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Thread: Four door coupes--what are they, the concept, and who cares?

  1. #16
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    They both have blacked-out b pillars and wide c pillars, maybe?

    I donit really have a problem with a stylish sedan as long as it isnit obnoxiously marketed as and doesn't pretend to be some sort of sporting revelation.
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  2. #17
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    I've read that one of the reasons is that people tend to buy cars on first impressions, especially if they're impulse buyers. Also, I've read that aerodynamics may be a reason for the four door coupe, to cut fuel consumption and improve drag.
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  3. #18
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    I'm pretty sure the old CLS was less slippery than the E class it was based on.

  4. #19
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    The Holden Commodore and the Vauxhall VXR8 have a coupe-like roofline, or a bubble top or ballon top, or you can even call it a camel hump, since the roofline rises up from the windshield, reaches a point, and comes down. I think it has something to do with areodynamics as well as keeping the passenger area's headroom to acceptable/practical levels. However, the Audi A6 has had a similar feature for years.

    One thing that I'm a bit edgy on is that a lot of these cars have hatchbacks on them. It seems that a lot of people think that a hatchback equals a cheap car, or that for a luxury car, such as the Audi A7 and especially far more expensive cars like the Porsche Panamera and the Aston Martin Rapide, a hatchback is out of place (granted, it didn't effect Rover SD1 sales, and the Audi A7 and the Rapide have been strong sellers). Why not do as on the A6 and the Commodore/VXR8 and have a swoopy, bulging roofline reminesant of a coupe but with four doors and a normal trunk?
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  5. #20
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    Quote Originally Posted by f6fhellcat13 View Post
    I'm pretty sure the old CLS was less slippery than the E class it was based on.
    Fact.
    Quote Originally Posted by Chernaudi View Post
    One thing that I'm a bit edgy on is that a lot of these cars have hatchbacks on them. It seems that a lot of people think that a hatchback equals a cheap car, or that for a luxury car, such as the Audi A7 and especially far more expensive cars like the Porsche Panamera and the Aston Martin Rapide, a hatchback is out of place (granted, it didn't effect Rover SD1 sales, and the Audi A7 and the Rapide have been strong sellers). Why not do as on the A6 and the Commodore/VXR8 and have a swoopy, bulging roofline reminesant of a coupe but with four doors and a normal trunk?
    Why do what everyone else does?

    Also, see Saabs. And all those cars especially the smaller 5 doors, are especially directed to an European audience.
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  6. #21
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    Quote Originally Posted by Ferrer View Post
    Fact.

    Why do what everyone else does?

    Also, see Saabs. And all those cars especially the smaller 5 doors, are especially directed to an European audience.
    Basically the fast back Renault 16 pioneered them all.
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  7. #22
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    BMW 2002 Touring for expensive car makers, even though it's missing two doors.
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  8. #23
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    These thing do sell well though don't they? At least around here, CLS is pretty popular as pointed out, and so is the Passat CC. Considering the MSRP for the Passat, it puts it dead smack in the price range for Camry and Accord, which if you are a more emotive buyer, that might just be enough to sway you from the Japanese...

    Though personally I do find something like the CC being the archetype of sheep in wolf's clothing. The car does "look" fast, with the big wheel, low roofline and wide stance, but its still propelled by the same line of powertrain as Passat that seems lacking in a car that size....though I suppose compare to the Camry and the Accord of the world its adequate....Though I am not quite sure what "that size" is. The car gives an impression of being bigger and longer than standard Passat...
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  9. #24
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    The CC still is a D-Segment car, for which a 300bhp should be enough.

    Altough these days that's what entry-level superminis have...
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  10. #25
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    Why wouldn't you just buy a sporty looking sedan??

  11. #26
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    I've been thinking about the Audi A5 Sport back vs the Audi A4 sedan and Avant wagon. Is it a matter of choice or practicality. I know that the C5 platform Audi A6 kind of started the current trend of four door coupes with it's bulging roof line while keeping a practicality of a sedan. The only thing that comes close now are it's C6 and presumably (If spyphotos are to be believed) C7 A6, the A5 Sportback, the A7 Sportback (which is the new Audi A6 under the skin) and the Hyundai Sonata. Of course, the Audi Sportbacks can be exluded as they're fastback liftgates, which leaves the A6 and the Sonata as the only pure 3 box four door coupes that are really practical--the CC looks a bit scruchned with it's roof, and the CLS has been reported to have awkward visibility, and the E-class coupe looks like a two door CLS.

    But with the Audi A5 sportback, I pose this question--the Audi A4 in profile has a less extreme interpretation of the A6's curving roof (as does the A8), and the lift gate doe seem to allow a little more luggage room in the back. But in the A4, you can fold down the rear seats, and the A4 Avant has even more room.

    So is the Audi A5 and A7 Sportback four door coupes kinda a trade off between the sedans from which they're based (the A4 and soon to be launched A6) and the station wagon versions of said sedans as far as practicality and style?
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  12. #27
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    I am still puzzled why this concept suddenly has become an issue.
    Look at these two cars here which where introduced in 1970 and 1974 respectively. What is the fundamental difference between these and what Mercedes and Audi are producing?
    And while the GS later had a version with an opening hatch, the CX always only had the small trunk opening, to retain "the practicality of a sedan"
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  13. #28
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    In reality, I think the "four door" coupe deal began with the Citroen DS. After which cars became more and more boxy until the '80s and 90s. Then Audi added a bubble/coupe like arched roof on the A6, and it took a while for M-B to design the CLS. I don't find the CLS especially good looking or practical, it did start a trend that Audi restarted in 1997 and have used on the A6 to this and and, from the spyshots, the immediate future for the A6.

    I believe that the reason why four door coupes are popular now is the impression at least thay they're more areodynamic and don't sacrifice much in the way of practicality. But is that really true?

    Here's my liste of truly practical four door coupes in history:

    Citroen DS, GS, CX and C6
    Audi A6, A5 Sportback and A7 Sportback
    Hyundai Sonata/Kia Optima (same car under the skin)
    Opel/Vauxhall Insignia aka Buick Regal
    Holden Commodore/HSV R8 Clubsport/Vauxhall VXR8, which seems to have inspired the Insignia's roof line.
    Chevrolet Cruze/Daewoo Lacetti.

    Even some of those have their issues for me, such as the fact that the Insignia's roof is a bit too low in the back compared to the Commodore/VXR8, which is similar to the A6. The Insignia's room just looks too asymetrical front to rear as far as it's sweep.

    That said, the Hyundai Sonata/Kia Optima has a fairly rakish coupe like roof, but has front and rear head room to rival the Audi A4 and A6, and are otherwise similarly sized to the A4.

    Does one think that the A4 and the 3-series will adope a more coupe like roof line--a refinement of the current version, instead to severely raked--will come to the fore soon?
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  14. #29
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    What about the Skoda Superb?

  15. #30
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    Quote Originally Posted by Chernaudi View Post
    Here's my liste of truly practical four door coupes in history:

    Citroen DS, GS, CX and C6
    forgot the XM and the BX?
    and while they really looked like sedans, the Xantia and the first generation C5 had a fully opening rear window section....

    and why is the CLS less practical than the Audis?
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    Last edited by henk4; 11-23-2010 at 02:59 PM.
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