2008 Audi A5

A sporty new Audi A5 coupe goes on sale in the U.S. this fall along with an even sportier S5. Audi hopes auto enthusiasts will see its new A5 as a relaunch of the classic grand touring car, though designed and engineered for the modern driver.

The base price of the 2008 Audi A5 is expected to start just below $30,000. The Audi S5 will be a limited-production, high-performance coupe (pictured here) we're guessing will retail in the neighborhood of $50,000.

Both models were unveiled at the 2007 Geneva auto show in Switzerland several months ahead of the scheduled debut at the Frankfurt auto show in Germany of the new Audi A4 sedan. Showing the coupe first underscores its designation as a separate model and, no doubt, builds anticipation for the higher volume four-door model.

The A5 traces its design inspiration to the Nuvolari Quattro concept car that Audi unveiled at Geneva in 2003. Named for a famous European racecar driver from a bygone era, the Nuvolari featured a long hood set above a deep grille, thin pillars around shallow windows and a high shoulder line that rises toward the rear, as well as a wide stance and very short front and rear overhangs.