The top end of the automobile industry has become more competitive with the luxury car makers aggressively pursuing new design options. Audi brought in Marc Lichte as Head of Design earlier this year to give the Audi brand a new styling direction. According to Prof. Dr. Ulrich Hackenberg, Board Member for Development, Lichte has launched a design offensive and his first creation, the Audi Prologue concept car will be showcased at the Los Angeles Auto Show. It is being positioned as a ‘Signature Car’ for Audi and also indicates the future design direction for A6, A7 and A8. The slick design of the luxurious two door sports car makes it the perfect rival for the S-Class Coupe. It is likely that the concept design will finally roll out as the A9 but it has not been confirmed officially.
Marc Lichte understands very well that the Audi brand stands for sportiness, lightweight design and the quattro permanent all wheel drive. He has built on these attributes and expressed them in a new form. He has taken this approach in both exterior and interior design. According to him the new concept is the sportiest car in the luxury segment. The concept car’s technology combines power, comfort and efficiency. It is powered by a 4.0 TFSI petrol engine that produces up to 445 kW (605 hp) of power and 750 Nm (553.2 lb ft) of torque. It can accelerate from 0 to 100kmph in barely 3.7 seconds which is faster than many of the sports cars in the market today. It features a dynamic all wheel steering that makes the car extremely responsive and stable while driving.
It is a large car measuring 5.10 meters (16.7 ft) in length1.95 meters (6.4 ft) wide and 1.39 meters (4.6 ft) tall that rides on a 2.94 meters (9.6 ft) wheelbase. The extensive use of aluminum and high-strength steel makes the car heavy at 1,980kg (4,365.2 lb). The car is painted in a new type of pearl effect paint, which has a warm and elegant appearance. The futuristic theme of the exterior design is carried to the interior also which feels like a luxurious lounge. The surfaces for displays and controls are innovatively integrated into the instrument panel and console. An innovative intelligent software program called ‘Butler’ identifies the passengers based on their smartphones and adjusts the seats and climate control system according to their preferences. Cutting edge technology has been used to make it the most luxurious high performance car.
Via: fourtitude
