Open for the future - the Audi skysphere concept is here!

In order to give passengers maximum freedom, the Audi skysphere concept was designed for two different driving experiences: a Grand Touring Experience and a Sports Experience. A spectacular technical detail is used here - the variable wheelbase. Electric motors and a sophisticated mechanism with interlocking body and frame components make it possible to vary the wheelbase itself and the external length by 250 millimeters. At the same time, the ground clearance is varied by 10 millimeters - a plus in favor of comfort or driving dynamics.

With one touch, the driver can use his freedom and choose the desired driving experience himself. With a reduced wheelbase, he can steer his 4,94-meter-long e-roadster himself in what is known as "Sports" mode - the rear-wheel steering ensures excellent agility despite its dimensions. Or he can be chauffeured in a 5,19 meter long GT in the automated “Grand Touring” driving mode. And enjoy the sky and landscape, maximum legroom and the services from a seamlessly integrated digital ecosystem.

The steering wheel and pedals have moved into an invisible area; the feeling of space in the concept car opens up new dimensions for a sporty convertible. Meanwhile, the Audi skysphere automatically keeps an eye on the route and traffic with its sensors and steers the occupants safely to their destination.

Just as the interior design provides a new, contemporary reading of luxury, digitization and the ecosystem open up unknown degrees of freedom and worlds of experience for passengers on board. The possibilities are expanded with Audi's own services and the integration of digital services. The experience on the go can be shared with friends via social media using recordings from the interior and the surroundings. Everyday tasks beyond driving are also taken care of. The automatically driving Audi skysphere concept picks up its passengers with information about the current travel destination and takes care of parking and charging independently.

Home game in California

The Audi skysphere concept will make its public debut on August 13, 2021 as part of the Monterey Car Week - on the legendary lawn of the Pebble Beach golf course. The performance in California is almost a home game. Because the concept vehicle was conceived and designed in the Audi design studio in Malibu, just a stone's throw away from the Pacific Coast Highway, the legendary coastal road that connects the suburb of Los Angeles with the north of California. Studio manager Gael Buzyn and his team are responsible. A legendary classic from the company's own history served as a source of inspiration - the Roadster Horch 853. The likewise around 5,20 long representative convertible not only defined the modern luxury of the 1930s, but also won the Concours d'Elegance in Pebble Beach in 2009.

However, the visual inspiration from the ancestor is limited to the dimensions and typical proportions with a rather compact cabin and long front end. Because a look under the hood falls on the Horch's stately 8-cylinder in-line engine with a displacement of 5 liters. In the Audi skysphere, on the other hand, there are mainly electric drive components such as the charger and the DC / DC converter between the front axle and the windshield, as well as the servomotors, electronics and mechanics for the adaptive wheelbase. And a voluminous luggage compartment filled with two golf bags specially designed for the concept car.

465 kW power - the drive

The Audi skysphere is powered by an electric motor positioned on the driven rear axle. 465 kilowatts of power and the torque of 750 Newton meters have easy play with the roadster, which weighs around 1.800 kilograms. The weight distribution of around 60 percent on the driven rear axle allows full traction and - if necessary - acceleration from 0 to 100 km / h in just 4 seconds.

The battery modules of the Audi skysphere are primarily positioned behind the cabin - an ideal arrangement for the center of gravity and agility. Further modules can be found between the seats in the center tunnel of the skysphere interior - here too, a position chosen for the benefit of dynamism. The battery capacity can be expected to be more than 80 kWh - and thus a range - at least in the economical GT mode - of over 500 kilometers according to the WLTP standard.

Rear wheel steering and adaptive air suspension - the chassis

A double wishbone axle is used at the front and rear. The upper and lower wishbones are forged or cast from aluminum. The steering is handled by a steer-by-wire system that controls both the front and rear wheels. Without a mechanical connection to the front axle, the steering can display different steering ratios and settings - at the push of a button. This means that the steering can be adjusted from extremely direct to comfortable, but also from high restoring forces to minimal restoring forces, for example when parking. The rear-axle steering and adaptive wheelbase also ensure a small turning circle.

A chassis technology that is already classic at Audi brings about the required versatility of the chassis - in its latest evolutionary stage: the adaptive air suspension with three independent air chambers impresses with its comfortable basic suspension. Individual chambers can be deactivated for a sporty driving style with high accelerations. Result: The spring's characteristic curve becomes more progressive - rolling and pitching movements can be reduced to a minimum. Lowering the body by 10 millimeters reduces the aerodynamic drag - particularly relevant when driving long distances.

The active suspension of the Audi skysphere plays a decisive role in the versatility of the driving characteristics. During relaxed gliding, the individual wheels are raised or lowered in a targeted manner in order to compensate for bumps and waves in the road. This is where the digital prognoses of the navigation system and the highly developed control and actuator systems of the active chassis are combined. The 23/285 tires mounted on aerodynamically styled 30-inch alloy rims enable the balancing act between long-distance suitability through minimal rolling resistance and a sporty, active driving style with high longitudinal and lateral acceleration.

