Audi A7 4-door hard top 'vert.

[CrazyRussian540]

Just saw this on CarMagazine

Ever-expanding Audi seems to have missed the boat with its new A7. A four-door coupe is now the must-have car to have in your model line-up, yet Mercedes, VW and, arguably, Jaguar have stolen a march on Ingolstadt and the A7 will only arrive in late 2009, before sales start in early 2010.
Details, details and more details on the Audi A7 please

Just as the A5 uses the A4 platform, so the A7 will be based on the new A6. But the next-gen A6, which means a lightweight aluminium platform with various steel reinforcements.

Air suspension will be standard on high-end models, and unless sales don’t surpass the expected 40,000 units, four-cylinder power won’t happen. Instead buyers will be offered a based 2.8-litre V6 FSI or the new supercharged 3.0-litre V6. Oil-burning owners will pick between a 2.7-litre, and a 3.0-litre V6 with either one or two turbos. Then if you can make sense of it all, there will be various six and seven-speed manuals, autos and dual-clutch S-tronic boxes.
And if I want a little more power?

Audi will slot, no make that shoehorn, its 5.0-litre twin-turbo V10 into the A7 to create an RS7, while the S7 will use a detuned version. Never fear though, because a hybrid version will be on hand to balance your polluting ways.

Expect A7 prices to start at £40k, for which you’ll get four somewhat cramped seats – remember, this is a coupe. Up next from Ingolstadt? An A7 convertible is in the pipeline, as depicted in our first artist's impression above.

And these aren't mere pie-in-the-sky renderings. CAR Online has obtained an exclusive design sketch from the corridors of power in Ingolstadt, and the red drawing confirms the direction Audi is heading in for its CLS fighter.

(render isn't that great.... a real quick photoshop cut/paste job... but still)

Cool idea (I guess... maybe)... but why???

[Shawn]

I have so had enough of companies like Merc, BMW, Toyota and now Audi that are trying to fill every little niche in the marketplace.

Who wants a convertible sedan? Other than Hitler.

[CrazyRussian540]

Originally Posted by Shawn

I have so had enough of companies like Merc, BMW, Toyota and now Audi that are trying to fill every little niche in the marketplace.

Who wants a convertible sedan? Other than Hitler.

Hey... At least its better than Audi's last attempt at a convertible.

"Lets make a 2-door mini-SUV off-road convertible"

[DTMracer]

So now we have a competitor to the Nissan Murano convertible.

Seriously, the only 4-door convertible I'd want is the Mercedes Ocean drive, which looked brilliant.

[CrazyRussian540]

Originally Posted by DTMracer

Seriously, the only 4-door convertible I'd want is the Mercedes Ocean drive, which looked brilliant.

What about the Lincoln Conti

[DTMracer]

I'm not the president though.

[CrazyRussian540]

Originally Posted by DTMracer

I'm not the president though.

And I'm not Inspector Gadget... I'd still have a white one though.

[NecroJoe]

Damn...with that many roof panels getting stacked...you'll be able to fit a dime in the trunk. A nickel would be too thick.

[p0w3r]

4 door folding roof...that must be EXTREMELY complicated. expect no luggage room at all

[petarkb]

Finally, a modern car for Hitler!

[prizrak]

This car is strange, very strange. I guess between all the brilliance Audi gotta make something fucked up.

[fbc]

So let's see - it'll weigh a stupid amount due to all those roof panels, the mechanics needed to make them work, & the bracing the car will need so it doesn't just flop apart, have no boot space, and probably appeal to a very limited number of people.

Err, what was the point of it again?

[klankymen]

Originally Posted by Shawn

Who wants a convertible sedan? Other than Hitler.

Me. But I'd prefer a convertible station wagon.

[Speedtouch]

Originally Posted by DTMracer

I'd want is the Mercedes Ocean drive

And I would love a 4 door convertible. It would look awesome, and you could bring your normal sized family along (not the flat ones you take out in the 2+2)

[klankymen]

Originally Posted by Speedtouch

And I would love a 4 door convertible. It would look awesome, and you could bring your normal sized bitchezzzzz along (not the keira knightleys you take out in the 2+2)

QFT

[Aiolos]

The render looks great to me, though I don't know why you'd use and A6 platform and still create cramped seats I mean, that's what the A4 cabrio and the A5 are for . The CLS has plenty of backseat space, though that's not a convertible, but still...

[Speedtouch]

^ Yeah, but if they used an A4 platform, then it would be like any normal 2+2, because the space would have been taken up by the roof. Its all good here - they've thought about it those crafty Germans...

[vegasrebel29]

I've just had an epiphany: a convertible station wagon/estate. DO IT, MERCEDES.

[Momentum57]

something about the side profile it should be more wedge or something its just too ... flat. It has to be boredom why don't they design more really cool options. I want a sonic window wiper, I want that, I want it right now.

[zeoniks]

That A7 hard-top convertible is about one step away from being a Transformer. Jesus Christ, this thing is going to be around $70,000 USD.

That being said, I would totally get one.

EDIT:

Looks like it is going to be around $70,000...