So far, four-door coupes are the exclusive domain of European auto manufacturers. In 2009 we’ll get the high-powered Aston Martin Rapide and Porsche Panamera—with engines well north of 400 hp. (Porsche and Aston Marton photographs by Brenda Priddy & Co.)
By Ben StewartPublished in the July 2008 issue.
By Ben StewartPublished in the July 2008 issue.
Two-door coupes may look rakish and sleek. But practical? Not so much. To fit, rear-seat passengers must nearly fold themselves into human origami. Once back there, legroom is practically nonexistent. The awkward ingress/egress issues are solved by creating four-door sedans with a coupe’s profile.
To some, the notion of a four-door coupe is an oxymoron. After all, “coupes” by definition have two doors. But with automakers adopting the term for their slickest sedans, the notion of a “four-door coupe” is apparently here to stay.
Mercedes-Benz was first with the stylish 2006 CLS sedan. But the wave of four-door luxury coupes will crest within the next two years. Porsche’s 2010 Panamera sedan is due in 2009, packing the V8 from the German automaker’s Cayenne sport utility. That slick roofline might even help make the four-door sedan palatable to Porsche purists. Aston Martin’s 2010 Rapide sedan is also coming next year, with the chassis of the DB9 and a brilliant 5.9-liter V12 engine.
But big-buck super sedans won’t be the only four-door coupes. This September, VW will offer the 2009 CC. It’s a chopped-roof version of the Passat that starts around $30,000.
To some, the notion of a four-door coupe is an oxymoron. After all, “coupes” by definition have two doors. But with automakers adopting the term for their slickest sedans, the notion of a “four-door coupe” is apparently here to stay.
Mercedes-Benz was first with the stylish 2006 CLS sedan. But the wave of four-door luxury coupes will crest within the next two years. Porsche’s 2010 Panamera sedan is due in 2009, packing the V8 from the German automaker’s Cayenne sport utility. That slick roofline might even help make the four-door sedan palatable to Porsche purists. Aston Martin’s 2010 Rapide sedan is also coming next year, with the chassis of the DB9 and a brilliant 5.9-liter V12 engine.
But big-buck super sedans won’t be the only four-door coupes. This September, VW will offer the 2009 CC. It’s a chopped-roof version of the Passat that starts around $30,000.
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