By now you’ve likely seen the latest concept from Audi,->ke14 the Prologue. You also likely know the concept is a design study that previews how the next generation of Audi vehicle will look. What’s really interesting is that Audi is actually working in reverse. The upcoming A6,->ke934 A7,->ke1687 and A8->ke1089 sedans' designs were all signed off on before the Prologue was created.

According to Audi’s design chief Marc Lichte, the Prologue is a conglomerate of designs between the upcoming trio of cars, acting like a movie trailer of sorts. “We design the new A8, A7 and A6 models first, then put the essence of all three of them into the Prologue. Every element can be traced into the production cars; some things might be a bit louder in the A7, and a bit quieter in the A8, but it’s all in there,” Lichte said in an interview with Autocar at the LA Auto Show.->ke211

This means no letdown in design between the concept and production models. What we see in the Prologue will actually hit the streets. What’s more, the Prologue’s size and shape are a preview of Audi’s upcoming A9 flagship coupe, rivaling the likes of 2015 Mercedes’ S-Class coupe. Lichte also promised more design difference between models, giving each one a more distinguishable look.

Audi will start rolling out the new products in the latter part of 2016, starting with the A8. The A7 and A6 are scheduled to follow sometime in 2017. Expect the rest of Audi’s lineup to adopt the new look in the subsequent years.

Click past the jump to read more about the Audi Prologue Concept.

Why it matters

Audi’s method of creating the design study concept after the production cars is rather unusual. This gives us an unprecedented view into what Audis of the future will look like without the usual “beautiful concept, boring production version” letdown. Lichte wasn’t shy with details in the interview and we are grateful for the transparent glimpse into second half of the decade.

Audi Prologue Concept

Besides its bold, new design, the Audi Prologue is a beautiful car in the mechanical sense. Its aluminum-intensive architecture gives it strength without excess weight and its power comes from Audi’s current twin-turbocharged, 4.0-liter V-8. The unit pumps out 605 horsepower and 516 pound-feet of torque. An overboost mode kicks torque up to 553 pound-feet for short bursts during full-throttle acceleration. An eight-speed transmission does the shifting and Audi’s quattro all-wheel-drive keeps traction set at maximum.

The concept showcases Audi’s laser headlights, a button-free dashboard with no less than four LCD touch screens, and a new 48-volt electrical system, among many other notable features.