On Monday night I was in a modern art museum in Munich – the Pinakothek der Moderne Munchen, if you must know – to see the world unveil of the new Audi A7. It was a glitzy and glammy and super-stylish event and media from all over the world were there in droves to see a white sheet taken off a complex bit of machinery.
It’s a niche car, alright, but it’s not that nichey – you could argue the successful Mercedes CLS has been filling it for years, and big coupe-like four door ‘saloons’ like the Jaguar XF and Porsche Panamera are right there as well.
This car will appeal to anyone considering a Jaguar, which is exactly what Audi wants. It’s low, sleek and big. It has a hatchback and plenty of room inside, despite looking like a coupe. It runs on the next A6’s chassis, which is part of the same modular platform that the A8 sits on, along with the A4, A5 and even Q5 – very cleverly designed, obviously, and cost-effective as well.
What I like about this shape is not the details, which are interesting in themselves, but the overall stance. It sits very low and squat, and looks extremely purposeful and aggressive from all angles. Audi is really finding its mojo with styling now, and I can’t remember a more Audi-ish Audi than this one.
I asked Audi’s Board Member for Technical Development, Michael Dick, whether or not he’s hard at work on an S7 or RS7 and he wouldn’t be drawn – though he did smile a bit, because he couldn’t help it. The last thing I said to him, actually, was ‘so do you think the twin-turbo V10 from the RS6 would be the best engine for the new RS7?’ and he said ‘I cannot comment on that right now’ in a manner that suggested the line of questioning was over. Maybe I asked the question once too often, but you can’t blame me – imagine this big, low, sleek monster with wider track and arches and gigantic wheels and a big V10 in the nose. For me, that right there is the best Audi in the world. If they make it. (Which they will).
Bill Thomas
(No Ratings Yet)