# New Spy Photos of A3



## Fellow Gaucho (Aug 3, 2011)

With some nice rally styled headlights  I am thinking those won't make it to the dealer...  
However, it doesn't seem like a huge difference in appearance from the older model. Not as different as I thought it would be. What does everyone think? 

http://www.roadandtrack.com/future-cars/spy-photos/caught-testing-2013-audi-a3-hatchback


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## dmorrow (Jun 9, 2000)

If this is the production car then I am disappointed. I was expecting it to change more.


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## brookside (Jan 11, 2012)

Here's the image........









*I think it looks spectacular.* Size and scale is perfectly proportioned and it looks like very few modifications (wheel blisters seem a little smaller and the outside mirrors are euro-mandated) that I can see from the concept. Check out the horizontal strakes in the grille. Nice touch to detail.


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## Travis Grundke (May 26, 1999)

dmorrow said:


> If this is the production car then I am disappointed. I was expecting it to change more.


 When people say this I'm always puzzled. Automakers almost *always* take an evolutionary approach to their product design because let's be honest: if it ain't broke, don't fix it. The second part that always strikes me as puzzling about this statement is that it only takes into consideration the physical appearance and not what is under the skin. 

Take the B8 A4 for example: the change was decidedly evolutionary, not radical. However, the major changes were all under the skin, from a completely revised suspension to, more importantly, the move to the MLP architecture which, like the upcoming MQB based A3, is the real story behind the new model. It will be lighter, easier to build, quieter, with a more spacious, better equipped interior and a better value proposition than the outgoing model. Like the MLP based A4 the MQB product promise better driving dynamics due to the improved weight distribution and shifting of the engine block back about 40mm. 

The Germans rarely go for radical changes in their product. Look at the new F30 BMW 3-Series: it still looks like a classic 3. The B8 A4 and B8.5 A4 are similar evolutions, the A3, however, is as major an upgrade as the B7 to B8 transition - it's just that not all of that goes into the appearance of the vehicle.


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## brookside (Jan 11, 2012)

*Nice shots-*

Good quality camera used...little or no zoom from what I can tell to distort the image. 
Side view is very nice. The front overhang is getting smaller and smaller....I'm guessing that 
the MQB platform is the reason. Enjoy.


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## amorganw (Jan 17, 2012)

Those side views slightly remind me of a 968. I'm anxious to see the 5 door.


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## Chimera (Jul 6, 2002)

Why the move to door-mounted side mirrors, better visibility? (vs base of a-pillar, always seems cheap when I see this on modern cars) 

I thought these photos made the car look like an 8L the first few times I saw them, but dismissed it thinking it was just due to being a 2-door. Those must be seriously narrow/high ET wheels, tons of room in the fenders.


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## dmorrow (Jun 9, 2000)

Travis Grundke said:


> When people say this I'm always puzzled. Automakers almost *always* take an evolutionary approach to their product design because let's be honest: if it ain't broke, don't fix it. The second part that always strikes me as puzzling about this statement is that it only takes into consideration the physical appearance and not what is under the skin.
> 
> Take the B8 A4 for example: the change was decidedly evolutionary, not radical. However, the major changes were all under the skin, from a completely revised suspension to, more importantly, the move to the MLP architecture which, like the upcoming MQB based A3, is the real story behind the new model. It will be lighter, easier to build, quieter, with a more spacious, better equipped interior and a better value proposition than the outgoing model. Like the MLP based A4 the MQB product promise better driving dynamics due to the improved weight distribution and shifting of the engine block back about 40mm.
> 
> The Germans rarely go for radical changes in their product. Look at the new F30 BMW 3-Series: it still looks like a classic 3. The B8 A4 and B8.5 A4 are similar evolutions, the A3, however, is as major an upgrade as the B7 to B8 transition - it's just that not all of that goes into the appearance of the vehicle.


What's under the skin doesn't change how it looks and based on the prototype from last year I was hoping that more of the design elements of this prototype would make it to production. Also the current car will have been out for 9 years (Geneva 2003) by the time the new one comes out with only minor changes (bumper, mirrors, headlights). Is there another car on the market that has been out for 9 years without a major redesign?

I was hoping for more and am disappointed with the exterior design. You don't agree with me but you are "puzzled" by my opinion?

