Road and Driver

Audi brings back the five-door sedan-hatch. And we like the idea.

BY JENS MEINERS AND JARED GALL

Audi is poised to proliferate its model lineup with a pair of swoopy four-door coupes in the vein of the Mercedes-Benz CLS. The larger of the two, the A7, will be positioned between the A6 and A8 sedans and was previewed in concept form at the 2009 Detroit auto show. But the best look we’ve had so far at the smaller, A4–based A5 Sportback—as differentiated from the true, two-door A5 coupe—has been through a pair of renderings.

Fortunately, our spy shooters caught two A5 Sportbacks out for a late-night run, and the photos show that our illustrations were spot-on. Visible in these photos are the sweep of the roofline and the stubby rear deck. Also, look closely at the rear pillar and it is clear that a body-colored mask is camouflaging what is actually a large, sail-shaped rear quarter window that should visually expand the greenhouse.

With the A5 Sportback comes a new definition of the “Sportback” moniker, which heretofore was applied only to the practical five-door A3. Audi’s chief designer, Stefan Sielaff, tells us that now the Sportback designation will stand for these types of slope-back sedans. “You have to look beyond the A3 Sportback. The A5 Sportback is clearly what we have in mind (for the name).”

Keep Reading: 2011 Audi A5 Sportback - Spied

Future cars: 2010 and beyond.

BY TONY QUIROGA

What it is: An updated F430 with a larger, more powerful engine (hence the name change), a restyled body with larger air intakes in front and aft of the B-pillars, and a new dashboard that can now house a navigation system.

Platform: The aluminum structure of the F430 remains, as does the basic chassis. No weight gain is expected.

Powertrain: The F430’s V-8 engine grows to 5.0 liters and gains direct fuel injection. Output rises to more than 550 horses. A seven-speed dual-clutch gearbox will be optional.

Keep Reading: 2010 Ferrari F500 - Car News