08 Jan 02
Audi packed in a fair few spectators to the presentation of its new Avantissimo estate concept car. Amid a flurry of mobile-phone rings and a very nervously-delivered German speech, an understated blue canopy was raised on the concept, to a fairly subdued reaction of muted applause.
Earlier in the day, VW Group boss Ferdinand Piech had suggested that the Avantissimo concept 'could found a whole new market segment' - the very luxurious estate car. As is typical of a concept of this nature (pie-in-the-sky stuff) the engine is a monstrous 4.2-litre V8 with a ludicrous 430 bhp and 443 lb ft of torque (pulling power). At over 16 ft long and nearly 7 ft wide, the Avantissimo is hugely extravagant, resplendent as it is with a leather, chrome, wood and suede interior. To give it some individuality, the car had glass panels set in its roof that can flip from transparent to opaque at the flick of a switch, thanks to LCD technology. Neat, though the the panels didn't do a lot for the harmony of the Avantissimo's lines.
Will it make production? Certainly not like this, no. But it does hint at what the Audi A8's replacement will look like when it emerages late next year even though the new car will be a saloon, and do without the LCD roof panels and more extreme features. Instead, expect evolution of the A8, with more than a hint of TT stirred into the mix.
