Audi presents its footprint for future models with the new Prologue concept
Audi unveiled a concept car at the LA motor show and the Audi Prologue concept serves as a fascinating insight into where Audi as a brand is headed. The advanced technology and innovative design speak of a car manufacturer full of confidence while the V8 old-school engine keeps the conventional drivers happy.
The Audi concept is not just a pretty face but also a priceless piece of motor show metal. Audi didn’t fit it with a 598bhp 4.0 Biturbo V8 for no reason. The striking newcomer is only a few millimetres shorter than a Mercedes S-Class saloon, but the new design helps to mask this size well. Huge touch-sensitive doors swing open and allow access to one of the most technologically advanced car cabins ever created.
The Virtual Cockpit in the all-new TT is still a revolutionary piece of tech, but Audi has taken it to the next level with the Prologue. The V8 comes to life at the touch of a button. The Prologue feels refined and more like a production model than its space age looks suggest.
Although the throttle delivers a thunderous soundtrack, there is a throttle mapping issue which makes accessing power from the 4.0-litre V8 difficult to modulate. But let’s not forget the Prologue is still a concept and far from the finished article. You can just about feel the rear-wheel steering come into play. The Audi A8 will be the first, with the A6 and A7 to follow suit. A flagship A9 coupe is in the works and this is only our first taste of what’s to come.
