It is one of the highly anticipated concept cars at the Los Angeles Auto Show. Called the Audi Prologue, this coupé signals the future design language of the German manufacturer.
Referred to by Audi as a “signature car”, we can expect to see several of these design elements and technological highlights to filter through to new models in the coming years.
The front design of the Prologue clearly features a much tauter and sleeker design than current Audis. This is partly owning to the flatter grille and the fact that it is lower to the ground. Along the side there is also visible cues from Audi’s flagship A8 sedan, but the Prologue is fractionally shorter (and flatter) than the sedan though. The front headlights feature high-resolution Matrix laser technology.
In true concept car form, there are no door handles. The open-door sensor surfaces are housed in the mirror housings, activated when it is touched.
The interior presents several new technologies. It starts with the “butler” in the car acknowledging the driver by his smartphone, and activating the requested settings for him or her. A further highlight is the huge touch screen for the driver which features organic LEDs. This concept also features all-wheel steering, which enable the rear wheels to turn up to five degrees, helping to minimise the steering effort when driving.
Under the engine bonnet is a 445 kW/750 N.m version of Audi’s 4,0-litre, V8 TFSI engine. With the help of the Quattro all-wheel-drive system, the company claims a 0-100 km/h acceleration time of 3,7 seconds.
It will be interesting to see if this is only a showcase for Audi’s upcoming technology and design, and if we will see a production model of the Prologue in the near future. After all, it will be a direct rival to Mercedes-Benz’s S-Class Coupé.
