These cars underwent a metamorphosis – De Vlucht Strip

BMW i3

Possibly the new BMW i3, pictured here with long wheelbase for the Chinese market.

Let’s start with the current cause of this story: the new BMW i3. BMW has not yet announced it, but since the brand uses ‘the power of choice’ as the mantra for its EV strategy (in other words: every model comes with an electric variant), it seems almost certain that this model also finds its way to Europe.

Anyway, the future BMW i3 is completely different from the current i3. While the latter is a compact car specifically developed as an EV, the new i3 should simply be an electric version of the current 3-series, similar to the recipe of the iX3 and i4. This makes the new i3 considerably less revolutionary than the current model was in 2013. Because whether you can appreciate it or not, with the i3 BMW was one of the few manufacturers that had an EV in its range at the time.

Mercedes-Benz A-Class

From MPV to almost 400 hp hot hatch. It can turn…

With the A-class, Mercedes-Benz introduced a more compact entry-level model under the C-class in 1997. The first-generation A-class was mainly known for the moose test, in which the car turned out not to be completely safe during an evasive manoeuvre. That does not alter the fact that the model was quite successful. In our country, the A-class rolled out of the showroom 4,327 times in 1999. The model has not equaled that sales number since then. Mercedes-Benz followed approximately the same approach with the second generation of the A-class in 2004 with a higher MPV shape, which was also available as a three-door.

Only in 2012, 15 years after the introduction of the first A-class, did things change radically for this type. The third generation of the A-class shrank by 15.4 centimeters in height compared to the original. That transformed the model considerably: from a somewhat dull, but practical MPV, the first letter in the Mercedes-Benz range suddenly became a smooth competitor for the Audi A3 and BMW 1-series. In recent years in particular, it has sold well in our country, partly thanks to the introduction of the fourth generation. In 2019 Mercedes-Benz managed to register 4,264 copies in our country.

Chevrolet Corvette

The V8 is no longer in the front, but behind the cab!

Since the introduction of the Chevrolet Corvette C1 in 1953, the basis of the American sports car has remained virtually unchanged: an elongated hood with a V8 underneath and two seats behind it. The C1 was only available as a convertible, but subsequent generations also appeared on the market as a coupé, of which the Stingray with its split rear window is perhaps the most iconic model. Until the Corvette C7, which was in production from 2014 to 2019, Chevrolet stayed true to this recipe. The appearance of the Corvette changed drastically over the years, of course, but the silhouette of the sports car remained more or less the same.

Until last year, because 67 years after the introduction of the original Corvette, the engine in the C8 slides from the front to the back of the cabin. This gives the Corvette suddenly much more the silhouette of a supercar. It is also the first General Motors production car with a mid-rear configuration since the Pontiac Fiero. Is that the end of the changes to the Corvette? No, because there is a hybrid variant on the roll and Chevrolet is also reportedly working on an electric Corvette crossover. The latter will probably be next to the C8 or its successor in the range.

Ford Puma

A fun package, but different.

There is no direct succession with the Ford Puma. In fact, there is a gap of about 18 years between the current and the first Puma. The first Puma was on the market from 1997 to 2002 and was a compact four-seat coupé based on the fourth generation of the Fiesta. Although the Puma looked sporty, it wasn’t exactly a streaker. The most powerful option was a 1.7 four-cylinder with 125 hp, with which the coupe could accelerate to 100 km/h in 9.2 seconds and achieve a top speed of 203 km/h. Not bad, but not spectacular either.

The first Puma could not really break in the Netherlands. He experienced his peak in 1999, when Ford registered 562 new copies. With the new Puma that is suddenly a completely different story. The Puma was no longer a low coupé, but a compact crossover. The sales figures show that today’s consumers are completely wild about this vehicle type. In 2020, Ford sold more units of the new Puma with 2,235 vehicles than during the lifetime of the first Puma. Despite the fact that the second Puma is higher on its legs, you do not have to sacrifice much in terms of sportiness: the Puma is also available as a 200 hp ST, which can reach 100 km/h in 6.7 seconds. shoot.

Seat Toledo

The Seat Toledo as MPV

The model name Toledo was retired by Seat in 2019, but has an interesting ‘career’ on it. In 1991 the Toledo first appeared on the market as a liftback. The angular model remained in production until 1998, after which the second generation replaced it. Thanks to its fixed rear window, the Toledo was no longer a liftback, but a sedan. The design was also quite different. The second generation of the Toledo had much rounder lines than the first generation.

Although the first and second generations of the Toledo clearly differed from each other – despite the fact that they were both designed by Italdesign, the studio of Giorgetto Giugiaro – the model only really undergoes a metamorphosis with the third generation. Suddenly the Toledo was… an MPV! Since the MPV was still completely hot was, it is not even such a very strange move from Seat. In addition to the Leon and Altea of ​​that time, the Toledo is not very distinctive, especially when viewed from the front, it is quite a task to keep them apart. The MPV chapter of the Toledo was closed in 2009. The model then returned in 2012 as a liftback, which, like its counterpart Skoda Rapid, was positioned between the B and C segment. This completes the circle for the Toledo, from liftback to liftback. In 2019 the curtain fell for the model name, but we are still waiting for the Toledo to return as a pick-up. Or something.

Do you have any other examples of such metamorphoses? Don’t hesitate to share them in the comments!