(September 3, 2021) INGOLSTADT, Germany — The private jet for the road — At the IAA 2021, Audi is presenting the Audi grandsphere concept study. Like a first class flight, the 17.6 foot-long grandsphere sedan combines the luxury of private travel in the greatest of comfort with a comprehensive onboard experience offering. Level 4 automated driving makes new dimensions of freedom possible. In this mode, the interior turns into a spacious sphere of experience without a steering wheel, pedals, or displays.

And the front seats become a first class lounge with maximum space, more open views, and access to all the functions of a holistic digital ecosystem that the Audi grandsphere is integrated into.

As the second of three “sphere” concept cars from the brand with the four rings, the Audi grandsphere has a special place. That is because the technologies and design features assembled in it are expected to turn up again in future Audi series. The Audi grandsphere concept illustrates the brand’s claim that it is becoming a trendsetter at the top of the automotive industry for technological transformation and completely new, holistic mobility offerings.

The electrically driven roadster Audi skysphere concept debuted in August — it was a vision of an automatically driving GT that transforms into a self-driving sports car with a variable wheelbase. These two concept cars — as well as the Audi urbansphere, which will appear as the third part of the trio in 2022 — are linked by their overall concept, which is derived from their ability to drive automatically at level 4. Audi is working with CARIAD, the Volkswagen Group’s global software think tank, toward introducing new ideas in technology in the second half of the decade.



Level 4 is designed to change the interior space of the traditional driver-oriented cockpit and passenger seats into a spacious lounge as soon as the steering wheel and pedals are reduced. At the same time, it opens up new levels of freedom for all the passengers. That is because the Audi grandsphere not only frees the driver from the tasks of driving whenever possible, but at the same time also offers everyone onboard a wide range of options to use that freedom for individually varied experiences: communication or relaxation, work or withdrawal into a private sphere as desired. The Audi grandsphere concept transforms from being strictly an automobile into an “experience device.”

Thanks to Audi’s own services and the ability to integrate digital services, the possibilities are nearly endless. These can be used to access a variety of service options related to the current trip – such as designing a spectacular scenic route, as well as restaurant or hotel options. The vehicle can also take care of everyday tasks that go beyond the ride itself. For example, the autonomous Audi grandsphere concept picks up its passengers with information about their current destination and independently handles parking and charging.

Customized infotainment options are also available, such as seamless integration of onboard streaming from music and video providers that have been used previously. In an additional step, Audi will keep personalized and exclusive options available in the future — concerts, cultural events, or even sporting events that customers attend.

The Audi grandsphere concept illustrates the brand’s claim that it defines the progressive luxury of the future: for Audi, that includes the option of new high-class experiences, enabled by digitalization, as well as a holistic approach to greater sustainability with the goal of carbon neutrality in the future.