We've seen this Audi test mule before on the Nurburgring, but this time when our spy photographers caught up with the prototype testing in the heat of Death Valley they were able to get a closer look.
In addition to snagging a few shots of the interior, they also pulled out a tape measure to confirm its wheelbase. From the interior photos you can see new bezels for the gauges while the wheelbase measured an even 111 inches. This puts it just shy of the current A6 (111.9), a fact which leads us to believe this could be the upcoming A7 four-door "coupe" designed to go head-to-head with the Mercedes-Benz CLS. Our photographer also reports this particular prototype was accompanied by an A6, an S6 and an S8, all cars likely to share parts with the A7. We're expecting to see the smaller A4-based coupe early next year, but it's clear Audi isn't wasting any time ramping up development of its other new "coupe".
ateixeira says:
07:39 AM, 07/12/06
I bet it'll be a real beauty....
mercedesman1 says:
08:14 AM, 07/12/06
Well if this is gonna be there four door coupe to go head to head with the M-B CLS Audi might wanna go back to the drawing board cuz this is no where as sexy as the CLS.
kurtamaxxxguy says:
11:24 PM, 07/12/06
Interesting that the tires actually have some sidewall to them, given that Audi's been infatuated with 30 and lower profile tires as of late. Maybe they are discovering that ultra lo-pros, while great for the track, don't work so good in the real world?
chewym says:
12:08 AM, 07/13/06
mercedesman1
Ever heard of a test mule. I think this test mule might be for the A5, as it is supposed to come out earlier.
table16 says:
02:28 PM, 07/13/06
I'm with mercedesman1... if you view these pics as real, you're supposed to wait for the real thing. So posting it seems kinda pointless.
mercedesman1 says:
07:10 PM, 07/13/06
Thank you table16!
And chewyn when I see these kinds of spy pics and they say that its might be the competitor for the cls i think of this as what they will use in production.
Maybe you view them as just "test mules" but i see them as the real deal so it does seem kindda pointless to post them if we have to assume they are "test mules", and not the real thing and not what they will look like in production!
floridacarwiz says:
10:22 PM, 02/25/07
This A7 is nothing to get excited about. It looks like a stretched-out A4. But I have just seen the pictures of the new A5 and it is a stunner. I also saw pictures of a much sexier new A4, due within the year, and another test mule rendering of the proposed A7, and it looks nothing like this. I think Audi is on the forefront of a renaissance in automotive design, especially with the upcoming R8. Walter DeSilva is going to make many positive design waves, unlike Chris Bangle at BMW.
cah11705 says:
08:23 PM, 08/19/07
This is not what it will look like
this is just a test mule for the drive train
audimans4 says:
07:12 AM, 08/23/07
WHAT PART OF "TEST MULE" IS ESCAPING YOU PEOPLE???? THIS IS OBVIOUSLY JUST A "MULE" WITH CURRENT A4 BODY WORK FLARED OUT A BIT. ITS HOW EVERY MANUFACTURER DOES THINGS. THEY ARE TESTING POWERTRAIN COMPONENTS NOT ACTUALLY THE BODY. AND FOR THE GUY WHO SAYS THIS IS SUPPOSED TO BE A COMPETITOR TO THE CLS, WHAT PLANET ARE YOU FROM? THE CLS IS IN A COMPLETELY DIFFERENT CAR CLASS THAN THE A4? THATS LIKE SAYING THE 3 SERIES AND ACURA TL ARE IN COMPETTION WITH A CLS. DON'T POST COMMENTS IF YOU HAVE NO IDEA WHAT YOU ARE TALKING ABOUT.
TEST MULE!!!! THINK ABOUT WHAT THE PHRASE MEANS FOR A SECOND BEFORE YOU GO WRITING THINGS THAT MAKE YOU SOUND SILLY.