AF Site Team

When the Audi Sportback Concept sauntered into the Detroit spotlights last year, the four-ring brand told us that the "concept" was very close to what would become the production A7, a car we hear will debut late this summer at the Moscow Motor Show in August. A few months short of its rumored date with destiny, though, we've caught it working out at the Nurburgring.

With its big debut rapidly approaching, it's no surprise we found this prototype wearing only body paint over what appears to be a production-ready body. As close to production as the Sportback Concept was rumored to be, there are certainly changes evident on this car. Gone are the all-LED headlights, replaced with more conventional bi-xenon units. So too are the large brake ducts in the lower fascia missing, replaced with more utilitarian fog lights. Though Audi's done a commendable job hiding it, from what we can see the big grille is mostly unchanged from the concept.

The rear end of the car has been likewise tamed. Gone are the integrated, asymmetrical exhaust tips in favor of some conventional round tips poking out the bottom of the fascia. Gone as well are the angular elements in the tail lights, replaced with circular ones that look a bit less daring. We also notice a deeper cut for the hatchback, with the lid now apparently incorporating the license plate area and making for a larger and lower opening for what we assume will be easier loading and unloading of cargo. Of most interest, though, is an integrated pop-up spoiler that appears to deploy at speed to clean up airflow over the rear of the car.

From the side profile, we can see that Audi has made some significant changes to the roofline as well. Specifically, the sleek roofline appears to have bulged a bit around the rear seat area. What was once a fast, coupe-like drop to the tail has now ballooned up slightly and leads to a slightly steeper drop off to the tail, most likely to increase rear seat head room and possibly cargo capacity. This of course also leads to slightly taller windows and a slightly larger-looking greenhouse. Part of this new appearance also comes from the smaller wheels on the production car that make the rest of the body look larger. We also see more conventional door handles and mirrors than those found on the concept.

Built on the same modular platform as the A6 and A8, the A7 is expected to slot between the two in both numerical progression and in size. We expect it to carry a number of powertrains worldwide including diesels in Europe, but for America, Audi's cachet of V-6 and V-8 engines seem most likely. Both S7 and RS7 models are rumored as well, possibly making use of Audi's powerful 5.2-liter V-10 engine.

Though somewhat late to the party, the A7 is expected to go into battle against the original "four-door coupe," the Mercedes-Benz CLS, and its recent competitor, the BMW 5 Series Gran Turismo. Functionally, the A7 is something of a middle ground between its competition, offering the CLS' sleeker styling and the 5 GT's versatile hatchback. Pricing is expected to fall between the A6 and A8, but leaning closer to the top-shelf A8. Following its rumored Moscow debut in August, A7s are expected to begin showing up in European dealers by the end of the year, but distribution plans in

silva52@live.ca

wtf
nice paint job