There are a lot of pretty cars at the New York Auto Show. The Audi RS5 Sportback is downright gorgeous. And what about the Genesis Essentia GT Concept? Well that’s a showstopper.

In the midst of these cars, though, we caught yet another glimpse of a trending automotive design that we’re not too sure about – lobster claw taillights.



Now, I know that sounds crazy and no I’m not hallucinating or having a really bad craving to sink my teeth into a few of those crustaceans. If you look at the backsides of some of the cars at the auto show, you’re going to see a design that resembles a lobster’s claw.

Check out the rear end on the 2019 Acura RDX. On the A-Spec model, there’s a large spoiler tacked onto the roof, a tidy little windscreen, and before you go any further down, a set of lobster claw taillights. The interesting part of the design on the RDX is that the upper part of the claw…I mean taillight is positioned on the actual rear end of the SUV, while the base of it is positioned on the side.

This design cue isn’t just an Acura thing either. You can also see a similar blueprint on the new Subaru Forester. But this time, the meaty part of the claw is towards the bottom of the SUV. Still, there’s a larger element, a small side, and a base where the other segments sprout.

Yes, it’s even on sedans and hatchbacks

It doesn’t look too bad on SUVs and crossovers, as their tall, boxy designs tend to support chunkier cues better. But this blueprint has spread to other body styles. The new Honda Civic is the prime example of this phenomenon. The poor compact car already has a distinct style that’s making it get a lot of hate and the lobster claw taillights sure don’t help. It’s even more noticeable on the Civic Coupe, as those models have taillights that connect with a light bar on the trunk itself.

Honda looks like it’s sticking with the taillight design, as it’s also prevalent on the Accord. In fact, lobster claw taillights can be found throughout a lot of Honda’s cars. If you look at the Clarity, it’s there, and on the Odyssey.

So far, it looks like lobster claw taillights are on regular, every-day vehicles for the most part. But Toyota could change that with the sporty and handsome Corolla Hatchback. And Volvo’s taking the design upstream thanks to the S90 and, to some extent, the gorgeous V90.

At the end of the day, I’m not a huge fan of the lobster claw design. I mean it’s hideous, oddly shaped, and doesn’t do anything to really accent the cars’ lines. Personally, I like slim taillights like on the aforementioned Essentia Concept or the Jaguar F-Type. And slim doesn’t have to be boring, as one look at the BMW i8’s futuristic lights could change anyone’s mind.

But what do you think? Are you a fan of the crustacean-like taillights that are being fitted to modern cars or is there another layout that you think is more attractive? Let us know in the comments below.