Spot on with the car comparison Professor, I was going to post it and noticed you had already done so.
Seriously, go look at a 1978 Honda Civic and a 1978 Toyota Carola, then do the same for 2003 of each car. Patents belong in how the engine works, how the exhaust is handled, the technology involved. The way things look, especially with all the market research involved, simply shouldn't be patentable.