Autocar mockup of A2 revamp

Interesting read.. makes you think how advanced the A2 was at the time and, if it went battery powered would it be much more environmentally friendlier?
 
A2Steve said:
Looks great doesn't it. I'm glad they kept the shape. 20 years of progress can't improve on it. That will do for me.
Click to expand...
Agree. Children all up here for Christmas with newer cars - Toyota Yaris, Ford Ka2, Citroen something - the A2 looks so much better, real class.
 
audifan said:
Hasn't someone already done an electric conversion on the A2? now that would be a retrofit for Tom @timmus to roll out.:)
Click to expand...

Over the years there has I guess been between 10 and 20 EV conversions. See this post for some: https://www.a2oc.net/community/index.php?threads/no-hybrid-a2-concept-anyone.34028/#post-294267 My post #6 gives a list of many. When I wrote that post I recall I found a company in Germany that was offering an A2 EV conversion - most, if not all, of the others were done by enthusiasts. Many were done 6 or more years ago. The cost is very high - about £15,000 from memory and given EVs are now cheaper and more mainstream there is less need / motivation for pioneers.
 
the thing that struck me about this remake was how much better it was than any previous A2-remake concept shown (ie, compared to the A1-detailed announcement a decade ago - and I say this as someone who isn't offended by the original A1) using contemporary Audi E-tron facial detailing although without the excessive recent ur-quattro wheelarch design motifs - just adding some 3D-profiling to the lower door-faces and the very defined swage-line visible in current Skodas below the door-handles is very effective to make the shape more contemporary, while retaining a lot of lines from the original A2 (wheel arches and A-pillar / roof-line) and keeping the overall form the same seems very effective.

Bearing in mind the space-frame - and obvious horrific cost of the following idea - doesn't this mean that bonnet / front wings / doors / wheels / A-pillar to rear wing / tailgate / front & rear light moulding pieces could be replaced by new pressings or composite parts fitting to existing hard-points to make the Autocar concept possible in real life if one wanted to realise this look - which correlates with the expert observation that this looks like a mid-term restyle of the original. As well as obviously electric conversion (I've seen a few now from Germany on Youtube) when the parts are affordable - but the basic structure would still be valid now. I think the comments about the harsh ride are lazy (avoid 17" wheels and use softer springs), and finally the comments about lack of demand would now be countered by the fact that the car is very much more of the moment. The fact that the MB A-class remake was also thought of this time round suggests that several high profile motoring journalists are of the mind-set that a space- and energy- efficient prestige vehicle is something much more needed by modern society than another 4x4 behemoth.
 
What makes me laugh is all these modern electrics that think they invented a flip panel on the bonnet to access the charging point. And to think they all said it would never catch on....
 
I recall that in the 1960's, it was common place for cars to be quite radically altered in profile by almost anybody! There was a magazine called "custom car" and I used to buy it, from issue 1! I remember that a common modification was to LOWER the roof! Wings would be made to bulge outwards! I just couldn't imagine a new magazine being published in a similar field? Anyway, I had thought of making alterations to the front of the A2 to be able to fit a different pair of headlights. The bonnet profile would need to be altered. There's plenty of parts available .... cheap, too. The selected headlights would have DRL's incorporated, of course. I'm sure that it could be experimental and one could revert back to the original A2, if necessary. It would give the front of the car a stunning new look, that's for sure!

David
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top