Given their propensity to match their two key rivals in nearly every segment, niche or otherwise, it causes pause when realising that Audi have not - in the past - had a real answer to the BMW 6 Series and Mercedes-Benz S-Class Coupe.
As their Munich competitor is phasing out the 6 in favour of an all-new range bearing the 8 Series name for the second time, the Ingolstadt automaker is now more open than ever to rolling out a high end luxury coupe. However, as Audi’s head of design, Marc Lichte notes, the justifications for such a model doesn’t yet appear concrete enough other than being somewhat reactionary.
Autocar spoke to Lichte, who said: “I love the shape of a two-door coupé, but it is also true that the [sales] volumes [for them] are much lower than for four-doors. In the future, who knows? We have many ideas in this direction.”
With their brand new A8 just coming off the horizon’s edge, it’s certainly an opportune time for Audi should they be tempted to have its engineers fashion a two door version of it, replete with all the lavish exterior and interior touches to elevate it above the A5, the largest coupe they currently offer.
Apart from the echo chamber of Germans having their own flexing match, Volvo’s now (mostly) independent Polestar division is hard at work to realise their own coupe, albeit one that inherently balances luxury with hybrid-enabled high performance, before their self-imposed 2019 deadline.
Lexus is also taking a markedly sportier approach when framing their all-new LS, their flagship saloon to rival the S-Class or 7 Series. It’s well within the reaches of possibility to imagine their own product team very interested in the prospect of a two door spin off, particularly now with the heated focus on these types of vehicles.
To its credit, Audi has prodded at the idea of such a car, even teasing the crowds with their Prologue concept as early as 2014 at the Los Angeles Motor Show. The cues showcased there were to form the company’s current design language, informing everything from the new Q7 SUV to the updated R8 supercar.
When asked when might Audi be intending shift the focus of their design and engineering muscle behind the luxury coupe project, Lichte remained fairly vague, admitting to the launch of the mid-range A6 sedan being a prerequisite. Considering that Audi is also confirmed to be launching the Q8 crossover next year as well as a new A1 and Q3, they’ve already got quite a bit on their plate.
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