Audi to Celebrate Centennial with New Model

This summer as Audi celebrates its 100th birthday as an automaker, it will unveil an all-new model that will remain a surprise until July 16, 2009. Chairman of Audi AG Board of Management Rupert Stadler said that the mystery vehicle will make its official debut at the Audi Forum Ingolstadt this summer. With little more than a vague quote, Stadler said the new Audi model will be revealed in front of an audience of 2,500 in Audi’s hometown of Ingolstadt, Germany.

In a press release sent out by Audi, Stadler said “We are proud of the tradition of the Audi brand and our company’s history of success. You have to be aware of your roots if you want to shape the future with new ideas and innovations.” Although no definite word on what the new vehicle will be, there are four potential models waiting in the wings. The four vehicles that many are speculating to debut at this event are the Audi R8 Spyder, RS5 performance coupe, A7 four-door coupe or the A5 Sportback.

Judging by recent spy photos taken in both Germany and the United States, the drop-top R8 and souped-up RS5 are the closest production ready vehicles that Audi hasn’t introduced yet. Regarding the R8 Spyder, it isn’t clear as to how the top will be removable with the mid-engine layout, but the sleek sport coupe will definitely lose its iconic side blades in the transition. With Audi preparing to launch the all-new R8 5.2 FSI V-10, however, chances are that a summer debut of the R8 Spyder would take some of the spotlight away from the V-10 model. So our next assumption for a hometown debut would be the more powerful version of the A5 coupe, the RS5.The RS5 will join the ranks of the RS4 and RS6 as high-performance vehicles with an expected engine choice of either a turbocharged V-10 like the RS6 or an all-new turbocharged V-8. Either way, both vehicles are expected to hit the market as 2010 models.

The reason we wouldn’t rule out a debut of either the A7 or A5 Sportback is due to the rather cryptic quote given by Stadler. Both vehicles represent fresh new innovations that would help Audi break into new segments and help attain its part of Volkswagen AG’s “Strategy 2018.” Audi hopes to increase its U.S. to 200,000 annual units by 2018 – more than doubling its 2008 sales figures. The Audi A7 would be a four-door coupe that would compete with the Mercedes-Benz CLS-Class. In total, Audi looks to expand its lineup up to 40 models by 2015 - with vehicles such as the A5 Cabriolet and S5 Cabriolet joining recent additions like the TTS Roadster and the Audi Q5 - in order to compete more fully with full-line manufacturers like Mercedes-Benz and BMW.