Audi A9 Will Be a Four-Door Supercar

German carmaker Audi is planning to add a brand new model to the range by 2015, a fast four-seater that will be the jewel in the model range crown. The Audi A9 will be priced to compete with Aston Martin’s Rapide and the Panamera.

Audi seems to be on a bit of roll in recent years, having great success with the R8 and showing promise with coming sportscar models. With double-digit sale increases across the board in European countries and record orders in China, the company is aiming to be the world’s biggest manufacturer by 2015.

In order to make this possible, the company is developing everything from "hyper" hatches to electric coupes. With the launch of the A9, the company hopes it can also conquer the newly created four-door luxury sports car market, according to German Autozeitung magazine.

The model is expected to be the most exclusive car ever created by Audi, a direct competitor to its British rival the Aston Martin Rapide (and even Rolls Royce). It might share the MSB rear wheel drive platform with the next generation of Panameras and Bentley Continental GTs.

Powering the Audi A9 will be a hybrid powerplant, developing in the area of 500 hp. As it is a range topping model, we can expect it to be more expensive than both the A8 and the R8 V10, which is priced at over EUR100,000 (around $140,000).

We love the idea of the A9, but would prefer Audi to help Lamborghini in putting the Estoque together. This is because the Germans are best known for making boring saloons for businessmen, and not thoroughbred supercars.