Audi Releases A5 Cabrio, Sportback, A7 and Next Gen A8 Sketches

Very well said! Although from these illustrations, I do see much better lines taking shape. In the design department, I think Audi has gotten more credit than it's deserved in the past. The continuing theme of matching front and back ends with a low sloping roof line has gotten tiresome. With that said, I'm loving the slight changes I see here.

"you almost need a subtitle to distinguish the different models. " u can say that about Astons as well. vantage,db7 and rapide they all look very similar. BUT, who cares?? as long as they look good and stylish and sell. better than some rubbish design experiments, never change a winning team i`d say...

Exactly, but still I don't think they are value for money. Afterall, they arejust VW's considering most of their cars share up to 70% parts with Seat Skoda and VW. Besides that, these drawings can put people to sleep. Not only are they not exciting )(compare thatto BMw's exciting new designs), they are so so so boring with deisgns that lack tast. That ugly open fish mouth frille is on every single boring Audi, and every single one of them look just as ugly as the other. Please, don't bore me to death. Same goes for the inteior that's of inferior office style design and inferior VW quality (cmpare that of the luxurious design of a BMw interior that's like an art galery), Audi is rock bottom.

By the way, nothing special about the R8 either. If you compare that to the Astons and Lambo's, that R8 looks like a rat. Just because it's Audi's first car in this segment doesn't mean that it's a great achievement overall. A car that uses an old A4 derivative engine, design that looks like a rat, handling that's worse than the Mercedes C Class. It's just a failure. But if you look at Audi on its own, it's a great achievement for them as they have finally successfully copied what BMW managed to do 32 years ago with the M1. That's a bit late though.

Aww it must feel bad that in reality BMW is being beat on all fronts by Audi. It must be a relief to get some of your frustration out on these forums.

GPKH, As easy as it is for you to say that there is nothing special about the R8, I can also say that there is nothing special about the M3, or the M5, or the M6, or as a matter of fact, the whole BMW lineup. But I won't make that statement because I have capabilites of thinking objectively, and I don't have to resort to making up false information to degrade other car companies that don't happen to be my favorite. I'm actually going to end this comment right here because I have just realized that you are very much like a stubborn 10 year old who makes up pathetic lies to avoid punishments. You're a waste of my time, and there is no point in trying to reason with you. I hope you find a better purpose in life someday that doesn't involve falsely bashing other companies at the expense of making yourself look like a stubborn little boy. You're not worth a second of my time, nor anyone else's on this forum.

yip, that is definatly the r8 spider. love the engine cover.

engine cover is a lambo rip off. tats pretty obvious

Actually, Lamborghini isn't the only car company to do louvered engine covers. Ferrari did it, too, before they switched to the glass engine covers.

Unlike BMW and M-B, who's cars don't look similar at all... ;)

I think he meant to say, you seen one German car, n then you have seen them all :P

I think it looks more like the Aston Martin window line than the Hoffmeister. Either which way, yes, the A8 is always the let-down of the range when it so shouldn't be. I don't see the point in the A7, all the current saloons have a pretty slick roofline as it is - A6 especially. And what is that A5 Fastback rubbish about? Why? That's a more ridiculous niche than the SAC that BMW's opened up with the X6. The A5 Fastback should be the production A4, and the A7 should be the production A8 - if you get my drift.

Yes, you're right. It is more Aston than BMW. Good call. Or Nissan Fuga/Infiniti M35... Just not very Audi, a shame since their greenhouse shape is so ownable and has evolved so elegantly over the last 25 years. (Wish I could say the same for the grille.)

They have done some things better: Nice interiors, good styling, quattro and lower prices. With a lot of buyers stepping into the entry premium market over the last 10 years, they've taken advantage of this very well. But looking forward, it seems they are getting stale...a dangerous position to be in when you're a brand based on cutting-edge style. I just did a BYO at the US Audi website and a nicely equipped A4 Avant topped US$53,000 (about 43,000 euros). That's AMG (or S4, or A6) money for a 4-cylinder car with only 211hp. It's a nice car but not *that* nice.

I guess it happens to all cars though. At least it doesn't have a "Korean" rear end like the Pig Series... I mean 7 Series.

The new 7 Series has been awarded as the most beautiful luxury car design by many magazines around the world. I think you are referring to the older 7 Series. Becasue if you wan to complain about designs, why not start with your audi's forever ugly open fish mouth grille, ocationally with teeth. It can be compared with a pig's nose as well of you want. Well maybe you find that attractive - people with bad taste should not comment here xenomorph

No, I meant the current 7 series, clearly one of the worst looking cars ever produced. Its like a pig/hippopotomous hybrid on wheels with a Korean rear end. The front kidney grilles are just rediculously oversised to the point that they look like pigs nostrils, the lower area looks like a wide gaping mouth and the body of the car looks bland and bulbous, like that of a hippopotomous. It would suit you well though. A car with no style, for a person with no style, or anything else actually; besides an ignorant opinion. Take care.

