Audi’s Prologue Concept – recently unveiled at the Los Angeles Motor Show – could form the basis of the company’s new A9 premium coupe, a new rival to the Mercedes-Benz S-Class.
[Not a valid template]The new Prologue also presents a new design language for Audi as set by head of design Marc Lichte and which could be seen on the next generation A6, A7 and A8 saloons.
Shorter and flatter than the current gen A8, the dominant aspect of the Prologue concept is the enormous Singleframe grille, which sits lower than current production models and is a good bit wider, though the design continues to incorporate Audi’s famous four rings. The redesigned headlights – now much slicker – utilise laser technology to illuminate more of the road surface, while the front bumper below now includes larger air intakes. Hardly small in stature (the Prologue measures nearly 17ft in length, 6.4ft in width and stands 4.6ft tall), 22-inch 10-spoke alloys fill the wheel arches for a more imposing presence. The look is finished on the test model courtesy of pearl-effect paint. Inspiration for the futuristic style cockpit has largely been taken from the company’s recently debuted TT.
Under the bonnet is Audi’s 4.0-litre TFSI turbocharged V8, which produces 597bhp and 553lb ft of torque, equating to a 3.7-second 0-100kph time. That, by the by, is nearly half a second faster than the Mercedes S 65 AMG Coupe should the Prologue/A9 make production any time soon.
Source – Audi Deutschland
