At last week’s tony Design Miami reveal of the 2011 A8 luxury cruiser, we were able to corner Johan de Nysschen, Audi’s executive vice president in North America, and ask him for some tasty tibits on the brand’s upcoming products, including the A8’s sexier derivative, the A7.

In addition to giving us the first official confirmation of the A7’s existence, de Nysschen revealed that the four-door coupe model will slot in “a little bit below” the new A8 in terms of pricing, just as we expected. Of course, it’s worth noting that the 2011 A8 faces a price bump due to substantial increases in content and technology, so when the A7 finally comes to the States, the average model is likely to sticker at around $82,000-$83,000, which de Nysschen says is about the price for a typically equipped 2010 A8 (pricing starts at $74,550 plus delivery).

Based on Audi’s new longitudinal modular platform technology, the A7 will be clearly related to the A8 (and the A6 replacement that will follow it), and de Nysschen says that the 2009 Detroit Auto Show Sportback concept car serves as a “very reliable indicator” of what the production model will look like. Judging by recent spy shots from our friends at KGP, that very much appears to be the case. While parts commonality will be “substantial,” de Nysschen says that the A7 will not use the full aluminum spaceframe design of the A8, although it will have aluminum elements.

As expected, the A8 will launch Stateside in both standard and long-wheelbase formats, with the latter predicted to make up the lion’s share of the volume (the A8L presently accounts for about 80 percent of the model’s sales).

We asked De Nysschen about how the two models will interact in the full-size luxury sedan segment, and he noted that:

“This top end segment is characterized by more conservative people, and we need to clearly take lower levels of risk with a flagship model [the A8]. But we recognize too that there is a sizable enough cluster of customers in that same segment who are ready for a more avant-garde design [the A7]. So we will essentially be positioning two cars into the same segment, which means that independently, the volume each attains is not that significant, but when you put them together, it will mean that our share of that segment will grow quite dramatically.”

All-in De Nysschen thinks that the A8 will account for about 4,000 to 5,000 sales per year in the U.S., and the less costly A7 could clear 7,000-8,000 additional units.

We’ve just returned from the Audi A8 world premiere here at Miami’s star-studded Design Week, and we’ve got a slew of images of the new range-topping sedan. More evolutionary than revolutionary in style, the new wundersedan is nevertheless an impressive looking piece with the visual charisma to go toe-to-toe with the celebrities that filed in to fawn over its broad shoulders.

Despite the clear heritage link to the outgoing model, there are a number of new technologies under the skin that represent firsts for the brand, including full LED headlamps that adjust their direction and throw based on the navigation system, a new development of MMI that includes a handwriting recognition feature, and an updated 4.2-liter FSI V8 engine with more power (372 horses) and an eight-speed Tiptronic gearbox. Despite being more powerful, the A8 is also more fuel efficient, with a claimed improvement of 15 percent with the aforementioned gas V8.

The slippery new shell once again rests on the brand’s Aluminum Space Frame (ASF), and Audi says the car is longer and wider than its competitors, yet it sits lower. The sleek new bodywork is good for a .26 coefficient of drag. When it comes to America late next year, the new A8 will arrive in both standard and extended-wheelbase models, and we have it on good authority that both TDI and hybrid variants will also come to the States - although the alternative fuel powertrains aren’t likely to happen right away.

We come not to bury the A8L, but to praise it. Next week the newest generation of Audi’s aluminum space frame panzer will greet the world in Miami, and we expect it to be a leap through a wormhole compared to the today’s car. After a week with the current model at the end of its six-year run, we walked away from a saloon that still has us smitten. What we didn’t expect was that, even though we didn’t come to bury the thing, we would end up throwing quite a bit of dirt on it.

A funny thing happened on the way to reviewing the 2009 Audi A8L: we discovered ourselves writing compromising things about the four-ringed flagship. This is a sedan that we adore mightily, and having thought it over, we might even say unreasonably. It became the girl you’re dating that you first describe as “She’s great!” just before divulging a list of mildly unseemly behaviors that you’d never considered all at once, ending with, “Wow… I really do like her, but come to think of it… she’s a little kooky.” That might make the Audi A8 the Megan Fox of automobiles.

We drove the A8L W12 a couple of years ago, and it was possessed of so much battleship-gray girth we wanted to call it the Bismarck and park it in a Norwegian fjord for safety. Yet and still, it was glorious: an exterior awash in pulchritude, an interior so beautiful we wish we had gotten its autograph, and it gulped miles, and gas, like cognac. Since we didn’t write about it, we didn’t give it the philosopher’s thought, and we walked away from it with only roses, no thorns.

While it may not be beautiful, there’s no denying the R8’s curb appeal. Subtler, but far sexier, are the understated lines of the A5/S5 — no small feat to pull off with a three-box coupe. And while the Q7 looks like some sort of prehistoric giant sloth, we’re still with P.V. 100%.

So, is this the new A8? Hard to say. The C-pillar fits the part but the rear glass really is radically sloped. And that trippy tape job really does mask the mule’s size. Could it be the new A6? Again, yes, sure, but… There’s almost something too daring about the shape to be such a meat and/or potatoes ride. How about this — it might be the long-rumored A7. You know, the swoopy “four-door coupe” set to compete against cars like the Mercedes-Benz CLS. That makes much more sense. Take a long look at the rear glass and thick C-pillars in this spy shot. We thinks we may be on to something. Especially if you stare long and hard at the tail lights — the outer ones appear real and taped off, while the inner lights appear to be fake pieces of reflective tape. A design that conforms to the blurry A7 shots we’ve seen.

Camouflaged prototypes of the 2011 Audi A8 have been caught running the Nurburgring, and accompanying these newest shots comes word that Audi’s reworked flagship will be available with a host of new powerplants.

According to reports, Audi’s range-topper will continue to be available with a W12, but it’s expected to grow from 6.1- to 6.5-liters and exceed 500 horsepower — 50 hp more than the outgoing twelve. Stepping down from that would be a supercharged V8 with more than 400 horsepower and a cylinder management system that could shut down up to four cylinders.

To really get the gas mileage going, however, Audi is reportedly working on a new 2.0-liter diesel with two turbos that pumps out more than 200 horsepower. If the new powerplant comes to market, it would match Mercedes-Benz’ BlueEfficiency four-cylinder in the S-Class. The new A8 is expected to debut at the Detroit Auto Show this January, with sales beginning in late 2010.

Here is photo gallery update of Audi A8. Enjoy!

Have a previous generation Audi A8 and tired of getting a lack of respect when you pull up in your once prestigious ride? If so, perhaps the latest styling package from RDX Racedesign might be up your alley.

Featuring a new front bumper with S6 daytime running lights and Audi’s new signature single frame grille, your old A8 can appear several years younger to less trained eyes. With the addition of lower front air intake grilles, which are available in four different designs, the whole front end takes on a new more aggressive appearance. Out back a new bumper gives the rear a muscular look by offering grille inserts and easy paintability for the rear diffuser section, especially if you choose to paint it in a contrasting color.

The complete Audi A8 D2 package can be bought individually, or as a collection for a discounted price of €925 in Germany.