Audi Prologue Concept Is an S-Class Coupe Rival in the Making

As its name suggests, the Prologue previews all future Audi designs in one way or another. Its body is that of a sexy two-door coupe with muscular shoulders, 22-inch wheels and a very wide grille design. The Matrix LED headlights have a kink in the middle, like on facelifted A5s, and have been pushed right to the edges of the front fascia.

The interior is just as interesting. Again, it seems like Audi has designed something that is both original and a direct answer to its rivals. Everything is digital, including the dash and a large screen that rises up from behind the gear shifter. The minimal design with almost no buttons should definitely find fans among current Audi owners, as will the OLED (organic light emitting diodes) borrowed from smartphones and used on the entire dash.

Here's how Marc Lichte, the new Audi head of design, describes his creation: “Audi stands for sportiness, lightweight design and the quattro permanent allwheel drive. In the Audi prologue, we are expressing this knowhow in a new form – we have put the sportiest car in the luxury segment on wheels. Our team took new approaches in both exterior and interior design.”

A preview for the Audi A9

Audi has long had it in its head that a new flagship model needs to be built. It has to be modern, crisp and still evoke some of the all-time greats in the company's past.

The Prologue is not only a design exercise, but also a preview for the potential A9 flagship. Sitting in the range above the A8, this coupe would battle against the impressive new S-Class Coupe from Mercedes-Benz and to a lesser degree with the BMW 6 Series Gran Turismo.

605 HP from a V8 engine

To be honest, there's only one engine Audi could have used for this car, its twin-turbo 4.0 TFSI V8, the current pinnacle of its engineering might. For the Prologue Concept, it's been tuned even further than on the RS6, to 605 PS (445 kW) and 750 Nm (553lb-ft) of torque. It's very close to the output rumored for the RS6 Plus. Using this output, the Prologue Concept, which weighs exactly 1,980kg (4,365.2 lb), will get from 0 to 100 km/h in only 3.7 seconds

Just like the Porsche 911 Turbo, the Prologue comes with dynamic allwheel steering, in which the rear wheels can turn up to five degrees, either increasing maneuverability while parking or adding a layer of dynamism on the road.

Audi has also invented a luxury system it's nicknamed "butler". It's essentially a software that identified the driver by their cellphone and adjusts the seats and climate control system according to their preferences. It will also recommend the type of music he/she usually likes.

Update: We have fresh photos from the floor of the Los Angeles Auto Show. Word here is that the Prologue is going to influence the new A8 when it comes out. In the sheetmetal, the Audi concept is as cool as it is unassuming, still a typical understated Audi design, but taken to the same level as that of the S-Class Coupe.