What If Audi’s Next Flagship Sedan Looked Like This?

Uncertainty surrounds the future of Audi’s flagship sedan, which must compete with the Mercedes S-Class and the BMW 7-Series.

• Audi has yet to decide on the A8’s long-term fate, shelving initial plans for electric replacements after the postponement of Porsche’s K1 project.
• The speculative rendering is based on the Concept C design (a precursor to the TT) and not the Grandsphere prototype, showing an odd rectangular grille and simple horizontal lights.

The Question of Continuation

The current generation of the Audi A8 has been around since 2017. While it has aged gracefully, it hasn’t kept pace with the technological strides made by the BMW 7-Series and Mercedes-Benz S-Class, both of which will soon undergo a refresh. Audi recently acknowledged that it has yet to decide on the A8’s long-term future. This leaves open the possibility that it could be dropped from the lineup altogether.

Earlier plans to replace it with two all-electric flagships, including a low-slung sedan and a sporty crossover, have been shelved. This happened after Porsche decided to indefinitely postpone its related K1 project. One option reportedly under discussion among Audi officials is to develop a sedan based on a newer internal combustion platform. Should Audi take that route, the car would need a complete redesign to align with the brand’s upcoming generation of models.

A Design Based on the Concept C (and not the Grandsphere)

Digital artist Nikita Chuyko from Kolesa took a different approach when visualizing what a new A8 might look like. Rather than drawing inspiration from the gorgeous Grandsphere concept from 2021, initially conceived as an early glimpse of the new-age A8, he based this rendering on the more recent Audi Concept C. The Concept C was itself introduced as a preview of the upcoming TT.

The front end of the rendering is almost identical to that concept. It has the same slim LED headlights and the same odd rectangular gloss black front grille. As with the Concept C, there are vertical air vents on either side of the bumper, although they are slightly slimmer on this future A8. The artist has also added a pair of diagonal lines to the bumper to make it look a little more interesting.

Rear Details and Platform Debate

Plenty of changes have also been made to the sides of this future A8. For example, new flush door handles and a sharp line run along both doors. The rear, like the Concept C, features a pair of simple horizontal taillights and a large diffuser. These elements feel somewhat misplaced on a luxury sedan, unless it happens to be an S or RS performance model.

Recent reports indicate that if the A8 gets a successor, it could use the same Premium Platform Combustion (PPC) architecture. This PPC platform would be the same one used by the next-generation Q7 and Q9. If the A8 does indeed live on, we hope Audi’s designers will make it look more cohesive than the car shown in these images.