Fastbacks/GT Coupe/Shooting Brakes why did they die out?

[OlberJ]

Back in the 60's/70's there were quite a lot of them.

Modern day itterations we have the Ferrari FF and that's about it.

Z3MCoupe is the last i can think of before that.

So where have they gone? Why did they die out? Is it just a styling thing or is a practical 2 seater hard top not something people need any more?

[forzaminardi]

Don't Renault do an odd 3-door Clio estate sort of thing? I'm sure I saw pictures of such a things recently.

[GroundEffect]

Z4M Coupe was kind of fastback.

[kambites]

The 911 is a fastback, too, by my understanding of the term.

One could argue that things like the CLS are fastbacks, too (constantly downward-sloping rear-end).

[Pothole]

350/370Z? 5 Series GT?

[OlberJ]

Z4M is a coupe really.

911 are, and Mercs are 4 seater are they not?

I'm thinking more that 3 door shooting brake setup, why did it die out?

[300bhp/ton]

OlberJ said:

Back in the 60's/70's there were quite a lot of them.

Modern day itterations we have the Ferrari FF and that's about it.

Z3MCoupe is the last i can think of before that.

So where have they gone? Why did they die out? Is it just a styling thing or is a practical 2 seater hard top not something people need any more?

Personally I'm a big coupe fan. The shooting break or 2 door estate thing I think has always been somewhat niche and more unique. But it saddens me that there's a general lack of 2+2 coupes with some form of boot.

Not sure if you were meaning coupes like this, but I like this style/shape of car:

[davepoth]

Why did they die out?



And similar, at a guess.

[Captain Muppet]

OlberJ said:

Back in the 60's/70's there were quite a lot of them.

Modern day itterations we have the Ferrari FF and that's about it.

Z3MCoupe is the last i can think of before that.

So where have they gone? Why did they die out? Is it just a styling thing or is a practical 2 seater hard top not something people need any more?

I think the problem is you can make "a practical 2 seater hard top" by folding the rear seats down on any hatchback.

[poprock]

Big-booted front-engined sports cars do seem to have died out with the introduction of the hot hatch. To be hyperbolic about it, the Golf GTI killed the Porsche 944.

The legacy of that being that you now get 250bhp-ish front wheel drive hatchbacks instead of similarly powered rear wheel drive fun machines.

Shooting brakes were always a rare breed, I reckon.

[Twincam16]

I was thinking this recently, and then it struck me:





And when you think about it, a lot of the modern 'hot hatches' are more like coupes from their marques' past than the hatchbacks with which they share names:

[Leins]

This is what I always think of whenever I hear "Shooting Brake":



The Sultan of Brunei used to be a dab-hand at commissioning a few upmarket ones too

[Pothole]

The last mainstream shooting brake must have been the Escort Mk3 estate, no?

[300bhp/ton]

Pothole said:

The last mainstream shooting brake must have been the Escort Mk3 estate, no?

Depends how you define it. I'd have said the M Coupe (Z3) was one and currently the MINI Clubman.

[Pothole]

300bhp/ton said:

Pothole said:

The last mainstream shooting brake must have been the Escort Mk3 estate, no?

Depends how you define it. I'd have said the M Coupe (Z3) was one and currently the MINI Clubman.

Z3 always struck me as a bit cramped, but yeah, I suppose so. Clubman is just a monstrosity that doesn't know what it is!

[toppstuff]

Bring back sporting shooting brakes ! How else can a chap drive a sports car and also take his gun dogs with him?

[300bhp/ton]

Pothole said:

3 always struck me as a bit cramped, but yeah, I suppose so. Clubman is just a monstrosity that doesn't know what it is!

What's wrong with the Clubman? It addresses a lack of space in the normal MINI in an innovative, fun and interesting way.

Call it an estate if you want, but as it's still a small with only 2 main doors (ok 3 doors, but 2 proper ones) I reckon it fills the brief of shooting brake as well as anything else.

[Pothole]

300bhp/ton said:

Pothole said:

3 always struck me as a bit cramped, but yeah, I suppose so. Clubman is just a monstrosity that doesn't know what it is!

What's wrong with the Clubman? It addresses a lack of space in the normal MINI in an innovative, fun and interesting way.

Call it an estate if you want, but as it's still a small with only 2 main doors (ok 3 doors, but 2 proper ones) I reckon it fills the brief of shooting brake as well as anything else.

I just don't like it. OK, I'll give you that it fits the brief.

[Twincam16]

Can't see the Escort 3-door estate being considered a shooting-brake. That was more a product of the van-with-windows base-model estate era when people were still getting used to the idea of hatchbacks.

IMO a shooting-brake has to be based on something sporty. I also reckon it needs at least 2+2 seats, so I'm not sure about the Z3M Coupe. I'd still say the current Scirocco is more shooting-brake than coupe or hatch.

[Catweazle]

Child seats.