Audi is planning a car that will replace the A8 limousine as the flagship car of the German brand. The new car is likely to be called the A9 and could come in a four-seat coupe configuration. Audi will place the new car above the BMW 6 Series but below the Mercedes Benz CL. A convertible version of the A9 could also be in the works later on.
The Audi A9 could come out by 2015 and will take over the charge from the A8 as the flagship car. The A9 will likely be based on the A8 platform itself and might be built alongside the A8 and the R8 supercar at Audi’s Neckarsulm facility. Only recently the company launched the A7 which is an upmarket version of the A6 and features a coupe like stance. Audi has got similar plans for the A9 and hence the car would be based on the A8. In essence it could be a lifestyle version of the A8 limousine.
If you ask us to speculate about the powerplants that might be offered on the A9 then, a 3.0 litre turbocharged V6 could be dropped in the engine bay. A more powerful 4.4 litre V8 with twin-turbochargers could also be available as an option. A 3.0 litre V6 TDI and a 4.2 litre V8 TDI could well be offered as the diesel options. Expect a hotter version of the A9 in the form of the S9 apart from the convertible version. Quattro as always would be standard and so would be an 8 speed automatic transmission.