Ingolstadt - Audi is
unveiling a new highlight in the sporty compact segment at the 2005 Tokyo
Motor Show: the Shooting Brake Concept is a study vehicle offering a
further trailblazing interpretation of Audi's current formal idiom,
blending the powerful dynamism of a sports car with a new sense of
spaciousness and greater functionality. With its powerful 250 bhp,
3.2-litre six-cylinder engine and quattro permanent four-wheel drive, the
Shooting Brake Concept produces a quality of road behaviour that in every
respect lives up to its visual impact. The study vehicle sprints from 0 to
100 km/h in just six seconds, and its top speed is electronically governed
at 250 km/h.
Its front end is
characterised by the striking single-frame radiator grille with dominant
horizontal slats in chrome. The tapered shape at the front - further
accentuated by prominent air inlets at the sides - and the dynamic cut of
the clear-glass headlights give the face its decidedly forceful character.
A presence that echoes the characteristic front-end design of the current
A4 racing models in the DTM and the visionary Audi RSQ study.
Photos: Audi
One new element in the
portfolio of design features is the upward swoop behind the rear side
window. This, together with the wide C-post, accentuates the prominent
rear end. This is where the visual emphasis of the Shooting Brake Concept,
painted in Bionic White, pearl effect, is to be found: the flat trapezoid
of the rear window and the pronounced arching, convex shape of the panel
forming the luggage compartment lid are the opposite extreme to the flat
nose end. They give the vehicle a crouched appearance, as if ready to
leap.
As is typical of every Audi
study car, in addition to its design qualities the Shooting Brake Concept
features a raft of technical innovations for Tokyo. These include the
adaptive damping system Audi magnetic ride, an evolutionary version of
navigation system plus with touch screen monitor and character
recognition, and the new LED headlight technology.
