5 unnecessary auto styling trends

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When you're trying to push for change, you'll hear "but it's always been that way" quite a bit. It's never a great excuse, but in the cutting-edge world of auto styling, doing things the same way for no good reason seems especially old-fashioned.

Fake Fender Vents

Fender bling is nothing new. Buick introduced Ventiports, portholes atop the front fenders, in 1948, and for a time they were even functional. But the current fender-faker trend traces back to 1996 with the BMW Z3's nonfunctional-but-convincing gills. Import tuners flocked to the look, and OEMs weren't far behind. Now, designers can't stop slapping vents on fenders, none of which seem to offer any actual ventilation. Why do new cars need all this imaginary airflow?