Audi unveils the Prologue Concept at LA Auto Show

Audi has officially unveiled the Prologue Concept at the ongoing 2014 LA Auto Show in the US. Heralding the German manufacturer into a new direction, the Prologue Concept gives us a sneak peek into the future of Audi’s design DNA. The Prologue Concept is the brainchild of Mr. Marc Lichte, the new Head of Design for Audi, and is a benchmark of the company’s new design philosophy.

The front of the Prologue Concept is dominated by the company’s trademark ‘beard grille’ and a narrow strip of Matrix LED headlamps. The silhouette gives the car a low-slung stance with its flared shoulder line and wheel arches, which house the massive 22-inch wheels.

Riding on a wheelbase of 2,940mm, the Prologue Concept is a massive sports coupe with a total length of 5,100mm. The Prologue Concept is powered by a 4.0-litre twin-turbo V8 engine which churns out 597bhp and 750Nm of torque. This kind of power, coupled with the Quattro all-wheel drive system, makes the dash to 100kmph possible in just 3.7 seconds.

Pure performance is not the only thing that the Prologue Concept excels at, and Audi claims that the engine will return 11.6kmpl with carbon dioxide emissions of 199g/km. Audi has also equipped the Prologue Concept with a dynamic all-wheel steering system and a five-link suspension on both ends of the car.

Speaking about Mr Lichte’s involvement in the project, Prof. Dr. Ulrich Hackenberg, Board Member for Development said, “When he moved to Audi, Marc Lichte launched a design offensive. His clear philosophy and precise understanding of Audi DNA let him develop a design strategy that is opening up entirely new perspectives for us. It is progressive and highly emotional; it expresses the technological competence and quality claim of the brand perfectly. The Audi prologue is its first proponent – it is a ‘signature car’ for Audi.”

While the Ingolstadt-based manufacturer has refused to confirm it, reports suggest that the Prologue Concept will eventually materialise as the new Audi A9, a rival to the Mercedes-Benz S-Class Coupe. And while the massive proportions might make it a sight to behold, we are sure that Audi will have to tone down a lot of things to make the car production-worthy.