You asked: what’s a shooting brake?
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Welcome to Mailbag, a roundup of the best comments, questions and tips from you, our readers. Some are nice, some are not so nice. But here they are.
What’s a Shooting Brake?
A Facebook fan had a great question about a new Porsche released this week.
Another commenter came to the rescue:
We asked our Motoring team to add some additional insight.
Andrew Connor, Automotive Writer: So the term as I understand it has changed a lot over the years — it used to mean a custom-built wagon that carried shooting parties and their gear for fancy British fox hunts or whatever. That was pretty much a pre-war definition anyways. Today most people (myself included) use it to describe a two-door sports car that’s either been turned into or designed as a wagon (examples: the recent Calloway Corvette Conversion or the Ferrari FF). Some brands (like Mercedes) have used it to describe their sporty four-door wagons but I think that’s crap, frankly. But a really shooting brake is pretty cool, at least on the merit of its rarity. For one, I’ve always loved the Volvo P1800 ES, a perfect example of the body style.
Nick Caruso, Automotive Editor: A shooting brake — really just a station wagon nowadays — is a big departure for Porsche, much like the Cayenne SUV was some years ago. Automotive enthusiasts generally love wagons because they combine the practical with the fun (low center of gravity for handling, room for the whole family for a weekend away) — I’m a fan of this Porsche evolution’s design and concept…and can’t wait to drive one.
It’s a Wagon
Speaking of the new Porsche, it caused quite a stir on Facebook. Here’s what you thought.
Have something to say? Add it to the conversation here.
What Do You Spot?
We took a trip to Venice Beach and spotted some vintage beauties. We put out the call for carspotting on Facebook, and our audience didn’t disappoint.