Rethinking the the infamous Pontiac Aztek | Chip Foose Draws a Car - Ep. 11
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 28 ก.ย. 2024
- We took your feedback and made this happen. Chip Foose can tackle any flawed design and improve it, and the Pontiac Aztek was universally ridiculed for good reason. The original concept car from 1999 certainly had merit, but all the intended energy and presence went down the drain when the concept met the "hard points" of GM's U-body minivan platform. A cool Pontiac SUV based on a Pontiac Montana? Good luck with that: The end result was offensive to most eyes, ill-proportioned, and its plastic clad body was so ungainly that a mid-cycle exterior refresh happened in the second year of production ... nearly unheard of in the car design business.
Luckily, Chip Foose is a man with a plan.
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Chip, I was a sculptor in the Saturn Studio at GM when Pontiac needed a place to model the Aztek. We had an extra plate so in came the clay. From the very outset the car had become an engineering controlled model. The original show car was morphed into an existing platform and we had no real choice but to model the car under duress. The sculptors mostly disliked what it was becoming and had no real say in the matter. Needless to say it became what it did. Bad press and poor decisions aside, I think GM caved in too easily and the Aztek came to an unnecessary end. In all actuality the vehicle was a great suv though. And it started a kind of trend in SUV design. I actually owned three of them and never had an issue with them. In fact my grandson still has my last one, an ‘05, with over 200k miles. No rust and still strong. Say what you will about the design, it’s not near as bad as some of the examples that followed from other companies. Think Toyota BJ Cruiser, Nissan Cube, Kia Soul IMHO. Thanks for doing this design rehash. I think you may have captured the essence of what the Aztek was all about!
Interesting background. The only one that caught my attention was the one off created by the GM's performance division. It's charcoal gray, has a shorter front clip that's similar looking to Chip's front design, has a LS1 engine w/a heavily modified firewall pushed back, the tailgate was sealed up & shorter hatchback, & slammed to the ground w/custom ground effects. It was a helluva one off, saw it in a car audio mag 1st. Happened to look it up several years ago & saw images of it on Woodward, possibly during a Woodward cruise. Amazing what they brought out of that. Overall, well executed...
why did they kill the uplander? it was the greatest mid sized van.
Always glad to read posts like this.
You are being kind with you comparison vehicles. There have been truly hideous vehicles from Toyota/Lexus recently, especially during their "crumpled paper meets cleft palate" styling years, that make the Aztek look average.
Great insight!! Thanks. I thought the reasons ( prototype design to actual production model differences) would have been like the accounting dept. took over the design dept.
David Dickmeyer I always suspected that it was a design that was overly dictated by management.
loving the lack of music. those drawing sounds and the narration rock
I never cease to be amazed at the talent of Chip Foose. His freehand drawing skill is a joy to watch.
This guy is a legend didn’t missed any of his episodes of Overhaulin
Chip has shined a light on the age old struggle between designers and engineers. Both are equally important in bringing cars from concept to showroom, but quite often the excitement of the vision and concept has been lost by the time the engineers have figured out what has to be changed to make the vehicle structurally safe and able to contain the thousands of components beneath the skin. Throw in the cost cutting accountants and you end up with a rolling mail box for a car.
I loved my Aztek, 7 years and 386000 km before a yo yo lighting a cigarette ran a red light and took my front end off. I only had one issue in all the time I had mine. It was a bit of a brick on the highway with a head wind against me, but in general it had good pick up and handling. If you look at many newer vehicles many take some of their styling cues from the Aztek. The front end and back end inspired many more expensive and luxurious cars. It stood out as being different, like the Slave One in Star Wars. My father-in-law called it the big yellow abortion. I'm on my third vehicle since it was written off and when ever I see one on the road I always have fond memories of it.
Ugliness can be attractive too. Especially when it is approved by Walter White...
Best part is when he sold it for a real American made beauty
Alexis Gator chrysler? 😂😂💀
@@Alang_492 laugh emoji laugh emoji skull emoji.
