I’ve been a fan of Audi’s design language since my neighbor came home one day in a brand new purple C5 Audi A6 in the late 1990s. Everything about it looked so futuristic to young Logan, like the contrast between the smooth curves and the angular head- and taillights. I wasn’t more than four years old by that time, but it left a lasting impression that still stands: I think Audi’s styling department makes some of the best-looking cars on the road.
Audi popularized car design trends like LED daytime running lights that complemented its artful cars, and big statement grille designs that somehow managed to do the same. Unfortunately many modern Audis have stepped away from the brand’s once-understated clean lines and moved toward busier fascias with creased metal and even-more-oversized grilles, but they’re still handsome cars nonetheless.
Indirectly, Audi even taught me about the German Bauhaus art movement. I would read car magazines as a kid and kept seeing the word Bauhaus used to describe Audi’s design language, so I looked it up and educated myself on the design movement. Audis have been featured in movies that depict the future due to its uniquely forward-thinking designs, which may have helped paint that picture in my head. Films like “Iron Man” and “iRobot” both starred Audis, and both movies furthered my belief that Audi designed the cars of the future.
What follows is a list of my all-time favorite Audi designs, and hopefully some of the audience’s favorites, too. Let us know in the comments below what your favorite Audis are.
