Spyshots: 2011 Audi A7 Spotted on the Nurburgring

Audi’s planned rival for the Mercedes-Benz CLS, the A7, has been spotted on the Nurburgring for the first time. Although heavily disguised, the car’s design is based on the A7 Sportback Concept, shown for the first time at the 2009 edition of the Detroit Motor Show.

The production version will feature the dramatic styling of the concept, sporting a low roofline, a rear hatch and frameless door windows. The Audi A7 will be a 2+2 four-door coupe, larger in size than the current A6 limousine. The car will be built on Audi’s modular longitudinal build kit (LBK) on which the latest A8 is also based.

The engine range will likely include a 3.0-liter V6 gasoline engine capable of 268 horsepower and a 4.2-liter V8 developing 372 horsepower. On the diesel side, the A7 will use a 3.0-liter engine boasting 250 horsepower and a 4.2-liter V8 good for 350 horsepower. A turbocharged V8 is also a possibility, but nothing has been confirmed until now.

The A7 will mark Audi’s entry into the four-door Grand Tourer market where at the moment the Mercedes-Benz CLS reigns supreme and Porsche Panamera and the Aston Martin Rapide have also entered. The Mercedes-Benz CLS will change generations in 2012 and in the same year BMW will enter the segment with a four-door coupe inspired by the Gran Coupe Concept shown this month at the Beijing Auto Show.

The Audi A7 is expected to be unveiled at the Moscow Auto Show or the Paris Auto Show this year, with the final version hitting the streets in mid 2011.