challenge.
Back in the ‘80s, pretty much every Chevy looked different apart from the bowtie glued to the front grille. Chevette, Camaro, Corvette, Cavalier, Caprice, Celebrity and Monte Carlo; they were all quite distinct. Today, when the sun goes down, try and figure out which Toyota just went by; was that a Corolla or a Camry?
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| Photo: Michel Deslauriers/Auto123.com |
Actually, recognizing the brand of a lot of recent models takes practice. You see, cars from the ‘90s and ‘2000s all seem to have copied each other’s design, making it harder for kids to distinguish one brand from another. At least with new, edgy designs from mainstream brands such as Kia to luxury vehicle peddlers like Mercedes-Benz, some of the fun is coming back into this pre-pubescent, car-nut hobby.
With nothing better to do on a Saturday but to drive around in the dark – although a 518-hp, spine-tingling, twin-turbo V8 is a compelling reason to do so – I brought my trusty Rebel with me and took a few pics. Can you identify the car in this picture?
LED technology will obviously play a major role in making makes and models easier to recognize in utter darkness, as more creative illumination patterns are designed and applied to tomorrow’s cars and trucks.
Parents, if you want your kids to become car freaks like you (which is a safer hobby than bungee jumping or playing with firecrackers), your first step is to teach your kids all the makes and models and showing them how to spot their taillights in the dark. Start now.
Oh, and the car in this picture? If you haven’t guessed already, it’s a 2012 Mercedes CLS 63 AMG.