For 2008 the Audi A5 luxury sports coupe (with an MSRP of $39,900) goes bumper-to-bumper with such heart-throbbing contenders as the Mercedes CLK-Class, the Infiniti G37, and the BMW 3 Series Coupe. Audi may have been out of the sports coupe genre for a decade now, but they're back in style for the coming model year.

The beautifully aggressive A5 with its long body and wide, low stance is outfitted with a 3.2-liter, 265 hp, V6 (direct fuel injection, 243 lb-ft of torque) engine with the driver's choice of a six-speed manual or automatic transmission. Quattro AWD is standard along with such internal niceties as leather upholstery, automatic climate control, and Audi's own Multi-Media interface.

In fact, the A5's cabin is a study in precision craftsmanship augmented with satin-finished elements and knurled aluminum. Controls on the center console are well-placed, large, and logical. You'll find a six-disc CD changer there, just under the central air vents and on top of the climate controls. Everything is intuitively within the driver's reach and not obscured by the three-spoke steering wheel that is both perfectly sized and sufficiently thick to give a superior feeling of control. The optional premium sound unit from Bang and Olufsen is backed up by a 505-watt, ten-channel amplifier pumping sound across fourteen speakers.

Surprisingly there's plenty of room throughout. Rear passengers won't feel cramped and there are storage compartments in the center consoles and on the doors with large cup holders for the front occupants. Luggage space runs to 16.1 cubic feet. Safety features include a comprehensive array of airbags including those in the side curtain position as well as anti-lock brakes all the way around and systems for traction and stability control.

Overall, there's little on the 2008 Audi A5 to disappoint the luxury sports car enthusiast. Since the coupe is a new venture for Audi after a long absence in this sector we've yet to see how the A5 performs in real life driving situations, but there's nothing about this one to suggest it won't be a winner.