See this http://www.teknikensvarld.se/bildgalleri/audi-a3-interior1/?p=0#imageView


Even Audi's own rendering on their disply at a show shows what I also think is a better design.


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## Travis Grundke (May 26, 1999)

dmorrow said:


> What's under the skin doesn't change how it looks and based on the prototype from last year I was hoping that more of the design elements of this prototype would make it to production. Also the current car will have been out for 9 years (Geneva 2003) by the time the new one comes out with only minor changes (bumper, mirrors, headlights). Is there another car on the market that has been out for 9 years without a major redesign?
> 
> I was hoping for more and am disappointed with the exterior design. You don't agree with me but you are "puzzled" by my opinion?
> 
> ...


But that's my exact argument, dmorrow: what's under the skin, how it is manufactured and how it drives is just as important as the exterior design language of the finished product. Design is such a subjective thing it's silly to debate; But the overall packaging and the revisions under the skin are just as, if not more important to the platform's success.

Take a look at the F30 BMW 3 as compared to the outgoing E90 - it's an evolutionary design that lasted about seven years. 

I'm not puzzled by your opinion, but how often people will thumbs-down a revised product because it doesn't change enough. Why mess with successful design language? 

As for the digital image from the MMI display at CES - I think what you see there is what you will ultimately see once all of the camo is removed and the right-sized wheels are employed on the production models we'll see next month.


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## BClear (Jun 18, 2010)

Dmorrow, not in an attacking tone, but I'm just curious as to what exactly you were hoping for or are disappointed by. The headlights and body lines/shape are almost exactly what we saw at Geneva last year. The production interior looks almost identical that Geneva car as well. Obviously the door handles/wheels/grill weren't going to go into the production version of their entry level vehicle.

Between the concept last year and things Audi has been doing as of late (A1, A6, A7, A8, refreshed A/S 4 and 5), there's really not much left to the imagination in terms of design for this car.

These spy photos look very similar to the MMI render you linked, but still with a bit of camo.

Again, not in a harsh tone so you need not take offense, but what exactly are you looking for?


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## dmorrow (Jun 9, 2000)

I have never posted a picture so here goes



















Found the bottom photo on the internet which is the current car. On the black car I would to have liked to have seen the upper crease, below the glass, more pronounced. The wheel arches could have been more pronounced. The rear cut line and glass shapes could have changed shape. I also prefer the mirrors up higher so they aren't obstructing the door.

I am not asking you to agree with me and I am still interested in the car just would have liked to have seen something more after 9 years.


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## BClear (Jun 18, 2010)

I understand where you're coming from. I think you'll be pleasantly surprised at how close the production version is to the MMI render come March 6 or 7 when it's revealed.

And then the waiting game until the debut of the sedan will start, unless it's unexpectedly revealed concurrently at Geneva.


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## Travis Grundke (May 26, 1999)

BClear said:


> And then the waiting game until the debut of the sedan will start, unless it's unexpectedly revealed concurrently at Geneva.


IIRC, Audi is planning to stagger the A3 variant launches: 3 door at Geneva, Sportback this fall, sedan at some point at the end 2012/early 2013, etc.


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## BClear (Jun 18, 2010)

Travis Grundke said:


> IIRC, Audi is planning to stagger the A3 variant launches: 3 door at Geneva, Sportback this fall, sedan at some point at the end 2012/early 2013, etc.


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yqT1GtTHT-U

This video confirms the staggered debuts we're expecting.

I wish we had more info on the timeline of the sedan in the U.S.


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## brookside (Jan 11, 2012)

There’s 2 points that I think are really pivotal to this discussion- first what does Audi hope to accomplish with the new A3 and second, is it the car people want, or in the case of some of the Audi enthusiasts on this site- does it really encapsulate a spirit of the new in it’s design? 

To me the new A3 sedan is a heritage car- a reinterpretation of the original A4....B4 in Audi’s nomenclature. (The first Audi I owned) Audi would miss a golden opportunity to highlight this interpretation as an ideal of what a small sporty prestige sedan is in 2012. It’s a statement or a personification of what Audi stands for at it’s essence. They simply have to get it right, including a great base engine that delivers noticeable performance, available beginning with it’s North American debut.

