Blue Audi A8 spyshot said to Coupé/Cabriolet Phaeton

Speculation is a dark art I try to avoid as much as possible, even though deep down inside I get a rush just thinking of what could be (and I have no doubt you do to). So take what I'm about to say with a truck load of salt because it's not really likely (or at the very least, not something Volkswagen has announced).

New spyshots have surfaced on the Internet depicting a blue Audi A8 with some mild camouflaging and it is being hailed as a test mule for a purported Coupé/Cabriolet Phaeton that would in theory compete with the Mercedes Benz SL (think upscale Eos). Now, as to why Volkswagen would use an Audi A8 instead of a Phaeton is beyond me but mechanically, they are similar. Maybe it's to throw us off?

Now, I just personally don't see this happening. If Volkswagen already had a hard time justifying the Phaeton, one would think they would have an even harder time justifying something like this. No, an SL fighter is something Audi would do.

Others have said that this could be a test mule for the upcoming four-door coupé. Unlikely as the A8 (and the Phaeton for that matter) is built upon the D3 platform. The Passat, from which the four-door coupé will be based upon, is made on the smaller B6 platform.

The spyshots are after the jump.

Source: Winding Road via The German Car Blog, images by Christa Lehmann.