By Robert Emslie
Extending the wheel arches of a car or truck is a common visual representation of the vehicles performance credentials. It’s also a sign of the disconnect between engineer and designer as the added width required for fat tires was obviously not telegraphed at the design’s outset.
Factory flares have also long been a prime element of any special bodywork package, usually completing the butchification of the car’s lower half in conjunction with rocker extensions and air dams. Some cars – the Mercedes 500E as example – even use their flares as sole indication that the car is one not to be messed with, being otherwise almost indistinguishable from its lessor brethren. Flares are just that iconic and important.
But which are the best? What factory flares do you think carry the most… flair, as they say? Do you like the Countach 5000’s odd angles wrapped around impossibly fat tires? Or, are you more of a 944 organic bulge aficionado? Whichever flare shoots off your flare, let us know.
Image source: Cinema De Novo
Jeff Glucker
Flare-irific.
<img src="http://www.wekop.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/01/1985-Renault-R5-Turbo-II-mileage.jpg" width=550>
These flares……..because Ford Raptor.
<img src="http://f-150svtraptor.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/07/Ford-Raptor1-300×199.jpg"width="500"/>
DUH.
<img src="http://vehiclemy.com/img/Renault-5-Turbo-21.jpg">
Or, on a totally different tack, Daihatsu Rocky.
<img src="http://trialx.com/curetalk/wp-content/blogs.dir/7/files/2011/06/cars/1991_Daihatsu_Rocky-2.jpg">
DUH wins hands down every time!
As in every time I see one, I find my hands down my pants!
I really didn't need to know that.
Nobody around here appreciates it when I have to type with my nose.
We're just glad you're using your nose and not some other appendage.
Obligatory.
<img src="http://www.bmwblog.com/wp-content/uploads/performancebmw-001_edited.jpg", width=500>
/lowhangingfruit
At the time these flares were called "overfenders" similar to Mercury Capri RS 5.0 & Mitsu Starion.
Clumsy name for sure.
<img src="http://i.imgur.com/CIAapbG.jpg" width="500">
I'll take the secret Gandini masterwork, Maserati Shamal.
<img src="http://www.productioncars.com/send_file.php/maserati_shamal_black_1989.jpg" width=500>
<img src="http://www.maserati-alfieri.co.uk/enthusiast42/jp-shamal-01a.jpg" width=500>
First:
<img src="http://www.hemmings.com/story_image/227721-1000-0.jpg?rev=2" width="450">
Then they made a comeback…
<img src="http://www.audicarshow.com/image/2009-audi-s6-avant-4.jpg" width="450">
VW's version:
<img src="http://www.breezemotorsport.com/images/rallye1.jpg" width="450">
Bonus pic: Not factory but DAMN.
<img src="http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2009/07/14.jpg" width="450">
Also filed under "Not factory but DAMN."
<img src="http://www.genefeltonrestorations.com/pics/genes_rides/1975_chevy_monza.jpg">
And another. If you look closely, there's an AMC Spirit hiding under there somewhere.
<img src="http://i153.photobucket.com/albums/s209/96sport/25439025-IMG_0153_Hitzeman_NASAGL_Mid-Ohio_SU236AMCSpirit_Daugharth_Aug2010.jpg" width=500>
Oh god, the whole thing is basically one big flare!
Funny that you mention the 500E flares. My co-worker is 22 or 23 but for some reason has an infatuation with '80s Benzes. A friend of his runs a European car junkyard and one day he showed me a photo that his friend had sent him on his cell phone. It was the front end of a W124 Mercedes, and you could just barely make out the flared fenders. He said his friend was asking if he would like to buy the car.
I was like "Whoa, an E500! Those are bad ass!"
"A what?"
He had no idea what he was looking at. I gave him a quick lesson and he Googled more info about it, and instantly became excited. He ended up buying it for like $5K (it's a salvage title and a little ratty but it runs good) and it's now his daily driver. He let me take it out for a spin and it was a lot of fun. Not surprising that his rear tires never have tread.
<img src="https://sphotos-a.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-frc1/858574_10200675847729455_1874427788_o.jpg" width=650>
As far as my favorite goes, I think it has to be the pocket flares on the TE27 Corolla. A little piece of badass on an otherwise unassuming car.