It’s never boring when Chip’s brain hamster jumps in the wheel and this design certainly didn’t disappoint. It really is amazing how so many production cars that were less than pretty, could be changed into something gorgeous with just a few modifications sometimes. For those who would love a cool old classic but have a less than pretty budget, get inspired by car people with imaginations like Chip. Affordable and you won’t have 30 other people at cruise night with the same car as you.
It was built on an ordinary and plain mini van platform. That said, I eventually bought one new. It was a fabulous family vehicle, could tow well and as I found out from many owners, they loved them. That was not the case until I sat in one and got over the exterior faux pas's. Never regretted that purchase.
"BMW Got it right"
Now I just see an X5
I saw BMW RIGHT before he said that.
GarageCivic same here !
Chip goes what were they thinking about with the front over hang. It's a V6 front wheel drive car. The engine is up there in that over hang.
The BMW is rear wheel drive with the engine set more rearward.
yep i cant see anything but BMW in the final sketch cool tho
It's that kidney grills
Great sketching talent. Thanks! Let's call the new design...the Pontiac Heisenberg
I am awed by your translation of the Aztec. I still see them on the road in Tucson occasionally. And, hey I agree, they are not a pretty car from the factory. Pontiac is gone now, but they had some great engineering and bodies.
Leave it to Foose to get the Aztek right! This is what the car should have looked like.
One thing about how the original Aztek that succeeded, when I saw how what it was supposed to be (and thanks to Chip what it could have been), a fun little off-road bandit, and what we go instead, it tore my heart out.
So many times GM will shown a concept car that’s beautiful! However when the actual production model comes out it looks so far removed from the concept car! Why?
L Kendrix
Cost efficiency and safety are the two main contributing factors as to why concept and production vehicles look so different.
Concept cars don’t have regulations as to how high a bumper has to be or how low a window line can be for a side curtain airbag to properly be implemented.
Always have to have safety first.
Kasper The Ghost Thank you for your response! I alway thought it was the bean counters yelling out to make it cheaper not safer! Hmmm, what a great 👍🏾 concept! To make a concept car cheaper and safer that looks almost identical to the concept car! I must be a genius to come up with this idea 💡! Wonder why no one else as come up with this idea 💡 ?!
@@lkendrix7782 bc it's impossible. One has restrictions and the other doesnt. Concepts are to assess customer and press interest in ideas, design exercises, showing a line of cars design language and branding in another light (halo effect). Unless you get remove safety and cost standards concept cars wont become road legal and production vehicles. Think if a car can use 1000 parts off bin vs if it has to have those 1000 parts custom made or ordered.. the closest you'll see to your dream achieved is limited run super cars like new aston maston valkyrie or gordon Murray's t50. They meet standards through clever and expensive engineering solutions. For example both have naturally aspired cosworth v12 that have 4 separate catalytic converters to meet emissions standards (1 for every 3 cylinders).
It's because car companies have a fear of the public not accepting the "new" Americans like the safe and boring. Why else would the Ford Taurus sell so well lol.
Always wanted to see you draw one of these!
We bought one new in the fall of 2001 since we needed a roomy family vehicle that got decent mileage and they were heavily discounted by then.
It was with us until spring of 2019 with almost 250k of memories on it. Having a separate tailgate/hatch made it super handy for everything - even lumber, car camping, almost all of Route 66, multiple trips to Colorado including Pikes Peak, and some light off-roading.
"Sad part is, they ended up with a vehicle that wasn't for anybody"
Lmao
never could be more inaccurate my aztek is amazing and i wouldnt really change a thing
The aztek was ahead of it's time. If you look, all the crossovers on the road today look exactly like it.
The big fat Buicks especially.
Wtf?
My wife and I both own Azteks... a 2001 and a 2003. Love your concept!
i have an Aztec and love her drove in january from Vancouver ( 28000) to Toronto 5days and my baby still rocking 🦅
Pontiac was the first to dip it's toes in the crossover craze. Aztek I think is ahead of it's time. Car needed more curves, less plastic, but I think it kept the fun. Wouldn't call it bland I mean they came with a tint lol
Chip should have been in a design department. He would take everyone's job😅💯💚
The crazy thing about the final production version is that, as I have heard, GM showed it to focus groups and it got rave reviews. That told me focus groups are useless and a waste of time.
