Photo: Kleber Silva
There used to be a time when German sedans could have just two doors and tiny engines. But a number of factors contributed to the death of the small coupe, and we think this niche will eventually need a comeback. There's only so much they can do with the crossover thing.
Turning a normal hatchback or SUV into a sports car has obvious disadvantages. It's not going to handle like a RWD sports car, such as a Miata or GT86. But there are people out there that just want the look of an unconventional car combined with the practicality of what used to be family transportation.
I get it. Sometimes, engagement, balance and all that just feels pointless. You want a coupe just because it goes with your jacket and it makes a naughty turbo sound when the gearbox changes cogs.
It's why Volkswagen could continue to sell the Scirocco or Beetle, which became unpopular after a few years but never bottomed out like sports cars which are deemed obsolete. Eventually, a few manufacturers had the idea of taking the 'lifestyle' aspect from a coupe and combining it with that of a crossover.
The MINI Paceman is probably the most famous example of this. Derived from the Countryman, it had lowered suspension, a chopped roof, and two fewer doors. The early Range Rover Evoque also came with such a body style, though it didn't differ as radically from the 5-door.
As you've probably realized, there's no such car on the market right now - no Megane RS 3-door, no Scirocco or Citroen DS3. Thankfully, some automakers came up with creative alternative means to stand out, such as the Kia Proceed shooting brake. But we were immediately entertained by the Jeep Renegade Coupe created by Kleber Silva.
Jeep also uses circles for its vintage, so the front end works, but the rounded rear shoulders still scream "I'm a MINI." If that doesn't do it for you, the same artist slapped a Renegade face on some kind of Japanse kei car for an SUV that makes the Jimny look big.
I get it. Sometimes, engagement, balance and all that just feels pointless. You want a coupe just because it goes with your jacket and it makes a naughty turbo sound when the gearbox changes cogs.
It's why Volkswagen could continue to sell the Scirocco or Beetle, which became unpopular after a few years but never bottomed out like sports cars which are deemed obsolete. Eventually, a few manufacturers had the idea of taking the 'lifestyle' aspect from a coupe and combining it with that of a crossover.
The MINI Paceman is probably the most famous example of this. Derived from the Countryman, it had lowered suspension, a chopped roof, and two fewer doors. The early Range Rover Evoque also came with such a body style, though it didn't differ as radically from the 5-door.
As you've probably realized, there's no such car on the market right now - no Megane RS 3-door, no Scirocco or Citroen DS3. Thankfully, some automakers came up with creative alternative means to stand out, such as the Kia Proceed shooting brake. But we were immediately entertained by the Jeep Renegade Coupe created by Kleber Silva.
Jeep also uses circles for its vintage, so the front end works, but the rounded rear shoulders still scream "I'm a MINI." If that doesn't do it for you, the same artist slapped a Renegade face on some kind of Japanse kei car for an SUV that makes the Jimny look big.
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