Spy photos: 2009 Audi A4

decent looking car cover...not much else to say.
 
But Meanwhile,
 
I'd enjoy an Edmunds comment on Audi's recent announcement that they are only bringing roughly 300 R8's to the USA this year, that only 80 or so of its dealers will be set up to sell/service them, __and__ (apparently aping Ferrari on this) Audi will require customers to sign an Affidavit requiring them to first submit their R8 to the selling dealer for any trade-in or reselling of that R8.
 
Also found it interesting that there is one, count em', ONE Audi dealership serving the entire Portland Oregon area (within a radius of 100 miles! ) There are 2 million people up there. Apparently they aren't driving Audis (Subarus are popular up there).

Kurtamaxxxguy, I am from Portland and you are more certainly right about there being only one Auid dealership. To top it off, that dealership is one of the worst operated in the state, they are criminal in the way they rip people off on everything. Most people up here just drive to Bend, Oregon (3 hours) to buy an Audi.
 
And ateixeira, how can you say that looks anything like a Mercedes-Benz. Mercedes are beautiful, timeless cars; that Audi is just plain boring.

No wonder so many cars are built with horrible c-pillar visibility when they're tested in a tarp!
 
Where'd the bottom render come from? Not sure how you get from picture 1 to picture 2 other than they both have 4 weels, though the similarities between this A4 render and the A5 are certainly likely though I'd put money on those S5 optional wheels not coming on the A4.
 
As for the actual spy shot...check out the chrome gas cover. Seems too TTish to be an A4. RS5 perhaps?

Hi guys I have noticed a strange thing with audi carhaulers the past few weeks. I have seen at least 4 of them with at least one car completly covered in a tarp with the audi logo on it. Have no idea if it has anything to do with the A4 you guys are talking about or some form of advertising but from what i could see the tarped up cars on these car haulers looked nearly like the A4 I really wish I had photos But my phone does not have a camera and its not really a good idea to operate a digital camera while your driving

and i find this also strange because other carhaulers I see on the freeway from ford GM and chrysler have all of their cars untarped for the world to see but like I said earlier Either Audi is using an advertising campaign with the tarped up cars or and i think this is more probable they are transfering the A4 or other secret audis on these haulers and tarping them up so it would fool photgraphers. The tarp is real convincing its not your trademark black tarp but a gray tarp with the audi logo on it

They tarp all there cars like that. I have seen a few trucks that way in L.A. And the lot is two blocks from my job. The take the cover off after they come off the truck. Maybe it protects the cars from scratches and dings

k thanz big rob but my question is if they tarp all of there cars like you say then why did the car haulers i see have only one car with the tarp on wheras the other ones were exposed oh well thanx again big rob

Some truckers tarp the front car because it has the most significant danger of receiving rock chips.

mercedesfan, thanks for info. To drive 3 hours each way just to get service for an Audi is a total deal breaker for me.
 
I salute those Audi-philes who put up with that to own their desired Audi!

I guess I should feel pretty lucky. I live 10 minutes from an Audi dealer with another one about 30 minutes away. I don't think either are Audi R8/RS4 dealers though.

Nice looking car, but has two black marks against it before it even begins to compete with the BMW 3-series:
1) It carries the VW - Audi curse in terms of quality control and customer service.
2) Any upscale, sporty car with a front-heavy, FWD engine configuration is going to turn away most potential BMW 3-series customers.

oh ok estreka the first two haulers i saw had the front car tarped but the third and fourth only had the middle car tarped the front cars were un tarped on these two so it makes me think maybe they were transporting something secret on those last two haulers. Anyway thanx for the info I'm not exactly an expert on Car haulers

There's only 1 Audi dealership in the state on Montana (Bozeman). Despite the fact that it's 3 hours away from here, I know people who have never owned an Audi who want one. There's a definate prestige factor at play here.

satchmo,
 
You are an idiot... Consumer Reports rated Audi the most reliable German marque, in front of Porsche, BMW, and Mercedes (who was last place).
 
The new A4 will have nearly 50/50 weight distribution due to the new platform which moves the wheels forward 4 inches compared to the current platform.

While I won't be as blatant as b6s4, I have to say that while VW corporate's (Audi, Seat, Skoda, VW, etc...) qualiity record is not stellar (in comparison to the entire industry), neither is BMW's.
 
It is true that most current Audis are front heavy due to the placement of the transaxle, but future versions (as b6s4 stated) will mitigate this problem and provide a more equal challenge.

satchmo is forgetting one critical factor....price. I have owned two BMW 3-series. Although they are agreeably more athletic in nature I chose a 2007 A4 to replace my last BMW. I just couldn't stomach dropping 40 grand again on a car. It is a four cylinder and not as refined as the straight 6; however, their is plenty of power on tap for me. And the car is more comfortable, important since I spend a lot of time commuting to clients. Oh, and I almost forgot...the interior is not ass ugly as the current 3-series. The exterior of the bimmer is nothing to write home about either.

I'd rather have a 3 series exterior. But then again I'm a BMW head so I might be bias.