WORLD EXCLUSIVE: Loose Lips Sink Ships-001 Gets The Goods In Paris About The Next Audi A4, S5 And A5

WORLD EXCLUSIVE: Loose Lips Sink Ships-001 Gets The Goods In Paris About The Next Audi A4, S5 And A5
You all know AutoSpies.com has fans all over the world but something you may not know, is that we're loved even more by a lot of employees that work at the major car companies.

They're not very vocal about it but in private they will tell you that we are their guilty pleasure.

They can't get enough of your comments and opinions when a car launches or is reviewed.

So while I was in Paris walking the show floor, one of our moles within Audi approached me and asked what I thought of the Quattro concept.

My response was that I thought it was one of the nicest cars at the show.

I liked the fresh, slab body panels that reminded me of something carved out of marble and the small retro touches taken from the old Audi Coupe like the embossed rings stamped into the side of the roof.

And I especially liked the R8-ish front and rectangular tail lights.

Upon that, the mole started to sing and tell me that I'd better like it because it's the next A5/S5.

COMPLETE with the digital IP (instrument panel).

And that if you soften it up a 'little' and add two more doors, you have the next generation A4.

At this point I'm saying to myself, HOLY Hogans Heroes Schultzy!

If it's true, THAT is the scoop of the show!

So that said, would a softened four door version of this concept finally be the magic recipe to beat the next generation BMW 3-Series?

Or should they go back to the drawing board for a new idea??

Spies, discuss....




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makkystylemakkystyle - 10/6/2010 11:27:12 PM
+1 Boost
The car looks great except for one glaring element: the front fascia hood/bonnet line. It is too reminiscent of the dodge charger. If they can fix that the car will be a superstar. As for "softening" it: that, in my opinion, has been Audi's biggest weakness, they go too soft. The new A4 is a prime example. They need to give these cars some balls... or at least one variant of the line some. Look at the difference between the base 3-series and the M3. There is no mistaking the difference. The line between A4/S4/RS4 is not so distinct. If they kept this concept as is with concessions for the production line as their RS model and then did the softened version as their entry level, then we might be making progress.


GTR35GTR35 - 10/7/2010 12:42:15 PM
-2 Boost
I think it's beautiful! perfect actually. these words have never been said by GTR35 when referring to an Audi. I love it. I do disagree with you, though, when you say that the Audis don't differ as much from model to model like BMWs do; currently i think it's the other way around. When you saw the previous model M3, you knew it was an M3, it was obvious. but now the new M3 is not much (if at all) wider then the 335 and if it wasn't for that lump in the hood it would be quite hard to distinguish one model from the other (the M3 front/rear bumpers can easily be placed on a 335 and make it look like an M).


merce63amgmerce63amg - 10/7/2010 5:50:43 PM
+3 Boost
This car looks like something a little kid would make. Im not feeling it at ALL!


LexusKindaGuy12LexusKindaGuy12 - 10/6/2010 11:46:02 PM
+3 Boost
why does the rear look like a 1960s muscle car from America...like the mustang or charger...


makkystylemakkystyle - 10/7/2010 12:20:53 AM
+1 Boost
The back is modeled on the old Audi Ur Quattro:

http://goo.gl/bxlN


MorePowerMorePower - 10/7/2010 12:22:24 AM
+1 Boost
My guess would be the high waist line and "slab-sided"/athletic chunky rear.

I applaud manufacturers moving toward an electronic gauges. They're lighter, should be more accurate and can give the driver the option of customizing them to his/her liking. For those who remember, I am not including the pumpkin-orange gauge cluster of the old vettes.


uaw_laxuaw_lax - 10/7/2010 9:36:21 AM
-3 Boost
Thats not a bad thing I think many will love that!


laurentlaurent - 10/7/2010 12:19:29 AM
+2 Boost
That is a great scoop 001! I think this car is absolutely fantastic!


SteveSteve - 10/7/2010 1:12:28 AM
+4 Boost
I'm not a fan of this styling. I've never warmed to flat panels of sheet metal, such as the current Cadillac. Considering I'm eyeing an A5 as my next car, I'd better move and get the current generation before the Origami Edition gets into production.


BondMI6BondMI6 - 10/7/2010 2:02:06 AM
+2 Boost
Origami is right. Or to put it another way it looks as if Chris Bangle and flame surfacing may have influenced these new Audi's with their edgy look.

I have yet to see anything other than the new A8 in person and that didn't inspire me therefore I doubt if these new ones will.

Audi's are better off having a blend of curvy/edgy rather than one extreme style or the other. Then again, if you "soften" it up a bit that just may do the trick.


deepwaterdeepwater - 10/7/2010 3:31:13 AM
+2 Boost
The front is a copy of LFA concept:
http://picturesofcar.blogspot.com/2009/11/lexus-lfa-concept-car.html

The tailgate lamp is a copy of Aston:
http://www.car411.com/brand-spankin%E2%80%99-new-images-aston-martin-dbs-volante-drops-it%E2%80%99s-top-again/



MeanVulcanMeanVulcan - 10/7/2010 9:37:24 AM
-3 Boost
... and the windshield is a copy of the Camry, and the doors are copy of the Mustang,... and the tires are a copy ..oh wait, forget the tires... and the nuts and bolts are copies of the C-class.....

