Audi A7 mule.

[The Pretender]

http://images.nextnewnetworks.com/28243f837af29f513734193502d02aa5_blog.jpg

http://images.nextnewnetworks.com/b5fcee1bc1e69a72e805a76368e131a4_blog.jpg

[crespo]

fastlanedaily says RS4 mule (which explains the flares). would like to see who's correct..

[54m]

But isnt this a C6 A6 body though :confused:

[itisme]

it's just the new tech under the old skin....

[ChicagoAudi]

The release date for the A7 is rapidly approaching; therefore, I doubt that this is an A7 test mule. That program should be much further along at this point and there are published spy photographs of the A7 since the Spring.

The next generation A6 is a possibility as several sources have indicated that the C7 A6 will share major platform components with the new D4 A8 and C7 A7. Last week's edition of Autocar hinted to some of the new technology in the new A8. While the A8 will remain mostly aluminium based, the article specifically mentioned that carbon fiber reinforced plastics will constitute the front fender, hood and trunk lids, or wings, bonnet and boot lids, for those in the U.K. The article also mentioned that the B-column will be formed from steel in a process similar to that employed for the Q5 B-column. Another interesting tech bit is that very large, and therefore expensive, castings are used for the suspension uprights, front and rear as well as the A-columns. These castings are connected using lower cost aluminium extrusions. Use of the castings for the different product programs, i.e., A7 and A6, will increase the economies of scale, effectively driving down per unit costs.

If this is not an early test mule for the C7 A6, another possibility is one that few would consider. This could be an early test mule for the next generation of Volkswagen Phaeton. Several publications have stated earlier in the year that VW was looking to reposition the Phaeton by using the C6 A6 platform.

[kju]

i mean the flares look really to big for a "A" model.

looking forward to see new RS4, whenerver it comes ;)

[ChicagoAudi]

The wheel flares are attached using screws and would not represent production ready fender flares. These flares are to cover the wheels from a test mule with a widen front and rear track. This is standard procedure for an early mule, if the future vehicle is wider than the body being used for the mule.

It is definitely not a RS4 mule. That vehicle would use a B8 A4 body and not a C6 A6 body because the overhangs and wheelbase would be similar to that found on the B8 A4. Recall that the C6 A6 uses a different configuration for the powertrain than the B8 platform.