Hello -
Even though the Triumph TR7 was a failure(?), I always remembered it's ad campaign, "The Shape of Things to Come" :
In a way I think the ad campaign was true. As theunchosen said, going big in the rear creates useful trunk space. You can make the argument that the Honda CRX was a prime example of that, a 2-seater with gobs of trunk space.
I noticed it so much over the years that the exception to the rule impressed me at the time, the Infiniti J30. They went with a downward sloped 1940's style trunk that sacrificed volume for style. I admired that because it went against the grain (and probably hurt sales) :
Ha ha, I was right :
Nissan Leopard - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Quote:
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One of the numerous reasons the Y32 Leopard failed was that its most distinguishing feature was a lack of interior room. It had the distinction of being a mid-size car with the space of a subcompact (less than a Sentra) due to its sloping roofline and rounded down trunk. The styling of the vehicle was more favorably regarded in Japan than it was in the USA. Total production of this vehicle was around 7,000 units internationally.
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7000 units?!?!?!? Now I want one!
(whew! only comes in automatic, don't want one anymore)
The Eclipse I showed earlier was not about "practical" interior volume. It was the *bumper* being wider and taller in proportion to the rest of the car. I was identifying what I thought was an aesthetic choice. 1990's Toyota Supras also have enlarged bumpers.
I would argue as others have said, that the Volt has Prius/Insight II/CRX DNA in it's design.
CarloSW2