Audi Prologue Concept – is this the new Audi A9?

The first design sketch of the Audi Prologue Concept – heading for a début at the Los Angeles Auto Show – is probably the first proper look at the new Audi A9 Coupe.

Last month we had the first tease for what we assume will be a concept of range-topping Audi A9 and now, thanks to Auto Bild, we get the first design sketches and a name – the Audi Prologue Concept.

Whether the Prologue is the new Audi A9 or not – and, unless it’s simply a design study, we’re not sure what else it can be – it does demonstrate a new design direction for Audi, even when you take out the artistic license in the sketch.

At 5.1 metres long (that’s almost 16′ 9″ in old money – the same length as a the current Audi A8) the Prologue is a big car, but it’s design imbues it with a distinctly more swoopy, sporty look than any of Audi’s current cars, with strong sweeping angular lines, slim lights and a big dominant version of the Audi grill.

If, as seems likely, the Prologue Concept is a preview of an upcoming A9, we’d expect it to arrive in production guise in 2016 along with a 4.0 litre twin-turbo V8 delivering anything up to 500bhp.

With the LA Auto Show just days away, we should have more detail on the Audi Prologue Concept soon.