Sunday, January 30, 2011

New Tiny Germans Coming: Q1 and A-Klasse

This chop dates back a couple of years, hence the name A1 AllRoad. Today this up-and-coming small car would most likely be called the Q1. Audi already has the mighty Q7 and the slightly smaller and very desirable Q5. There are spy photos circulating the web right now of the even smaller Q3, due to be introduced perhaps as early as the next Geneva show. While I'm not really sure there needs to be an even smaller crossover from Audi, there are plenty of rumors of a Q1. Part of me hopes this would be a small 3-door crossover. At some point as a car becomes smaller four doors become too small to be practical. The tiny A1 is a 3-door right now, so perhaps the crossover will be as well.  I chopped my A1 AllRoad as a 5-door though. Not really a crossover so much as a tall hatchback, the AllRoad concept gave Audi's regular wagons more road-clearance and butcher details, which I have included here.

Mercedes Benz's tiniest line of cars, excluding the Smart cars, is their A-Klasse. Available in 3- and 5-door versions, as well as the slightly large B-Klasse, these are MB's base models in most markets, although they've never been for sale in the USA. The platform is innovative, and features a double floor with the tiny front engine designed to slide in between the two floors in case of a front impact. There is to be a 3rd generation A-Klasse shortly, and will most likely be completely redesigned for today's market. The original A came out in 1997 and was revised in 2004, but has really been changed very little. For my chop, I lowered the car, and made it a bit wider. I gave it an actual wraparound rear glass hatch, instead of the faux wrap that the real cars have. I also beefed up the fender flares and gave it quad exhausts, perhaps a bit of overkill, lol, but let's call this the AMG version. I also made the third rear stop light part of the enlarged MB star logo.

2 comments:

  1. These two German models would do wonders for the small car minded enthusiast and creates a brand new meaning to uber klein luxusklasse (ultra small luxury class) which failed to gain momentum in the US.

    BMW will offer a smaller 4 cylinder turbo 1 series model, which means Audi and Mercedes have no other choice but to follow suite. Will VW still be the least expensive German brand for the future remains to be seen, I think Casey ideas play a pivotal role in getting the enthusiasts who want more than a VW but a VW price.

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  2. Speaking of butcher, your take on the A class really makes it look hot. The A and B have always looked kind of frumpy and dull and yours really looks lean and sporty.

    The Q1 is a good idea as is the A1. I wish the A1 was sold here -- I've always liked seeing it in The Autocar (the British weekly). I don't know if Audi would bring it here as a two-door -- the A3 was always a two-door in Europe but was made into a 4-door when it came here. I like two-doors!

    Paul, NYC

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