Well, your opnion differs from most of other people in the Auto business and people who can actually buy the car. Most think that the new 7 Series is most beautiful. Including the interior that's out of this world. The A8 is miles behind with interior tech that's like the current 3 Series. Please, catchup. By the way, excluding that fish mouth front and stupid audi lights, the main picture is exactly like the Z2 rendering (leaked design photo) from 8 years ago. This is how they just copy....wow, what's next, they change the Audi badge to BMW as well, just Red and Black

GPKH; by now, you have made it obvious that you are a BMW fanboy who resorts to personal attacks to degrade Audi at all costs. Firstly, I suggest you go to the worldcarfans article in which the new 7 series was first shown. Read the comments. Xenomorph is not lying. General concensus has it that the car is ugly. And by most magazines, I'm assuming you mean publications by BMW or BMW sponsored magazines. Road tests havn't even been done yet with the new 7 series, so you wouldn't have read that anywhere mainstream. And the A8 is behind in interior? You kidding me? The A8 won the best quality award for interior period. Think I'm lying, which you seem to have a habit of doing, especially with those so called JD Power ratings? Go look up the awards the A8's interior won, and the BMW 7 series didn't. And another thing, your comment about the A8's interior may have something to do with the fact that the current one's been around for 5 years, but the new 7 series hasn't even been delivered to dealerships yet. I really don't understand where you see Audi copying BMW either. Audi don't have those oversized kidney grills that honestly make the front of the new 7 series look like an ugly boar. And then of course, there's that ugly rear end of the new 7 series, which I have no idea from where it was inspired. You must be either one of two things; blind, or extremely ignorant. Where do you see a BMW in an Audi? The logo perhaps? Because the BMW logo is one circle and the Audi's happens to have four? Or it may be the fact that both cars have red taillamps. Or it may be that BMWs and Audi have four wheels? I honestly don't understand your point. Audi and BMW don't share same character lines, similar interiors nor same faces. You, with your emotionally delusional rants, may of course see things differently. I suggest you grow up; you talk like a spoiled 10 year old who wants everything its way. Well let me tell you something; the world doesn't revolve around what you think. You have said at least 20 times that Audi copies BMW, but unfortunately, you cannot back those statements with any evidence. I would respect your opinion on Audi and BMWs if only you actually expressed your thoughts in a coherent and intellectual way, but you have made it very clear that you are not capable of doing so.

Very well said RS5

I support those comments and theory too. I don't mind an opinion, but I do mind garbage. If I saw this on a Mercedes forum or anything else I would act in just the same way. My favorite two comments by it though were "BMW has superior quality because they have flower patterns to cover up their test mule cars" and "the R8 handles worse than a C class". He should become a clown, he doesn't even need to try, it all comes naturally.

What?s wrong with Darth Vader's mask? It was created as a symbol of power and oppression for the movie. Audi would not have copied the mask directly but the concept of the single frame grille was likely due to similar motives.

What I find most disappointing about the 7 series is that it could have potentially been an amazing looking car. If they had based the styling off the CS concept then it would have been a masterpiece, what we were given was a monstrosity. How the styling could diminish to such an extent is beyond me. Everyone seemed to appreciate the styling of the CS concept. It seems to have joined the growing trend of cars companies that create an excellent concept and then downgrade when the production vehicle is brought out such as the Jaguar CXF and XF.

HAHA, ARE YOU JOKING, WHICH CAR COMPANY TOOK AUDI DESIGN STYLES? IT IS SO BORING EVEN THOUGH THEY TRY TO COPY FROM BMW, WHICH CLEARLY THEY DIDN'T GET RIGHT. THE LAST TIME I CHECKED, AUDI IS ALWAYS PEEPING INTO BMW'S PRODUCT AND TRYING TO PULL ITSELF TO BMW BY COPYING ALMOST EVERYTHING THAT BMW DOES. MAYBE VW WILL USE AUDI STYLES FOR THE NEXT POLO. IT WOULD LOOK BETTER ON A VW THAN A PREMIUM CAR, BECAUSE IT IS ACTUALLY NO STYLE.

GPKH, u can practically say the same comments to any car maker you dislike.

which c5 are you talkin about?? the new c5 rearlamps are a rip off the bmw 3 series. and doesnt look anything like the new 7s. audis all look the same. of course i can tell em apart but they have the same theme. every bmw and even merc has a different look and theme to it. what do you think is unique? i just wanted to ask about the c5, im in no mood to trigger the audi fanatics here so im out. cheers

well the c5 rear lamps look more like the last gen audi a4;s actually