... really???? get a life! This car is original and if anything it is amodernized version of ITS OWN quattro model of the early 80's.


JUGNUJUGNU - 10/7/2010 7:18:52 AM
+4 Boost
Isn't is quite short to be next A5? This is more like a concept for rumored TT/R4/rebadged small Porsche. And current A5 already looks better than this.

JUGNU


iamdabest1iamdabest1 - 10/7/2010 7:58:40 AM
+2 Boost
i love audi, but with their lease programs, they will never beat BMW.
no matter how much they want to exceed sales numbers in usa, their lease programs suck...
i have tried for my last 3 cars to get into an S4,S5 and even TT-S and their lease programs were always worse than bmw, so i always went back to bmw.
i dont know if you guys have noticed that the majority of A4'S on the street are 2.0.. maybe people dont care about power, or maybe the price is too high ?


aarononymousaarononymous - 10/7/2010 9:39:53 AM
-3 Boost
they don't make the 3.2 A4 anymore, and the 2.0T has plenty of power....maybe people don't care they drive a 4 cylinder?


IamEvilHomerIamEvilHomer - 10/7/2010 6:54:34 PM
-1 Boost
@carE10 just look at Audi sales on this link

http://www.fourtitude.com/news/publish/Audi_News/article_6279.shtml

Audi sales up 45% WOW!!


carE10carE10 - 10/7/2010 7:43:47 PM
+2 Boost
Up 45% in china, Globally they are up 16% on the year.


A1,A3, A4, A5, A6, TT, Q5, all are sold in FWD, with motors you can get on a VW.


carE10carE10 - 10/7/2010 7:53:09 PM
+2 Boost
BMW is also doing great. Their sales are up, Stock price is up, Huge new engine deal with saab, new exciting models coming out, leading the way with fuel efficient/ electric vehicle development in germany, they are developing some of their best looking cars ever, and best performing M cars ever with the M3, beating the RS5 5+ times.


iamdabest1iamdabest1 - 10/7/2010 8:02:43 AM
+3 Boost
last month i wanted an S5 and got a quote for an s5 65,000 msrp 950 lease, bmw m3 $78000 820 a month.. i told the guy at a cheaper msrp, im willing to take the S5 if he could just match the bmw 820 he said impossible....


IamEvilHomerIamEvilHomer - 10/7/2010 2:09:01 PM
-1 Boost
BMW is buying market share with cheep leases. Audi is sold out of cars. They are growing market share in the USA but the markets outside of the USA

BMW's top market is the USA and they are spending thousands to buy market share. A 60k car should be about $1,000 a month. A $78,000 car should be about $1,300.

we sell our A5, S5, Q5, Q7 about as fast as we get one


carE10carE10 - 10/7/2010 5:46:53 PM
+3 Boost
Audi is buying market share by selling over 50% of its cars with FWD.


IamEvilHomerIamEvilHomer - 10/7/2010 6:08:35 PM
+1 Boost
what? A4 and A3 sales are down
A6, A5, S5, Q5, Q7 are up
also most of the market out there is 2wd



rubenkincaidrubenkincaid - 10/7/2010 9:07:28 AM
+2 Boost
The current A5 is such a beautifully-proportioned coupe... this doesn't seem to be a logical progression of the design.


mini22mini22 - 10/7/2010 1:30:48 PM
+1 Boost
But this is taking the design and adding a lot more aggresivness to it.This is probably what Audi needs to get out of the "Audi" design mold that the've gotten themselves into. Audi are in a position that BMW was in at the advent of Chris Bangle. They were making bland "me too" designed cars. Bangle came in and shook the crap out of design to break this mold. (Note I never liked most of Bangles design except the scallaped side panels).This Quattro concept is not as radical as Bangle by any stretch of the imagination. However it adds the intensity of design that I think is lacking with Audi.Yes it harks back to the original Quattro with it's more angular design but to me this is a good thing. Audi has gone as far as it can with the A4,A6,and A8. The A5 is pretty but its too tame in my opinion. If Audi tones it down only slightly for the rest of these models it should be a hit. Further I think it really adds back it's original Quattro identity.


ExarSadow11ExarSadow11 - 10/8/2010 12:24:20 AM
+2 Boost
I think the A4 still needs to beat the C class and G37 before it moves on to the 3 series.


rumnycrumnyc - 10/11/2010 12:51:12 AM
+1 Boost
Design was never Audi's problem. After seeing all the pics and reviews, I was certain my next car was going to be an A4 2.0T Quattro with DSG. I love the exterior. The interior was ok--it looks much nicer in pictures than in person, as opposed to the BMW 3 series which looks too plain in pictures but feels premium in person.

Then I drove it. The steering/suspension was floaty and the 2.0T was laggy. DSG was better than BMW auto for sure.

I am neutral on quattro vs RWD.

Went with another 3 series as much as I wanted a change--the 3 simply was a more fun car to drive.
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