Audi is a leader of automotive design. This is displayed again with the new 2012 A7 fastback sedan that forces people to look is admiration when they first see it.

It is the newest of a new segment of luxury sedan hatchbacks including the BMW 5-Series GT and the Porsche Panamera. The design works to perfection in the new Audi. The car carries the next evolution of Audi design as found in the 2011 A8 with short overhangs, an expansive hood and low-slung sporty proportions.

German auto magazine Auto Bild, with a panel of 10 design experts judging, named it winner of its annual design competition.

One of the unique features of the well-executed interior is an eight-inch screen that raises from the dashboard — canted toward the driver — when the ignition is switched on. It consolidates audio, navigation and telephone functions in an extremely easy-to-read display.

MotorwayAmerica photos by Jim Meachen