Some good information in there, especially the new MLP platform:

<i>The A5 Coupe will absolutely debut at the Geneva Motor Show in late February. Audi representatives we spoke to described the car as "stunning" and "beautiful", with one going as far as to say it gave him goose bumps the first time he saw it.

An "S" version of the A5, an S5, has already been designed and its launch is a forgone conclusion. Audi officials are toying with the idea of to launching it simultaneously with the A5 in Geneva, which would mark the first time a "standard" and "S" version of a model were launched at the same time. The S5 will employ a 350-horsepower FSI engine mated to a 6-speed manual transmission.

The A5, as per previous disclosures, will be the first Audi to employ the new MLP platform. MLP stands for Modular Longitudinal Platform and indicates, as the name sounds, that setup with be a modular solution set to service not only the A5, but the upcoming next-generation A4, Q5, A6 and A8. Everything from electronics to drivetrains can be interchanged meaning that Audi will be able to customize architecture for each model as required.

<b>MLP enables tremendous economies of scale by allowing Audi to start with one common platform for many different cars. From a functional perspective MLP moves the engine and transmission further back behind the axle which results in significantly improved handling and driving dynamics. In essence the A5 becomes more of a front/mid-engine layout with a reduced front overhang. </b></i><ul><li><a href="https://www.audiworld.com/news/07/naias-2007-recap/">https://www.audiworld.com/news/07/naias-2007-recap/</a</li></ul>

 

I does pay to view the main website from time to time

 

So now that Geneva is confirmed, anybody care to speculate on when it'll be available in North America?

 

+1 year

 

Since we are the largest export market, and Audi wants to grow this market significantly, why not reduce the delay, or even simultaneous availability?

 

and so they launch overseas first to get everything sorted? Whereas a botched product at launch in the US might doom the product altogether?

 

US safety regulation testing takes time?

 

Guessing that... Audi isn't the only one like this

 

Don't they have regulation testings as well in the EU?

 

I'm guessing out of my a$$, but I'm betting that the process is pretty involved for each entity, so maybe doing both simultaneously isn't easy to do.