All I did to make my Aztek look 10 times better... Larger all terrain tires! It fixed the proportions and made it look a bit more rugged. A roof basket and LED light bar helped the look.
Only Chip Foose could make an Aztek look moderately attractive... Amazing...
I know you’re a designer but as someone that cares just as much about features and practicality as they do looks, I loved the Aztek. It was cutting edge and had features no one else was offering. Especially great for camping. It had a heads up display. Power outlets in the cargo area. Large hidden storage bins everywhere. Built in compressor for airing up tires after off roading or blowing up a river raft or air mattress. Built in fold out camping tent. Etc etc. the Aztek was awesome... besides it’s strange looks.
Always had a soft spot for the Aztek, I respected it trying to be an SUV before SUVs were fully defined and became really popular. It always needed bigger wheels and 4WD.
Love the redesign!
I owned two of these vehicles. It was quirky but I loved them! Especially the one with sportier body cladding.
I was car shopping at the time the Aztek was originally released and there was one on the showroom floor. The salesperson told me all about the features and accessories and said it would make a great vehicle for someone who was single. I replied, “If I owned that thing, I’d be single for a very long time!”
The Aztec concept car started out as a clean sheet styling exercise but when GM approved it for mass production, they decided to use their existing minivan platform as the engineering starting point. This decision required myriad compromises to make everything fit on to an already established architecture, such as the enormous front overhang and terrible ground clearance. Just like the Fiero, this was a beautiful design that was ruined by overzealous cost cutting.
Great rendition!! We had a Aztec and we loved it and we miss it.
Great redesign Chip. It's too bad you weren't on the design board over at GM when the Aztek was being drawn up. Maybe it wouldn't have killed Pontiac. Your redesign still looks modern today! GM - make this a Hummer EV!
BTW - the designer of the Aztek went on to design the C7 Corvette. Doesn't make sense how he failed spectacular on the Aztek, but was wildly successful with the Corvette. That just goes to show how the accountants were in charge over at GM.
Add crumple zones, 3mph bumpers, roll over beam space under the roof, on-hand production parts and part attachment points... Also, IMO, The back is HUGE. I wonder how it would do in rollover tests. What IS possible is quite remarkable. Take a look at profiles of the original Honda Fit/Jazz. It's unfortunate that design was in the US only 2 years. Absolutely NO space was wasted. It's amazing how they crammed the gizzards in that profile. It was huge inside. With respect. Regards.
I LOVE IT!!!! I LOVE THE AZTEK BECAUSE IT IS SO DIFFERENT & BEAUTIFUL. GREAT VIDEO & EDUCATION. THANKS FOR SHARING.
I loved the Aztek, bought a new 2005 and thoroughly enjoyed it. Mine was black, took it everywhere from camping to clubbing lol
I would so watch a episode of this car being made!! Who else agrees?
Made - for me! I think it looks funky as hell. 8 P
A buddy of mine rented one when he came back to town on leave one year and i got to drive it, it drove like a dream, only issue I had was the trunk hatch had a strip on metal that ran right through your line of sight in the rear view mirror and there was no way to get it out of the frame (at least for me) severely limiting my rear field of vision.
Looks great, like a mix of the concept and a BMW X5. I like where he went with the rear glass. The wheel proportion is nice as well, kind of a staggered hot rod look. It will be interesting going forward with modern production technics with how much 3d shape they add to a front end, they could add more of a arrowhead pointed shape. Also with the addition to electric propulsion, they you might able to do a staggered wheel diameter combo since there so no mechanical coupling of the front and rear axles.
I paused to type my comment and there Chip says it!! 🤣🤣🤣🤣 Stranger than fiction!!
That looks so sweet! Imagine if Pontiac came out with a look like the concept they might even still be around.
“Love between the ugly, is the most beautiful love of all”
― Todd Rundgren
Reminds me of a BMW X5, good work
That Aztek only came in 1 colour, Breaking Bad Green!!! I'm Heisenburg would take he's Aztek to FOOSE to get sorted!! Great redesign, makes you want to look for one just to have done like that!
Desk full of expensive art supplies; draws with a Bic stick.
My only..... concern regarding the design is the agressivness of the rear wheels. Short of that EXCELLENT.
