thoughts on automotive design

I want to ask a question, can anyone actually tell the difference between an Audi A4 Avant and an A6 Avant? That means the station wagon to our US friends, or the estate version for Brits. Here in Finland the term Farmari is used (literally translates as farmer’s car). So my readers, since moving house in 2010, my neighbour has owned a nice silver Audi Avant- obviously quite new, and crucially de-badged so nobody can tell if he’s rich or poor. The thing is, I’m a serious car design geek- I could name most cars simply from a rear lamp design for example, but after nearly 18 months I still have no idea if my neighbour has an A4 or an A6! Clearly this works in much the same way as de-badging does for Audi, in that I still can’t tell how rich or poor the guy is! I’ve yet to ask him- but I will, as nobody except the man who writes the check can ever tell an Audi apart!

edit: I’m nearly 100% sure this is an A4, I saw a similar one with actual badges today. Amazing huh? It’s taken me 2 years to figure this one out. Well done Audi designers….