(August 11, 2021) Audi has unveiled the first member of a new family of concept vehicles, a spectacular roadster. Audi skysphere concept is the name of the electric-powered, two-door convertible whose lines lead directly to the Audi design of tomorrow.  With it, the brand is illustrating its vision for the progressive luxury segment of the future, in which the interior becomes an interactive space and the vehicle a platform for captivating experiences.
            
This is being made possible thanks to autonomous driving, a revolutionary redesign of the interior, and a seamless digital ecosystem.

The Audi skysphere concept shows how the brand is redefining luxury in the future — it’s no longer just about driving. The concept car was designed with the clear objective of offering its occupants captivating and world-class experiences.

To give passengers the maximum amount of freedom, the Audi skysphere concept was designed for two different driving experiences: a grand touring experience and a sports experience. This makes use of a technical detail — the variable wheelbase.



Electric motors and a sophisticated mechanism with body and frame components that slide into one another make it possible to vary the wheelbase itself and the exterior length of the car by 250 millimeters. At the same time, the vehicle’s ground clearance is adjusted by 10 millimeters to enhance comfort and driving dynamics.

With the touch of button, the driver can take advantage of their freedom and choose their own driving experience  — either they pilot their 16.2-foot-long e-roadster themselves in “Sports” mode with a reduced wheelbase, while the rear-wheel steering ensures that the vehicle remains extremely agile despite its dimensions. Or they can choose to be chauffeured around in a 17-foot GT in the autonomous “Grand Touring” driving mode while enjoying the sky and the scenery, maximum legroom, and the services offered by a seamlessly integrated digital ecosystem.

In this mode, the steering wheel and pedals move into an invisible area; the feeling of space in the concept car opens up completely new realms of possibility for such a sporty convertible. Meanwhile, the Audi skysphere automatically keeps an eye on the road and traffic with its sensor system and drives the occupants safely to their destination.

Similar to how the interior design offers a new, contemporary interpretation of luxury, digitization and the ecosystem open up unprecedented levels of freedom and worlds of experience for the vehicle’s passengers. Thanks to Audi’s own services and the ability to integrate digital services, the possibilities are nearly endless. In addition, the passengers can share their experience on the road with friends via social media, with images of the interior and the surrounding area.

The vehicle also takes care of everyday tasks that go beyond the ride itself. For example, the autonomous Audi skysphere concept picks up its passengers with information about their current destination and independently handles parking and charging.

The Audi skysphere concept will make its public debut on Friday, as part of Monterey Car Week — on the legendary fairways of the Pebble Beach golf course. This means the vehicle’s unveiling in California is taking place more or less on its home turf. This is because the concept car was conceived and designed at the Audi Design Studio in Malibu, just a stone’s throw away from the Pacific Coast Highway, the legendary coastal road that connects the suburbs of Los Angeles with northern California.

Studio manager Gael Buzyn and his team are the creative minds behind the project. A legendary classic model from the company’s own history — the Horch 853 roadster — served as the inspiration for the new groundbreaking model. The impressive convertible, which is also around 5.20 meters in length, was not only the definition of modern luxury in the 1930s, but also won the Concours d’Elegance in Pebble Beach in 2009.

But the visual inspiration from its predecessor is limited to the concept car’s dimensions and typical proportions with a rather compact cabin and long front end. A look under the hood of the Horch reveals an imposing straight-eight engine with a displacement of 5 liters.



The Audi skysphere, on the other hand, mainly has electric drive components between the front axle and the windshield, such as the charger and the DC/DC converter, plus the actuators and electronic and mechanical components for the adaptive wheelbase. It also features a spacious trunk filled with two golf bags specially designed for the concept car.

“New technologies like electrification, digitalization, and autonomous driving gave us the opportunity to create an experience that goes way beyond the one that typical roadsters offer today,” said design project manager Gael Buzyn.

An electric motor positioned on the powered rear axle is responsible for delivering power to the wheels of the Audi skysphere. A total of 465 kilowatts of power and 552 pound-feet of torque have an easy time with the roadster, which only weighs around 3,960 pounds. The weight distribution of around 60 percent on the powered rear axle results in ample traction and acceleration from 0 to 100 km/h (0-to-62 mph) in just four seconds, if required.

The Audi skysphere’s battery modules are primarily positioned behind the cabin – an ideal configuration for the vehicle’s center of gravity and agility. Further modules can be found between the seats in the center tunnel of the skysphere interior – another position chosen in favor of vehicle dynamics. The battery’s capacity is expected to be more than 80 kWh, giving the car a range of more than 310 miles according to the WLTP standard, at least in the economical GT mode.