I love to sketch/draw with those 'imprint' logo pens too, Chip! sometimes the cheapest pens are the best for doodlin :) love the re-design. it has an x5 vibe for sure!
Looks awesome and the original concept look really good, a shame they miss it so bad
i have an 04 aztek that not only is 20 years old but i have had it personally for 13 years!! it had 107k on it when i first got it now it has almost 291k..it was the best 5k i ever spent and have traveled all across this country on many many many occasions with no issues other than one time when i was in utah and the heads needed to be replaced/fixed....i bought a new highlander but i stil use the aztek for my car camping backpacking trips and i would have to say its so sentimental to me that someone would have to offer me 10k before i would sell it..hopefully it holds up one last epic trip that i am about to embark in less than a week on a 2 month and about 7-8,000 miles from wv to canada alaska oregon cali etc....they really need to remaster and bring them back out even if its just a few thousand
Request drawing: Pontiac Vibe
Pontiac Vibe? Toyota Matrix.
@@bradmaas6875 wait, hol' up. Imma edit my comment because wrong
4th gen firebird... Although theyre pretty cool cars i would like to see him redesign one
Also we have to keep in mind that concepts are sketches made into something tangible and also ☝🏻 most concept cars Don’t have an engine or any wiring , just dummies for the reveal at the expo. And once they tinker with all the parts they realize some won’t fit and the final shape of the concept has to be tamper with ( compromised )
Thank you Chip for putting some love into an under appreciated vehicle. I would love to see what you would do with a Porsche 914.
I love watching this man work....very well done Chip
Why is it all the European designs of our domestic cars looks so much better overseas than what they give the US customer. Great job.
I think two of the biggest problems were the grill and the colors. They toned the colors down to late. I think many people hate the Aztec because they are supposed to hate it. Look at the CR-V and the Rav 4. They are still well received. I think part of the problem to was it was a Pontiac. Back then people thought only old people bought Buick, Pontiac and Oldsmobile cars.
so great watching this, reminds me of simpler times when i was a kid watching overhaulin
Do the CHEVY AVALANCHE next! 🙏🏻👌🏻
In that part about the street race car stance it kind of looked like what if the G8 GT would have been like a station wagon or hatchback
This is great. I never thought anyone could help the ugliest car ever built. I'd love to see you build a 67 Nova Nomad convertible.
Bringing back the AMC Gremlin
One of the best artists in the world in my opinion and hes made one of my favorite cars the DEORA II
I didn't mind the Aztek. I have a 2005 Hyundai Tucson, every now and then I see some Aztec in it.
I own an aztek. Had 2 at one point and I want another. The one I still have, has over 360,000 miles on it.
Insurance want expensive, cause who's gonna steal it? LOL
And being short, it's super comfortable to sit in. It was easy for my grandma to get in when I had to take care of her. And my mom ain't getting any younger, but I know it will be easy for her to get in and out of. Good on gas for it's size. Comfortable in long road trips. ( That's where a lot of the miles came from ) The tent that came with it, was awesome.
It's not for everyone and that's ok.
Chip could you create your vision of the Honda Ridgeline first generation. The new truck is undecernable from the Toyota Nissan trucks.
Owned now 2 Honda Ridgelines first 2006 287k miles, t boned and totalled. Second a 2010 147k so far running strong.
I have two comments on the Aztek:
1. What happened to the design? GM Accountants.
2. The Aztek was resilient. I was in a 1997 Ford Taurus and got broadsided by an Aztek at a high rate of speed (I was parked on a city street; the Aztek was FLYING). It totaled my car, bounced off my car, totaled the parked car behind me, bounced off that car, took out a wooden wheelchair ramp across the street and two houses down, and TOOK OFF!
Beautiful rendering, though! Thanks for sharing!!
I know how it came to go from that awesome looking concept to the pile of crap that it ended up as because it was built on a minivan platform!!!!!! thanks again GM
Looks like the engineers did what engineers do. Solve problems, "the engine won't fit here, the rear hatch won't seal there" kind of stuff.
Sometimes this works in favor of a design sometimes against. I think more successful companies have been the ones who design around the engineers rather than ask them to fit parts into concept art.
