Baby Designs That Rule

Shrinkage in general is never a good thing whether from the warehouse, your bank account or from your favorite sweater. It's also true in design as at best a shrunken-down design ends up being cute but rarely fierce or gorgeous. Fortunately there are exceptions as the following three recent "baby" designs prove that a tailored slim fit look can do wonders at times. Not only do all three do an excellent job of adapting the brand design to their smaller proportions but arguably end up with better and fresher designs than their more expensive brandmates.

Audi A3

The A3 sedan reminds many of the popular fan favorite "B5" Audi A4 based on its size and tidy design. The A3 sedan leans heavily on the current A4 but sharpens up every angle perfectly. It is one of the rare sedans developed out of hatchbacks that actually looks better than its five door counterpart and has a completely own identity. While both are stylish compacts the A3 works the Audi design theme better than its rival CLA does the Mercedes theme.

 

First Impressions With Cars

Everybody knows how vital first impressions are with people, but it is interesting to consider what they mean with vehicles. More than anything the context and location of where you first see a car for the first time can have an impact on how your perceive its design. Did you first see it against a beautiful backdrop, a crowded highway or a shopping center. Did you catch a quick glimpse as you were driving and preoccupied with traffic or did you get a good look as it rolled by slowly as you walked downtown. Did you see a fully loaded model with the sports package and a deep loud color or the cheap entry level option? With this in mind, I saw the brand new Porsche Macan last week stopped at a light not looking at much in particular and not paying much attention to the vehicles around. A Cayenne was making a left that looked slightly strange and not until I saw the tail lights did I realize that indeed the Cayenne was actually the Macan. I had decently high expectations for the Macan as it promised to bring the sportiest proportions to the luxury CUV category. However, my lack of attention might have not given the Macan a fair chance to present its design. Before I even get a good look at it I already feel like I have made up my mind that it's only a slightly updated and shrunk Cayenne. Here is to hoping that the Macan is able to convince me otherwise. In related news, the Macan is EPA rated a slightly unimpressive 17/23 with either the 3.0 or the 3.6 twin turbo V6.