<img src="http://www.nettekeyif.net/data/media/2/toyota_te27_corolla.jpg" width=650>
I was just looking at 500E's last night. There were three on the local Craigslist. Scary and puerile.
<DIV style="OVERFLOW: auto"><img src="http://www-static.weddingbee.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/04/24/flair.jpg">
I've got your flare right here!
The local Blockbuster is closing and has a Going Outta Business Sale.
Picked up 2 copies of Idiocracy.
I like the subtlety.
<img src="http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2008/11/01_370z_red_spy_gtrworld_450op.jpg" width=500>
<img src="http://flipacars.com/pics/Nissan/nissan-r34-gtr-01.jpg" width=500>
<img src="http://allcarcentral.com/mg/MGCGTS_1969_Rick_Feibusch_2012.jpg" width=500>
<img src="http://www.mad4wheels.com/webpics/hires/00002498%20-%201967%20Alfa%20Romeo%2033%20stradale/1967_Alfa_Romeo_33_stradale_001_0664.jpg" width=500>
Subtle like a 33 Stradale 🙂
Oh I don't know, sometimes the simple ones are the best.
<img src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8370/8551979590_2aff53dbc3.jpg" width="500" height="375" alt="2013 500 005">
AMC answer of the day:
<img src="http://flipacars.com/pics/AMC/amc-javelin-amx-01.jpg" width=500>
Do we have separate categories for flares that are part of the fender and flares that are add-on fiberglass/plastic bits?
<img src="http://wizbangblue.com/images/2009/04/1979%20amx.jpg" width=500>
<img src="http://postfiles9.naver.net/20120925_168/shaper5_1348501694836leg9I_JPEG/1348501691339_ad_gmc_typhoon_black_1992-1.jpg?type=w1">
ERROR 404: Post Not Found.
Let's try a different hosting site.
<img src="http://all-carz.com/data_images/gmc-syclone-typhoon/gmc-syclone-typhoon-08.jpg" width=500>
As the best (R5 Turbo) has already been taken, I will go for second best: 205 Turbo 16!
<img src="http://images.forum-auto.com/mesimages/884923/img961.jpg" width="670/">
<img src="http://www.tamsoldracecarsite.net/IMG_D4146A.jpg" width=500>
Although these are 289s, the 427 Cobras are the hands down best flares ever!
The #19 car in front is a 1965 427. CSX 3010.
This should be a part of the conversation.
<img src="http://gearboxmagazine.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/07/13.jpg" width="550">
Because DTM…
<img src="http://www.influx.co.uk/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2013/01/mercedes-benz-190-2.0-02.jpeg" width="600">
That's a good one.
Darn, you beat me to it! I was just about to post this. By far the coolest factory flares ever.
<img src="http://cdn.speedhunters.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/12/240Z-064_EO3q_0.jpg" width="600">
240ZG flares. The perfect flare for any Japanese car or truck made from ~1950 to about 2001. And a bunch of non-Japanese cars as well. Hell, ZG flares look good on damn near anything.
More, because S30s are purty.
<img src="http://www.classicdatsun.com/new/432flares-blue1.jpg" width="600">
<img src="http://www.autogush.com/images/datsun-240z-06.jpg" width="600">
<img src="http://www.rs-watanabe.co.jp/images/users_photo/jin-z2.jpg" width="600">
Can you say "aftermarket"?
Fairlady ZG: The Japan-only HS30-H Nissan Fairlady ZG was released in Japan in October 1971 to homologate the 240Z for Group 4 racing. Differences between the Fairlady ZG and an export market Datsun 240Z include an extended fiberglass ‘aero-dyna’ nose, wider over-fenders riveted to the body, a rear spoiler, acrylic glass headlight covers and fender-mounted rear-view mirrors. The Fairlady ZG was available in three colours: Grande Prix Red, Grande Prix White and Grande Prix Maroon. The "G" in Fairlady ZG stands for "Grande." Although the ZG was not sold in the USA and was never sold outside Japan, in order for it to be eligible for competition in the U.S., Nissan sold the nose kit as a dealer's option which is known as the "G-nose". With the nose added, these 240Zs are often referred to as 240ZGs, outside of Japan.
