As part of its new model blitz to drive its offerings up from the current 23 cars to a total of 40, Audi is augmenting its lineup with new coupes, soft-roaders and sedans. The S5 and A5 are already announced and the Q5 will be coming soon, but not long after Audi plans to bring its A7 four-door coupe to market. The latest details reveal a car targeted at premium buyers with a taste for style and power.

A very wide range of powertrains will be offered in the A7 and its S7 and RS7 sport-focused variants. Everything from diesel-electric hybrids to 600hp V10s will be found under the hood of one variant or another. The hybrid drive is expected to show up first in the company’s Q5 soft-roader, making its A7 appearance later next year, reports AutoWeek. A diesel-electric version is rumored, but the company may end up using a petrol engine instead.

The more ordinary A7 variants will be powered by a pair of petrol V6s. The first, a 204hp 2.8L engine is the base model, while the 3.0L supercharged engine making 300hp will be the first step up. An upgrade to S7 trim will bring with it another 94hp in the form of a 4.0L V8. The RS7’s 600hp 5.2L V10 is the range-topper. The S7 and RS7 will be released a year two years apart, with the S7 arriving first in late 2010.

A six-speed manual gearbox and eight-speed automatic will be available in the lower-spec models, while a seven-speed dual-clutch unit is also expected to be offered in the higher-performance variants. U.S. models are also expected to get Audi’s quattro AWD standard, though it is not known if European market variants will have a RWD-only option. Audi’s new torque-vectoring system will also be part of the package.

Air suspension will replace the standard spring-based system found in other Audis. The change is designed to help the car compete with the progenitor of the four-door coupe genre, the Mercedes CLS. Sales of the car are only expected to reach the 40,000 mark, but the image boost it will offer with its high-tech features and glamorous look - especially in the soft-top variant - are important for Audi’s development as a brand.





Source: Motor Authority

Agreed.

I prefer this definition from Wikipedia, but I like the Webster too, a little bit more inclusive without letting the marketing guys to do whatever they want.  But if we already have a standard, why not enforce it?


It's a shame most fell for what amounts to pure marketing hype...

You could probably order a 2010 model this time next year and get it in August

no mention of price in the article.. I would assume around 70-80k?  RS7 probably 90-100k

I agree... second pic definitely holds the most promise, but way too many cars in this price territory that I would consider 1st

The pictures are getting downsized by your browser to fit on the screen, but oddly enough, even with the pictures at full res:

http://www.motorauthority.com/images/Audi/A7/S7-render//2009_Audi_S7_preview_MotorAuthority_002.jpg

It looks as wide as a hummer.