If there is one thing that the Germans do well, it's measure risk. At least sometimes.
When it comes to the automakers cash cows (THINK: Audi A4, BMW 3-Series, Mercedes-Benz C-Class, etc. etc.) it seems that they always seem to style their products rather conservatively. Most would say that's a wise move since you have to remember that in order to get a larger volume of sales, you need to appeal to the masses.
However, it seems that the products that are creating the most stir -- positive feedback and good sales figures -- are the vehicles that have a lot of attitude in their design. As I cited in another story, the E60 5-Series and E65 7-Series weren't the prettiest autos out there but damn did they sell!
The same can be said of the polarizing Porsche Panamera, which is lighting up the sales charts and helping keep Porsche alive.
Considering the refreshed A4 will likely stick closely to the updated A5 and from the images we've seen, it's pretty fair to assume that the next-gen 3'er won't stray too far from its evolutionary path, are more folks going to start turning to cars like the 3-Series GT and Mercedes-Benz's "Baby" CLS?
What say you, Spies?
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