It looked like the engineers did what the bean counters do.
if the aztec looked like that, id def buy. the rear just killed it for me on the gm ver, foose got it right.
You know you're good when you can make a POS look good Chip Foose you are awesome I thoroughly enjoy watching you work
I didn't think there was a way that even Foose could save that car but he's amazing.
I really like this one..taking an ugly vehicle and redesigning it into something that is pretty cool..more of this...leave the classics alone. You are extremely talented. Love your work..👍👍
Dear GM, This truck will beat the cyber truck to the punch.
When marketing thinks they are designers, cars become ugly
When legal thinks they are designers, cars become boring
Amazing Job ! Foose is incredible. Love all of his work 👍👍
Dear Mr. Foose, I have enjoyed your work for years. Why not put your talents toward rethinking the GM A-body from 1982 to 1996.
I really like your drawing and I wish this is what it looked like in production. Does your design feature a wrap around rear window to the sides that is one piece? If so I really like that. It certainly looks that way in the drawing.
Agreed, it reminds me of a cross between BMW X5 & ISUZU VehiCROSS.
I think that Detroit learned its lesson by not leading with the bean-counters anymore, and letting the artist's vision be at the forefront. If they would have built what the artists envisioned they would have more than recouped whatever costs they thought they would "lose" in production. Instead they went with a cheaper solution that cost them dearly.
CHIP... you need to do a Delorean!!!!
oooooh yes !!!
(i own one)
In the end it's still an Aztek. That has the possibility to catch on fire 😄
Absolutely Amazing Chip... Met you once at SEMA 2009! If you ever want to do a drawing for me ...1969 Ford Torino GT Formal Roof, Black w/Red Guts and GT Stripe along the Rocker ';-)
nobody...
... literally nobody.
Vsauce : *this is not yellow*
i had the LS model seemed wider had the camping set alloy mags 60's had a lot of fun with it and my son still dose i kept it free o rust
Chip goes what were they thinking about with the front over hang. It's a V6 front wheel drive car. The engine is up there in that over hang.
The BMW is rear wheel drive with the engine set more rearward.
Basically...make a Pontiac version of a marriage between an X5 and an Equinox.
OG working his craft 👊 has a hot rod feel to it with that rake, and I’m so glad he reduced the size of the trim and colored it anthracite (black plastic was never cool) 👍
Not sure you nailed it with the rear glass. The space age geometry that is vestigial on the production Aztec could become a whole departure that would make it quite different from the bmw that is too common looking
Yeah, maybe GM would not have shelved Pontiac altogether from their family if they rethought this SUV. I think the majority of sales they made with the Aztec was in the fleet division for company vehicles. I had one and it drove pretty nice too.
looks like if BMW redid the Aztec. Love it.
You're right Chip... If the Car Makers would keep the original Passion in a car.. .they would sell alot more cars. I think they try to try to squeeze so much profit out... they loose their edge... My father(When he was alive) worked on the original Saturn Car and He was upset when it came out.. told me it wasn't anything like it was designed to look like and do. It was going to be high quality with great gas mileage and tech... They were even going to price it below the foreign makes to take back the small car market... but they overpriced it.and cheapened it.... so much for GM.
I wonder how many trace paper iterations Chip did. I counted at least 4, but I bet the total was more than twice that.
Great Work.. Respect.. The Car Looks realy good.
Looks like you designed the next gen BMW X5. I mean that as a compliment! Great work!
yes, here you can play around and make improvements, can't do that on a classic like a countach
Trying to make the Aztek look good makes sending men to Mars sound like a weekend project.
Beauty and good taste tend to rub away the character of things.
Mr. Foose has accidentally proven why so many things on the road look like each other.
I can still see the Aztek in this BMW.
Man foose if I had money I'd defenetly let you work on my 66 dodge sweptline,always loved your work
I know a guy that is driving one of these see it almost daily he said it one of the best cars he owns and he has 4 truck .
One thing I would like to see this sketched Aztec with the trailblazer SS running gear now that would be cool
I don’t why the critics are complaining this Pontiac ugly.This is a unique and beautiful car. You can’t buy this in Malaysia.
In all honesty that's the Pontiac vibe
Love our Aztek. Great car.