Pushing Pixels Longer, Lower and Wider: My Newest Version of an Accord 4 Door Coupe

Consider this the "production" version of the Honda concept I chopped a few years ago and posted in this blog last Sunday. 

C H O P — Starting with the recently revealed, updated 2011 Accord coupe's publicity shot below, I created this 4 door version. In addition to the extra set of doors, I used a few tried-and-true tricks of the trade to help visually lower and widen the car, the raison d'être for this newest automotive niche, non? 

The rocker panels are darkened to lessen the height of the body color portion, creating less mass to visually lower the car. I've also altered the configuration of the taillight lenses, a small-but-important change, imo. Notice the character line on the sides of the body. It cuts through both sets of door handles. On the production coupe, it ends at the point where the taillight lens begins. I've allowed it to continue on around the back of the car by dividing the taillights into a red and a clear section. The top part of the taillight len, above the character line is now clear, and is matched by a new brushed aluminum trim piece on the trunk lid. This serves two purposes: First the red part of the lens, or the 'heavy' section of the lens is lessened, making the taillights appear lower and wider, helping the car itself seem lower and wider. Secondly, the clear part of the lens, which would house the amber turn signal bulbs (or LEDs) and the reversing lamps, is tied in with that new car-wide trunk molding. Having a lighter-colored portion of the trim not only go the full width of the car, but visually wrap around the sides, helps lower and widen the car, again, by lessening the amount of solid body color metal that continues from the ground to the roof. By continuing that strong swage line all the way around, cuts the visual thickness of the body, creating a lower look as well.

The rear doors now incorporate an almost triangular quarter window, necessary for the door glass to retract fully, but also somewhat evocative of its crossover cousin, the Acura ZDX. I think if Honda could mimic Mercedes in adopting the 4 door coupe bodystyle, it could also 'steal' a cue here and there from its own sister division, Acura.

• For other Honda chops and posts, click here.

Recently introduced 2011 Accord Coupe, the base photo for my 4 door version above. Notice how the taillight lens configuration really doesn't work with the lines of the body itself, a situation I rectified in my chop. Why don't 'real' stylists think about the details like I do, lol?

BTW:

Speaking of the Acura ZDX above, my newest readers may not have seen my chop of it. I created a new (now never to be produced, lol) Pontiac Aztek using the new Acura crossover as a base. To partially answer RW's question of which are my favorite chops, I have to say this is one of my 'em, for its kitsch value more than anything else. I posted this creation in the early days of this blog, but I won't even make you follow a link back to it, here is is, complete with the Aztek's formerly trademark body strakes, tri-spoked wheels, ribbed taillights and lovely double-level snout and head- running-lights! This is the answer to a question no-one dared ask. No one but artandcolour that is! : )

What happens when you mash up one of 2010's oddest styled cars, the ZDX and one of the oddest styled cars from nearly ten years earlier, the Aztek? The answer is a fairly attractive crossover, though admittedly still quite oddly styled! And YES, I would have made sure the tent option remained.