Geneva motor show - Audi

Fashionably late
BMW has now had a coupe version of the 3 Series for more than 30 years, while Mercedes launched the CLK in 1997.

Audi, however, hasn't had a four-seater coupe to rival them for nearly two decades, only unveiling this two-door A5 at the Geneva motor show this year.

It’s going on sale in the UK later this year from around £30,000.

Better late than never
The A5 draws its inspiration from the Nuvolari concept shown at Geneva four years ago. The final car isn't earth-shatteringly different in design, but it is a classy, handsome-looking model that clearly has a family connection to the latest TT coupe.

It's certainly good enough to mix company with its long-established BMW and Mercedes rivals and has top notch the cabin that Audi is famous for. It's got a decent amount of space in the back, too.

The A5 is the first Audi to use underpinnings from the next-generation A4 (due for release in 2008), so it gives an idea of how the saloon is shaping up and what its interior will be like. The oily bits underneath will also be used for the Q5 compact 4x4 that's also due in 2008.

Anything else?
A high-performance S5 version of the coupe is also on show, doing its very best to distract attention from the BMW M3. Its 354bhp 4.2-litre means a 0-62mph time of 5.1sec and a likely price tag of more than £40,000.

A convertible version of the A5 is also in the pipeline and is expected to appear at the Frankfurt motor show in September. In the meantime, you can see our computer-generated images of what it will probably look like by clicking on the gallery link.

To see video footage of the Audi stand, and more on the A5, click here.