German Car Zone

I'm trying to figure out if the Audi design revolution began w/ the new A6 or the Q7? The A6 kind of seems on somewhat of a more sedate level design wise than the Q7 which is visually more expressive through it's pronounced wedge shaped features, from the roof line to the giant curved wheel arches. The new TT seems to carry much of the same design cues as the Q7. So that has kind of led me to believe that the Q7 has made a subtle shift in the desgin philosiphy at Audi, and the A6 a means to an end.

It started with the A8.

Then you could say it started w/ the B6 A4. But I know it started w/ neither, especially if you take into account the single frame grill, but then the pronounced wedge shaped features started showing up on the Q7, and what appears to be all new Audi's thereafter.

Th first unveiling of the single frame grill happened with the A8 W12. However, that A8 was merely a dramatic facelift of the front, rather than an overall redesign.

The first true premier of Audi's new design language was in fact the new A6. It was a complete redesign from the ground up, and was new design chief Walter De Silva's first complete project.

The new A6 embodies most of De Silva's new aesthetic:

Exterior:
- Bold single-frame grill
- Elegant upward sweep along the bottom sides, wrapping around the back of the car.
- Discreet shoulder crease
- Deletion of door strips
- Overall, a less 'horizontal' feel to the desin and a more 'angled up' wedge look.

Interior:
- Integration of driver-oriented instrument cluster
- Breaking up the 'waterfall' horizontal feel, and replacing with more dynamic 'upward' contours.

The only new design element that didn't make it on the new A6 was the elaborate rear tail design seen on the A4 facelift. De Silva felt that this would have been too much of a departure from the previous generation A6's tail lights.

And remember, the A6 is only the beginning. De Silva will continue to evolve the look established by the A6. This will include:

- Eventual deletion of horizontal license plate strip on single frame grill
- Continued breaking up of interior contours

As for the Q7, it's a perfect extension of the language introduced on the A6, but adapted for an SUV. The pronounced, separated wheel arches are exclusive to the SUV design, and will not make it to the sedans and coupes. The exception of course is the new TT becasue its original design also had pronounced, circular wheel arches.

Expect continued evolution of Audi's traditional design elements as well, such as high and wide shoulder lines, and clean, balanced and muscular proportions.