The Audi Skysphere concept can transform from a sports car to a comfortable, luxurious grand tourer at the touch of a button.
As the first model in a trio of concepts that reveal Audi’s new-age ideas, the Audi Skysphere features advanced self-driving technology that transforms the four-wheeled machine into an “experience device” where customers can relax more than drive stressfully.
The length of the car, according to Audi, can be flexibly switched to customize between two configurations, a sports car and a spacious self-driving grand tourer at the touch of a button. Under normal circumstances, the Audi Skysphere is classified as an electric 2-seater convertible.
The back door, size and personality Audi Skysphere is inspired by the Roadster Horch 853 from the 1930s, but the overall design is futuristic, fiction with many details “promising to appear on finished Audi cars in the future”.
The Audi Skysphere head uses Audi’s signature Singleframe radiator with an elongated bonnet, supported by a series of LED lights mounted both on the radiator and the surrounding area. The side of the car emphasizes the sportiness with large muscular wheel arches and strong curves. The windshield and protective arch behind the headrest leave only a small space where the automatic opening/closing soft top system is present.
The 23-inch wheels used by Audi Skysphere are specially designed to optimize aerodynamics as well as regenerative brake cooling. Finally, the rear of the car continues to use multi-LED lights to adorn the overall design along with the glass that protects the rear luggage compartment.
As mentioned above, the Audi Skysphere has the ability to customize the wheelbase with the hood and sidewalls that can be moved forward by 250 mm to reveal many new decorative elements as well as improve more space inside the cabin. The “default” length of the Audi Skysphere is on par with the RS5 (4.94 meters) but at the highest level (5.19 meters) the car is as long as the A8 L – the largest sedan in the German brand’s lineup today.
The drive system on the Audi Skysphere uses a single electric motor located at the rear axle with a capacity of 624 horsepower, 750 Nm of torque, allowing the car to accelerate from 0 to 100 km / h in 4 seconds. The battery capacity behind the cabin reaches 80 kWh, providing a maximum operating range of about 500 km according to the European WLTP standard.
Because the Audi Skysphere has 2 operating modes, sport and comfort, the interior of the car also has 2 distinct “configurations”. In comfort mode, the car does not have a steering wheel or pedals with a pure 55.7-inch entertainment screen for entertainment purposes that occupies the dashboard space, hidden under a high-end 3D speaker system. Users can meet online, watch movies or surf the web through this screen with easy touch technology.
In sport mode, the steering wheel and pedals reappear while the display (or more precisely, the dashboard) retracts to the driver’s seat to form a closed cockpit. The Audi Skysphere seats use microfiber fabric and synthetic leather.
According to Audi, while the wheelbase modification technology may have to wait years just to be tested and approved by the authorities, the head and tail lights as well as the Audi Skysphere body structure will soon appear on their finished cars.
Video: Audi Skysphere Electric GT Coupe Concept
