Back in the 1890s, the term "shooting-brake" was coined to describe long, boxy, somewhat hearse-like appearance of horse-drawn carriages that would be used to ferry about shooting parties. In other parts of the world, that would be called 'hunting', with "brake" derived from the Dutch word, "brik", meaning 'cart' or 'carriage'. Practically, it needs to be large enough to carry not only the shooting party, but also all their guns, ammunition, the game they'd killed, and a case of whisky.
Because surely, alcohol and guns are the perfect combination, no? It shouldn't mean much to the ordinary person, but for any car enthusiast, shooting-brakes are a body-style designed to ooze with style, and substance. Why just settle with all the horsepower in the world, when you could clothe in under an elegantly-shaped physique, that's equally very practical? The recipe for any shooting-brake is to simply take any car, and elongate the cabin far enough back.
No Pain, No Gain.
Credits to: Rain Prisk
More specifically, a proper shooting-brake, at least in my opinion, should be a two-door mated to a wagon-y body. The design nevertheless became popularised during the pre-SUV era where station-wagons roamed the suburban streets of the United States, and Europe. Look no further than the opening of the Simpsons to see how much of a cultural impact it had, especially since the Golden Age of automotive design of the 1950s and 70s.
If a carmaker was afraid to go against convention, then coachbuilders would take in the reigns of endless, and sometimes fruitful experimentations into the beyond. The Aston Martin DB5 and Ferrari 365 Daytona had gorgeous, hand-built shooting-brake variants, the latter inspired by the old 250 Breadvan. Even the more pedestrian models had shooting-brake styles too, bringing a touch of beauty to the masses. Cars like the Volvo P1800 and Reliant Scimitar are lovely examples of this.
Credits to: Aston Martin DB5 Vantage, Ferrari 365 GTB/4, and Volvo 1800 ES
Nowadays however, there's more substance and practicality to be had with an SUV or crossover, though I'd argue that it generally hasn't accomplished the same seductive athleticism of a proper shooting-brake. Porsche's Panamera could be considered one, but the best modern example of how a shooting-brake should look and feel like is the Ferrari GTC4Lusso. To an extent, if you're willing to stretch your budget even more, there's also the stunningly gorgeous Aston Martin Vanquish Zagato Shooting-Brake.
I only wonder then, as to what the world today might look like if more cars were made into shooting-brake styles. In the higher-end of the car industry, this design only makes sense on a grand-tourer, and there's another quintessential GT that few people talk about. It is, the aptly-named Maserati GranTurismo. For better or worse, I'd just remembered that after 12 long years of mostly minor updates, the GranTurismo - and its topless sibling, the GranCabrio - was canned last year.
A successor is in the works, supposedly with the Trident's new all-electric powertrain, due sometime around next year if all goes well. So what if this successor tries something new and exciting by abandoning the tried-and-true Coupé styling; exchanging that smooth taper for a square? Sure, it might not charm as many ordinary people, and some others might confuse it for carrying a casket in the back.
Credits to: Ferrari GTC4Lusso, Vanquish Zagato
But for the discerning - or mostly peculiar - enthusiast, few come close to the appeal of a shooting-brake. The swoopy GranTurismo follows a long bloodline of equally curvaceous, Pininfarina-designed, and V8-powered grand-tourers that Maserati wants to captivate your soul. It just warms the cockles of your heart with its Italian magic, even though your mind tells you that it'll sink in value faster than the Titanic, and it'll likely break in half once the warranty runs out.
It started with the angular, seemingly ruler-designed styling of the Biturbo, 2nd-generation Ghibli, and Shamal of the 80s and early-90s. Later, the then-Chairman of Maserati's parent company, Ferrari, Luca di Montezemolo wanted a return to form for storied brand. This came in the form of the 3200 GT, which helped to popularise the rise of F1-inspired automated-manual transmissions, otherwise known as "flappy paddles".
The 3200 GT was flawed six ways from Sunday, which was somewhat addressed with the not-at-all cleverly named Coupé that came to succeed it. It appeared mostly the same, although one regrettable stylistic change was the removal of the 3200's distinctive 'boomerang' taillights. With Pininfarina's ageless design however, they both still look fresh today, 20 years later. They still feel fast too, powered by the same Ferrari-derived V8s you'd find in an F360 or F430 of the era.
New Generations.
Credits to: Maserati 3200 GT, GranTurismo MC Stradale, and Alfieri Concept
Then came the GranTurismo, which I truly adore, despite all its flaws. It had that same timeless elegance in its bodywork. However, corners were cut owing to Maserati's financial situation, as evident by the same plastic interior trim you'd find an airport rental car. Plus, borrowing the four-door Quattraporte's platform meant that it was oddly long, sometimes more than a period Range Rover. At least, it still had that Ferrari V8 that made a volcanic exhaust note to light your hair on fire, even though it wasn't that fast anyway.
In a era where cars like the Bentley Continental, Ferrari 599, and Aston Martin DB9 ruled supreme, it's easy enough to forget that the GranTurismo ever existed. It's supposed successor came in 2014, as the Alfieri. Named after one of the five Maserati brothers, it was the namesake company's 100th birthday present to itself, and a fantastic one at that. Taking design cues from the 3200, and all the way back to the A6 of the 1950s, it should catapult Maserati back into the heat of competition.
Credits to: Rain Prisk
It would no doubt be made with a similar coupe and convertible styles as its predecessors, but I can't be the only one wishing that they'd perhaps try something a bit more bold. In comes brilliant designers like Rain Prisk, imaging what it could look like if the Alfieri had more luggage space for that South of France holiday trip. Inspired mostly by the GTC4Lusso's boxy roofline, there's hardly a faster way of shoving bags, skis, surfboards, or Ikea cupboards on four-wheels.
More importantly, it had a sporty look with just two-doors, as shooting-brakes are intended to be. Though if you're looking for something more practical, Andrej Suchov aims to stir your imagination of an Alfieri combined with that four-door wagon-y style of the Panamera. Personally, I think this is best reserved for perhaps the Ghibli or Quattroporte, but I can certainly appreciate its artistic beauty. This way, you can reserve fun for four, and with adequate leg-room in the back for long journeys.
Credits to: Andrej Suchov - 1, 2
Either way, I can only pray to the Gods in heaven for Maserati to even consider making this car fit into an even more niche category than it already is. I'll leave these lovely renders with you to figure out which ones you'd prefer, and whether there's a space in your heart for a shooting-brake. You can't not secretly love the idea, even though it has scant performance benefits, and isn't practical enough for some situations, while costing a lot of money. If the answer is still 'no', then I can only conclude that you're as heartless as custard pudding.
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fuck camaro . I have Ford ka !discovery 15
Cheers for the support, and the fairly interesting comment 😁. I don't think I've made any references here to American cars. I'm not much into muscle cars personally, but the Ford KA is certainly the quirky little car. Cool, and fairly underrated as a fun little machine to go about your day, especially the StreetKA! Now that's just a bucket of fun and laughs...
nooo! It is ford ka European !, 1.3 haha is not muscular, it is just my darling to be 98, I have everything new *. *
Ah, it looks really cool, mate. The great thing about the car world is that regardless of other people might think, if you truly love your car, then you're an enthusiast, true and true. It might not have a big engine, but given how small and light this is, it could very well be just as exciting to drive as a sports car :-D
Here's my Twitter #POSH link :-D
Also, some love for LinkedIn, too!
https://www.linkedin.com/posts/zack-n-68b74519a_shot-chaser-maserati-alfieri-shooting-brake-activity-6695717398777094144-K93m