I drive a station wagon and I'm proud. Still, there's two too many doors for my liking. I want the tailgate for loading and unloading precious cargo, but I really don't care about those getting in and out of the back. Casue I'm a jerk. I would of course just go and buy a shooting brake, but parts for Reliant Scimitars, BMW Z3 Coupes and Alfa Romeo Breras are getting harder and harder to come by. Last week we heard reports of a Mercedes-Benz CLK shooting brake and earlier today Little Eddie Niedermeyer shared with us the joy that will (one day) be the BMW 3-Series Shooting Brake . But, as Yoda would say, there is another. Yup, Motor Authority is also showing off pictures of Audi's A3 Sportback. In the pictures, the A3 Sportback looks like a squared off Golf Rabbit. However I did catch a prototype running around Los Angeles not too long ago and am happy to report it looks much better in the flesh. More muscular, chunkier, sportier — looks-wise, everything one would want in a 3-door wagon. Plus, with an available 265 hp motor, DSG and AWD, you know it's going to go like stink, too.
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Hopefully Lexus does one, too, because they’ll do without the huge gaping maw that BMW/MB/Audi are so fond of!
“Little,” eh?
You make me sound like I’m made of plush and spit out snide little comments when someone pulls a string on my back… if we weren’t bound by the bonds of shooting-brake afficionado-dom, I’d be tempted to show you what centuries of Austrian inbreeding looks like when it’s in a raging fury.
You’re on notice Lieberman!
You make me sound like I’m made of plush and spit out snide little comments when someone pulls a string on my back…
Now there’s a TTAC marketing idea.
What, is the C30 chopped liver?
What is a “shooting brake” concept? I hear this all the time from Euro concept cars.
Eddie,
You’ve never seen The Three Amigos, have you?
Perhaps I’m a bit behind the curve, but until a few weeks ago, I had never consciously heard the term “shooting-brake”. Why the relatively sudden revival of a term used to describe a horse-drawn hunting carriage and later early two-door estate wagons? The term seems antiquated and its meaning is lost when applied to a two-door-hatch. Is it because Europeans are trying to compensate for their difficulty in legally discharging firearms? This is not so much of a criticism as it is me thinking out loud.
Oh, and nice Three Amigos reference, Jonny.
Nope. It’s going on the cue though.
I’d also like to take this opportunity to blame both my pop culture illiteracy and hasty temper on the previously mentioned lack of genetic diversity of my forebears.
Back on topic, when will they finally bring the freaking 3-door A3 stateside? Seriously, the 5-door has done zero harm to Audi image as far as I can tell. I guess VW cannibalism is another story…
Note that the A3 Sportback is the five-door version – i.e., the one we already have in North America. The regular A3 is the three-door hatch, which apparently is being called a shooting brake today.
Is this like a four door coupe? A mixing of definitions?
I’d rather see a TT shooting brake.
ajla:
Who wouldn’t?
Hate to call you out, Loverman, but the rest of the world has gotten a 3-door A3 since, well, the first A3 was introduced.
That said, I kinda doubt this little honey is finally coming here. Which is fine, as it would almost certainly eat into Rabbit/GTI/R32 3-door sales. Which is a shame, but that’s how the world works.
TomAnderson:
You ain’t calling me out, holmes.
My cousin in London owns a crappy diesel 3-door A3.
However, the one I saw was the new one. And… I think they’re bringing it.
We’ll take a wait and see policy.
Wish the STi was a shooting brake!
Hate to be the one to break it, but the PR over at AutoBlog is that we’ll only get the usual wagon variant…
The Audi A3, offered in the USA exclusively with the five-door body style, raises its sporty profile with a raft of improvements and an accentuated design. (emphasis added)
http://www.autoblog.com/2008/04/24/audi-announces-new-a3-will-reach-u-s-in-fall/
The other bad news is no manual Quattro 2.0T. :(
Plus, with an available 265 hp motor, DSG and AWD, you know it’s going to go like stink, too….
AND cost a fortune. Frankly, my dear, id rather have the Scirocco.
Less pretense, fewer dollars.
Wow, maybe my 1972 Volvo 1800ES will finally start appreciating in value! Right now it’s market value is about the same as it was 14 years ago when I bought it. I guess I should have stocked up on muscle cars back then :(.
Can’t hang my left arm out window of A3 loaner. Door too short. Cant see to left either without swinging around.
Neidermeyer, do you know a good glovemaker? Twelve fingers and all…
jthorner : Wow, maybe my 1972 Volvo 1800ES will finally start appreciating in value!
Nah, remember you still have one of the coolest cars ever built. I always liked the 1800ES, but then I am one of those crazy people that loves station wagons.
Looks good, but I don’t see this approaching US shores anytime soon. We already have the GTI, Audi TT and the A3 5 door. VW’s already denied us the Scirroco so it’s a safe bet that this shooting brake is on the “Euro-only” list as well.
Pity…it’s quite a looker.