So, low production homologation special, but factory none the less. But they are one of the most reproduced fenders in the known universe.
<img src="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/6/69/Lancia_Stratos_HF_08.jpg/640px-Lancia_Stratos_HF_08.jpg" width="520">
<img src="http://fastestlaps.com/photos/Porsche_993_Carrera_4S_486d0bff8a291.jpg">
<img src="http://www.bangshift.com/assets/images/news/2008/Dec/7-13/ghostbigger.jpg" width="600"> <a href="http://www.bangshift.com” target=”_blank”>www.bangshift.com
Awesome:
<img src="http://handofshand.com/images/toro0061.jpg">
Delta Integrale
<img src="http://img2.netcarshow.com/Lancia-Delta_Integrale_1992_800x600_wallpaper_03.jpg" width=600>
Why no DeTomaso?
<img src="http://www.simoncars.co.uk/detomaso/slides/t_De%20Tomaso%20Pantera%20GT5%20tail.jpg" width="600">
Escort Mk1
<img src="http://www.supercars.net/gallery/119513/1877/787007.jpg" width="600">
and the e9 Csl batmobile
<img src="http://fc09.deviantart.net/fs71/f/2010/139/7/a/BMW_E9_CSL_by_lockanload.jpg" width="600">
I want that as a painting on my wall (the E9 that is).
Then of course, there's the "Wait, you're kidding, aren't you?" category…
<img src="http://farm7.staticflickr.com/6168/6171038950_b1773af5e4.jpg">
That's just awful…
I especially like the artful transition between the flairs and the opening for the slab-sided door.
You have to hope that looked better on the drawing board.
Definitely one those, "Gosh, it seemed like a good idea at the time" kind of things.
I was going to post the Renegade non-ironically. It's definitely silly, but I still like 'em.
She claims they're factory issue, butt I doubt it.
<img src="http://blog.zap2it.com/pop2it/legacyimages/thedishrag/images/2008/06/16/kim_kardashian_atlantic_records_jun.jpg">
It's the factory dually option.
Is there such thing as a tripley!
<img src="http://www.subarucolors.info/wp-content/uploads/2011/05/2011-Subaru-Impreza-Outback-Sport-3.jpg" width=550>
Artificial flares are not allowed in this discussion…
I dunno, I suppose a well done aftermarket set of flares can look better than certain poorly designed factory flares. But, as is the case with most other styling features, 99 times out of 100 the factory look will trump the aftermarket.
There is nothing artificial about these:
http://www.gaywheels.com/images/subaru/impreza/20…
Flares and stripes and louvers, oh my!
<img src="http://memimage.cardomain.com/ride_images/1/2985/4581/7462290004_large.jpg" width=600>
How about some Super Coupe with stripes, louvers and T-tops:
<img src="http://i345.photobucket.com/albums/p371/jeffb2/SuperCoupe/2SuperCoupes.jpg" width=600>
And of course some 2nd gen F-body flares (more stripes!):
<img src="http://static.ddmcdn.com/gif/camaro-gallery-1980z28.jpg">
If Jeepjeff can admit to liking the Jeep Renegade flairs non-ironically, I can admit to getting all warm and fuzzy every time I see a Volaré Super Coupe.
I'm going to go very low-key here. The 67 Ford Fairlane and the 1998 Lexus GS
<img src="http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploads12/Porsche924gtr41200451894.jpg" width="600">
GTR
Ahem.
<img src="http://images.hemmings.com/wp-content/uploads//2012/07/1987BuickGNX_01_1500.jpg" width="500" />
Holden LX Torana A9X
<img src="http://www.carsguide.com.au/images/uploads/torannew_wide.jpg">
Paging Dr Harrell: <img src="http://www.mgcars.org.uk/cambs.mgoc/images2/6r4.jpg" width="500"> Metro 6R4
Source: <a href="http://www.mgcars.org.uk/cambs.mgoc/fwd/metro.html” target=”_blank”>http://www.mgcars.org.uk/cambs.mgoc/fwd/metro.html