Key Highlights:
- Audi’s newest concept car, the Skysphere, is a sleek, sinister-looking electric convertible.
- According to Audi officials, the car is essentially “two automobiles in one.”
- According to Audi, the word “sphere” is designed to represent the internal area of the cars for drivers and passengers.
Skysphere: A futuristic concept
Audi’s newest concept car, the Skysphere, is a sleek, sinister-looking electric convertible that combines Batmobile-like technology and aggressive design elements with luxurious comforts.
The roadster prototype, in particular, has an adjustable wheelbase that can change sizes dependent on driving modes, as well as a digital cockpit with a retractable steering wheel and pedals that are meant to stow away while the car is driving itself.
According to corporate executives, the concept car reflects what Audi believes it can achieve, most likely in the second part of this decade as it transitions to electric and autonomous vehicles. Audi intends to provide only EVs by 2033, after introducing its last vehicle with an internal combustion engine in 2026.
Audi claims that the Skysphere is meant to drive itself, but that it cannot do so at the moment. It’s uncertain how practical a vehicle that can alter sizes for a production model would be. According to Audi, its EV driving range is around 310 miles.
Two cars in One
Apart from the technology, the car represents a new design approach for Volkswagen’s premium brand. Gael Buzyn, head of Audi’s Malibu design studio, stated that “a lot of elements” of the automobile will be used in future production vehicles.
According to Audi officials, the car is essentially “two automobiles in one.” The first is a fast-driving roadster that can hit 60 mph in roughly four seconds and has 553 pound-feet of torque. The second is a grand touring coach vehicle that can drive itself and expands by about 10 inches to provide a larger, more comfortable interior.
The automobile was presented on Aug 10 in preparation for the 2021 Monterey Car Week in California, which includes the renowned Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance car exhibition.
Brand New Concepts
The Skysphere is the first of a new series of concept vehicles centered on Audi’s transition from automobiles to “experience devices.” The Grandsphere, the second vehicle, is set to be presented on September 1st, followed by the Urbansphere in the first half of 2022.
According to Audi, the word “sphere” is designed to represent the internal area of the cars for drivers and passengers.
“These concept cars feature a new design that ultimately reimagines the interior, the passenger compartment, as the center of the vehicle and no longer subordinates the passenger experience to the requirements of the technology,” the company said in a release.
Concept cars are frequently used by automakers to test customer interest or to demonstrate the future direction of a vehicle or brand.
