It's almost as if Audi responded to me, personally. Just a few days after I posted my news article about the Audi A7, Audi unveils the Sportback Concept - which, without the showcar makeup, will become the new Audi A7. Expect the headlights to be less agressively shaped, with real lights as opposed to lasers for eyes; also expect the bodykit to be slightly less athletic. Also expect the showcar's 21 inch rims to be downsized. And forget about the sunroof being quite like this one.

The A7 will slot directly between the A6 and A8, but with quite a different target market, obviously. Even in terms of length, it is smack bang between the A6 and A8 - 4.95 metres. So yes, the A7 will be as big and muscly as it looks in the pictures. Though it does seem to borrow a bit from the A5 - most obviously in the very square shoulders, giving it quite an aggro attitude.

Audi also used the Sportback Concept to show off some of its latest drivetrain tech - apparently, they've worked out that if they put a certain additive to run with the 3.0 Litre TDI engine, it reacts and reduces the amount of nitrous oxides (bad, bad gases) that the car produces by up to 90%. This is quite significant, seeing as nitrous oxides are among the gases that encourage acid rain and photochemical smog. They've also showed off a new 7-speed tiptronic automatic, which could debut in the A7 when it goes on sale late this year/early next year, and will later trickle through the other Audi models - A8, A6, Q7, etc.

So this then, will be the new A7 - a car with four doors, but wishes it only had two - but we have no word yet on prices or roadgoing technical specification. After all, Audi isn't yet admitting that this is the A7! What do they think we are, stupid?

DETROIT MOTOR SHOW 2009: "Sportback Concept" - Which is German for "Audi A7"