Audi will be unveiling yet another new design direction at next months LA auto show for now we get the typical teaser concept image to make do with until the show opens its door’s between November 21st-30th. Marc Lichte, Audi’s new head of design since February, has been busy putting his styling influence over Audi’s concept. Lichte was previously head of exterior design at Volkswagen. So expect the Lichte Audi era to be an apple that doesn’t fall far from the tree. The concept reveal at the LA auto show is expected to showcase the Audi A9 which is planned for launch in 2017. Think of the A9 as Audi’s Mercedes CLS four door coupe interpretation. So expect the Audi A9 to be an apple that doesn’t fall far from the CLS tree. Audi’s next stage of design is going to center on lightweight, sportiness and all wheel drive. Lichte recently told a design magazine “The new models will be immediately recognizable as Audi’s, starting with the signature single frame grille which will … also represent a major step forward in terms of sportiness.” “Audi here is placing the accent even more firmly on the sporting dimension, something that will characterize the whole upcoming generation of cars,” Lichte joined the VW group in 1996 and has worked on the Phaeton, Touareg, Passat and the last three iterations of the Golf.