2010 Audi A7

Ever since Mercedes-Benz kicked off the four-door coupe craze in 2004 with its CLS-Class, Daimler's Vaterland competition has been frantically at work developing its own versions of an upscale sedan with a coupe-like profile.

Porsche's Panamera appears to be the closest to market, while the Volkswagen Passat Coupe has been caught on camera recently by spy photographers. BMW has confirmed it'll produce a vehicle based on the Concept CS it showcased at April's Shanghai show. Even the Brits have tossed their hat into the ring in the form of the upcoming Aston Martin Rapide. Of course, Audi wasn't going to be left out of the mix, either, with Ingolstadt recently confirming the A7 will be its entrant into the coupe-that-isn't-a-coupe fray.

Reportedly based on the A6, the A7 is expected to be ready for the 2010 model year, making its debut sometime in 2009, most likely at either the Geneva or Frankfurt auto shows. Front-end styling should follow the current corporate design kicked off by the A5, including the R8-inspired headlights. A5 design cues will probably be seen in the back of the A7 as well, with taillights and other details unlikely to change much beyond stretching out to accommodate the wider model (the A6 is 6.2 inches wider than the A5 and 8.3 inches wider than the A4). The quarter panels will need to be stretched out and the slope of the roof will likely be reduced to give rear passengers some semblance of headroom.

All of the improvements put into the latest Audi models -- new steering rack, multilink suspension, and a reconfigured quattro all-wheel-drive designed to send more power to the rear wheels -- should find their way into the A7. Powertrain choices will likely mimic those of the A6 -- a 255 horsepower, 3.2-liter V-6 and a 350-horsepower 4.2-liter V-8. An S7 variant powered by the Lamborghini-derived 435-horsepower V-10 is probably in the cards as well.