Audi is considering widening the range of its A8 flagship, in response to Mercedes-Benz’s extension of the S-Class brand to include long-wheelbase and two-door coupe versions.

The A8 is currently available in just two guises - conventional and long-wheelbase. But one of its main rivals, the S-Class, is offered in these two set-ups and also a pair of even longer models, the Maybach and Pullman. Mercedes has also renamed the old CL-Class the S-Class Coupe, and recently started selling a convertible version of that model as well, taking the total S-Class family to six vehicles.

Speaking at the launch of Audi’s SQ7, the company’s new technical boss Dr Stefan Knirsch admitted that further, longer A8 derivatives are under discussion. “We are thinking about it,” he said. “The success of the extra-long version of the S-Class has got us wondering about whether there could be a business case for that in the future.”

Audi unveiled a six-door long-wheelbase A8 limousine earlier this year, but the company insisted that the vehicle was a one-off creation after a specific customer request.