The award was proudly collected by Walter de Silva, design chief of the Audi brand group.

The Audi TT, the Audi Q7 and the Audi Shooting Brake concept car were victorious in their respective classes.

The TT sports coupé celebrated a double success, also being voted the most beautiful car of the past twelve months by the readers of Auto Bild.

There was a choice of 146 cars in seven classes to vote for, along with the overall winner. The Audi models prevailed against some top-calibre competition.

The Audi TT took victory in the sports-car and coupé category, the Audi Q7 high-performance SUV in the off-road and SUV class, while the Audi Shooting Brake won through against the other studies and concept cars.

The Audi Q7 has been well received not only by Auto Bild readers, but also by customers. The production capacities for the first Audi SUV model have been increased owing to high demand.

The Shooting Brake Concept provides a further innovative interpretation of the current Audi formal idiom, blending the powerful dynamism of a sports car with a new sense of spaciousness and greater functionality.

The new TT, due for local release around December 2006, posed a particular challenge to Walter de Silva and his team. Its predecessor is acknowledged as a design icon. The motto of the Audi designers when redesigning the second generation of the TT was “evolution not revolution”, and the TT should be recognisable as such from the start.

On the new TT, the geometric shapes merge fluidly into a uniform whole. A low, narrow greenhouse is supported by slim pillars sitting on broad, powerful shoulders.

The base body beneath is compact in appearance, conveying a feeling of confidence and strength. The convex and concave curves of its surfaces lend it the character of an athletic sculpture straining forward.

The front end is more expressive and assertive in appearance. The single-frame radiator grille serves as its defining element. The large air inlets hint at the potential of the engines, and the sharply cut, sloping headlights emphasise the mature appearance of the car. The rear end, characteristic of the TT, conveys power and dynamism through its wide wheel arches.

The vote of the Auto Bild readers, who voted the TT as the most beautiful car of the past 12 months, endorsed the work of the Audi designers.