News ID: 1544
Publish Date : 02 January 2018 - 16:31

Audi Design Chief Open To The Idea Of BMW 8 Series Competitor

But don’t get your hopes up too high...
Khodrocar - Audi’s latest generation of the A8 flagship limousine is one of the most technologically advanced vehicles in the world today, but it’s only offered as a sedan in contrast to the Mercedes-Benz S-Class Coupe and the upcoming BMW 8 Series. Things could change however, as the design boss for the brand with the four rings is really keen to see a luxury two-door coupe from Ingolstadt.

Speaking to Autocar, Marc Lichte revealed he is a big fan of the two-door vehicles, but he doesn’t believe there’s enough market demand for such cars to create a successful business case. "I love the shape of a two-door coupe, but it is also true that the volumes are much lower than for four-doors. In the future, who knows? We have many ideas in this direction.”

Given the recent rumors of Audi discontinuing the R8, releasing a new two-door coupe definitely makes sense, even if it’s not positioned as a conceptual successor of the supercar. However, even if it receives the green light at some point, we won’t see it before 2019 or 2020, because Audi has more important vehicles to launch first.

In the last couple of years, Audi has shifted its focus towards four-door and SUV vehicles, giving sporty and luxury two-door models lower priority. Despite that, the company showed the impressive Prologue concept in 2014, designed by Lichte shortly after he arrived at the marque. The study was created to preview the future design language of Audi, but also to hint at how a flagship coupe from the brand might look.

It is believed that if Audi decides to launch a range-topping coupe, it will be based on the current A8.


Source: Autocar