Audi accepted Automobile Magazine's 2009 Design of the Year Award for the Audi A5, solidifying its position at the leading edge of automotive styling. The recognition for the A5 marks the second consecutive year that Audi has earned the top design award from one of North America's leading automotive publications. The Audi R8 sports car won the magazine's Design of the Year and Car of the Year awards for 2008. Editors praised the restraint, elegance and the "perfect execution" of the Audi coupe's design. Seeing the overall design quality of the A5 on the road cinched the decision for Automobile's editors. "Audi," the magazine noted, "has indeed created a beautiful car."
"The first point of appreciation comes upon approaching the car," said Automobile Magazine Design Editor Robert Cumberford. "The second comes when the door is opened to one of the best interiors offered today, in any car at any price. The A5's elegance, stability, and sheer visual presence make it a clear winner." Automotive design often succeeds best when all of a car's elements fit with seamless proportions and careful attention to details. This was the case with the A5, the first coupe offered by Audi in the U.S. in nearly a generation. "The graceful, yet precisely drawn, lines of the A5 epitomize the way a progressive coupe should look," said Johan de Nysschen, Audi of America's executive vice president. "All of its elements - powerful surfaces, a front end that speaks to pure performance, lighting that blends style with function among many other features - unite Audi style and dynamic performance." Consumers are recognizing the A5's merits, too. October sales of the coupe in the U.S. set a record for the third consecutive month. The A5, which first arrived in U.S. showrooms late last year, comes with the powerful and highly efficient 3.2-liter FSI engine. It produces 265 hp and has a 0-60 mph time of 6.1 seconds.