As for it’s design- I think it will be gorgeous. But no, it isn’t new....not revolutionary new and truthfully I’m glad for it because the concept is nearly a perfect encapsulation of Audi’s design language that I’m very happy with it- as long as the production model sedan comes out looking a lot like the concept. 

I’ve noticed that the beefy shoulder line seen in the concept doesn’t seem as pronounced in the spy pics of the pre-production model...which looks like it’s clad with final metal stampings. Maybe I’m wrong and it’s just hard to see on the black hatch. But why would the strongest design element on the car be toned down?


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## Travis Grundke (May 26, 1999)

brookside said:


> I’ve noticed that the beefy shoulder line seen in the concept doesn’t seem as pronounced in the spy pics of the pre-production model...which looks like it’s clad with final metal stampings. Maybe I’m wrong and it’s just hard to see on the black hatch. But why would the strongest design element on the car be toned down?


I wouldn't be surprised if the sedan takes on slightly different design language than the initial 3-door does. There's a pretty pronounced difference in the look of the 3-door and 5-door sportback currently and I would expect the sedan to look a bit different as well. 

I agree with the comment on the shoulder line: i hope they carry it over into production.


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## Rudy_S4 (Nov 10, 2011)

Dear Audi,

I am already sold, just give me a better Quattro system then the out going and you got yourself a deal...another 50 hp would be nice too. I have a feeling I need to lease the A3 until you bring me the S3.

Thanks,


Potential Customer


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## brookside (Jan 11, 2012)

Travis Grundke said:


> I wouldn't be surprised if the sedan takes on slightly different design language than the initial 3-door does. There's a pretty pronounced difference in the look of the 3-door and 5-door sportback currently and I would expect the sedan to look a bit different as well.
> 
> I agree with the comment on the shoulder line: i hope they carry it over into production.












Looking at the concept there's a dramatic flare outward from the plane of the door up to the shoulder line. It makes the design so crisp and muscular; when you look at the mule 3-Door the line is there- but it's toned down - and loses the tailored quality. It may seem like a small point but it really isn't given that Audi's customers rate design and style at the top for selecting the brand.
Every new model should be an advance of Audi's design vocabulary. No dumbing down. No watering down.


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## Gryphon001 (Apr 25, 2008)

Someone posted this up on the Audizine forum...


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## BClear (Jun 18, 2010)

Let's try to not repost in the future please.


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## brookside (Jan 11, 2012)

BClear said:


> Let's try to not repost in the future please.


I think the image from Gryphon is helpful and appropriate in this thread simply because it moves the dialogue along in a linear narrative for comparison's sake. Why should the forum user have to go from one thread to another to get information on exactly the same subject? It makes much more sense to track the developments in an inclusive manner gathered in what amounts to an info one-stop. 

Once the 3-door is unveiled in Geneva then fine- this thread is finito and the caravan moves on.
Just sayin'.


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## VAG-Voyeur (Nov 15, 2011)

My wife and I are considering the Audi A3 as our next vehicle purchase. When I saw this thread I showed her dmorrow's comparison pictures of the current vehicle vs the black test mule and her response was "That's the same car, right?"

After studying it for a moment she was able to discern that the pictures were of 2 generations of A3, but it definitely is not something that leaps out at first glance. Given the current criticisms of Audi design not being very distinctive (ie the A3 looks like a little A4 looks like a little A6 looks like a little A8) they probably could have stuck a little more closely to the concept vehicle's design language to give it a little more individuality.

Evolutionary design is obviously a German automaker's modus operandi, but I suppose some evolutionary steps are smaller than others. The elimination of the uni-brow is a slightly smaller evolutionary step than opposable thumbs, example. I think a few of us were hoping for more of a styling evolution that would give us two thumbs up than one that doesn't even raise eyebrows. Did you see what I did there?


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## kiznarsh (Apr 10, 2007)

VAG-Voyeur said:


> Evolutionary design is obviously a German automaker's modus operandi, but I suppose some evolutionary steps are smaller than others. The elimination of the uni-brow is a slightly smaller evolutionary step than opposable thumbs, example. I think a few of us were hoping for more of a styling evolution that would give us two thumbs up than one that doesn't even raise eyebrows. Did you see what I did there?


I'm pickin' up what you're droppin' down.


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