This is not Photoshop. It is real.
Audi had an idea for a coupe version its full-size sedan two decades ago. They got in touch from IVM Automotive, Munich to make it a reality. In 1997, the A8 Coupe was unveiled at Geneva Motor Show. It was dressed in a Ming Blue Pearl paint. One was made, and it had to go through a series of modifications over the donor car.
The coupe was slightly shorter than the A8 Sedan, and received new panels almost everywhere. Four seats were also included with seatbelts that were adapted from the Audi Cabrio. It looked significantly slimmer than the regular model due to the absence of a B-pillar. The sloping roofline gives it a more elegant side profile.
Audi decided to scrap the two-door A8 Coupe project because it was not a strong seller. The four-ringed logo of Audi was concerned that the A8 Coupe would suffer the same fate as its larger, more luxurious cousin, the BMW 8 Series. It is still highly desirable today.
You might be wondering where the car went. Some say it was not seen in public since 2002. It is currently owned by IVM Automotive, the company that made it.
The A8 has never been given the coupe treatment as a production model. However, the new generation is expected to be revealed on Tuesday. For years, rumors have circulated about an A9 Coupe. Audi sparked these rumors with the unveiling the Prologue concept, which is pictured above, at the end of 2014. It is yet to be determined if Ingolstadt will make a direct competitor for the Mercedes S-Class Coupe as well as the BMW 8 Series reboot due for 2018.