Audi has released several teaser sketches for some of its important future models that reveal new details about the upcoming A5 Sportback model due next year in the U.S. as well the all-new 2010 A7 four-door coupe and next-generation 2011 A8 flagship saloon, which should eventually make their way to Australian shores.

Toyota's luxury brand, Lexus, will be releasing a high-performance variant to add to its 'IS' range of sedans. The new sports sedan from Lexus, dubbed the IS F, has been designed to compete with the likes of BMW's M3, Mercedes C 63 AMG and Audi's RS4 - all of which have been established in the sports sedan market for some time now.

The quintessential all-wheel drive luxury performance midsize sedan, the Audi RS4, will soon be joined by the new RS5 coupe. Expected to debut in the first quarter of 2009 ahead of a Geneva Motor Show debut, the car will refresh Audi’s challenge to its German cohorts’ offerings in the mid-range high-performance coupe segment.

High-powered variants of standard cars, be they luxury or more budget-oriented, have long been a staple of the automotive industry. Tough economic conditions and high oil prices have made those models somewhat less practical of late, however, and Audi is adjusting its approach to fit the times. Instead of going after larger-displacement engines, the company is adding forced-induction to smaller engines for its next round of high-performance small cars, including all-new RS versions of the TT and A3.

A new Audi A8 is in the works but development is still in the early stages and so far only engineering test-mules wearing current-generation sheet metal have been sighted. This artist’s rendering shows a potential new look for the next A8, revealing a streamlined shape with new head and taillights and plenty of dramatic character lines. The chrome-laden front end of the current version will also likely be toned down somewhat for the next-generation, though the essential form of the car will remain more or less the same as most of the upgrades will be happening beneath the surface.

Audi’s booth at this year’s Paris Motor Show will be a busy one, with several new and facelifted models taking the stage. Joining the new RS6 Sedan will be the mid-cycle facelift for the standard A6 Sedan and Avant models. Among the list of updates planned for the new lineup is a range of more efficient engines, significant suspension refinements, the addition of a number of safety assistance systems, and a new-generation ‘MMI’ in-car computer interface.

Earlier this year, Audi revealed pictures and statistics for its new V10-powered RS6 Avant, and since then we've seen spy images of the sedan variant as it underwent testing. Now the first official details and photographs of the sedan variant have been revealed two months ahead of the car’s debut at this year’s Paris Motor Show.