Autocar.co.uk can today bring you the most revealing pictures yet of the what will be the most important unveiling at March's Geneva motor show.
This is Audi's all-new A5 coupe. Our spy photographers caught the car totally undisguised while it was undergoing sign-off tests in Germany, and, although they were taken at some distance, you can see their pictures in our gallery.
These two images - taken at a top-secret location - make clear the new Audi coupe's size, basic stance and proportions for the first time.
They reveal that it will, as suggested, sit between the A4 and A6 saloons in terms of size, that it'll have a no B-pillar, and that it does indeed have a longer wheelbase than that of the current A4, confirming that it's underpinned by the next A4's platform, not the current one's.
Ingolstadt has so far been very successful in keeping the A5 away from the prying lenses of our snappers in order to maximise the impact when the covers finally come off.
However, the importance of this car is easy to underestimate. This is not just an A4 spin-off; it represents the first in a series of Audi's designed and engineered to finally take the fight to BMW on driving dynamics and win.
Over the past decade, Audi has been showered in critical acclaim, first for the quality of its cars, then also for the boldness of their design. The A5 represents the fundamental step forward in driving dynamics to go along with those other accomplishments.
The engine is mounted further aft within its body for better weight distribution, and Audi claims its handling can be tuned for much less understeer than has been associated with the brand in the past.
Unfortunately, these pictures don’t show styling details such as the final appearance of the car's grille, head- and taillights, and its body surfacing. It's thought that those aspects of the car won't depart significantly from those on the current A4, but we'll have to wait until Geneva to know for sure.
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