Reverence without retro - the exterior

5,23 meters in length versus 5,19; a width of 1,85 to 2,00 meters - in the traffic area, the legendary Horch 853 convertible and Audi skysphere are still related. There is a noticeable difference in height, however - the classic design icon Horch towered up to 1,77 meters, depending on the body shape, while the independent descendant Audi skysphere in "Sports" mode is 1,23 meters flat, aerodynamic and ducks on the street with an optimized focus. The concept car pays homage to the classic, but without persisting as a retro quote.

Because in addition to the dimensions, it is above all the lines that make the difference. The skysphere emphasizes the wide track with the wide curved and exposed wheel arches typical of the brand - a visible proof of the dynamic talents. When viewed from the side, the proportions are captivating with a long hood and - especially at the front - a short overhang. The surfaces of the wheel arches and the front hood are organically curved. The rear comes from the wind tunnel and combines the classic streamlining elements of a speedster and a shooting brake with large glass surfaces. Under the glass there are two travel bags specially designed for the Audi skysphere, which are fixed with crossed straps.

The front: Clearly recognizable - although no longer in the function of the radiator grille - are the brand-typical single frame and the three-dimensional, illuminated emblem of the four rings. The entire single frame and the adjacent surfaces are designed with white LED elements as a stage for visual effects - functional as well as with animated greeting sequences when opening and closing the vehicle. Soft dimming and a structured, pulsating light rhythm create an elegant effect. The daytime running lights in the side front sections, in turn, ensure a determined, focused “view” of the light units. If the wheelbase is changed, the front and rear LEDs orchestrate a specially composed dynamic sequence.

A digitally controlled LED surface that extends across the entire width of the vehicle also dominates the rear. Countless red LEDs are distributed like rubies in the vertical rear surface. Reflections ensure dynamic light and shadow effects when the lighting units are switched on and off.

With the change of the wheelbase and thus the operating mode from GT to Sport, the light signature also changes and, particularly in the area of ​​the single frame, gives a clear signal of the changed character of the Audi skysphere concept.

The wide sill that appears to protrude into the rear wheel arch is characteristic of the side view. A must if the wheelbase actually moves backwards when you vary it. The sill is fixed to the front of the vehicle, and with it the sill slides backwards under the fixed door. The wheelbase is reduced from the size of an A8 L to the significantly more compact size of the curve-compatible Audi RS. 5 to 25 centimeters make the difference, not only technically but also optically - and above all in terms of driving experience.

Without a doubt: There are two personalities in the Audi skysphere concept - a GT and a top athlete. The main differences, however, can only be savored in the interior, because here, behind the wide-opening doors hinged at the back, the Audi skysphere offers highly contrasting constellations that can be experienced.

Experience space x 2 - the interior

With the three upcoming concept cars Audi skysphere, Audi grandsphere and Audi urbansphere, the brand is putting that space at the center of the designs that surrounds the passengers (“Sphere”) and which becomes a space for them to experience - the interior. Because all three vehicles are designed for level 4 automated driving. This means that in defined road and traffic areas, the driver delegates responsibility completely to the automobile and no longer has to intervene.

The result: Control elements such as the steering wheel and pedals can then be completely swiveled out of the interior and swiveled into an invisible position. And the passengers - including the one on the front left seat - enjoy a new form of freedom: for relaxation in the open air, enjoying the landscape and wind, or for interacting with the web and the world thanks to networking with the digital ecosystem in Audi skysphere.

Free of control elements, the interior appears as a light, wide space; inspired in many areas by the Art Deco universe. The visual elegance of designer furniture characterizes the comfortable armchairs, but they still fulfill the functions of a car seat when driving - lateral support and safety features are part of them. They are covered with sustainably produced microfiber fabric and, thanks to their variable position in the interior, offer freedom of movement and leg freedom that can otherwise only be experienced in the first class of an aircraft. Ecologically certified eucalyptus wood and synthetically produced leather surrogate are further sustainably produced materials in the experience interior.

If the Audi skysphere concept is to be used in self-propelled mode, the interior is transformed into an ergonomically perfect driving machine cockpit. Together with the chassis and body, the dashboard and the monitor panel on the center console also move to the rear. The driver can find all the controls, including the steering wheel and pedals, in the position that is tailor-made for him.

Large touch monitor surfaces on the cockpit front wall - width 1415 mm, height 180 mm - and in the upper area of ​​the center console are used to operate the vehicle systems and infotainment. In grand touring mode, offers from the web, video conferences or streamed films can also be played out. Small touch panels in the doors are used to operate the air conditioning.

A high-quality sound system - befitting this luxury-class convertible - delivers concert hall quality even while driving. The corresponding loudspeakers are hidden behind the door panels; some more in the rear interior wall even allow surround sound. The shape of the headrests prevents turbulence and annoying wind noise.

World of experience: first class without limits

With the three concept cars Audi skysphere, Audi grandsphere and - 2022 - Audi urbansphere, the brand with the four rings illustrates its vision of progressive luxury. This opens up a world of experience that goes far beyond the purpose-related stay on board, beyond the driving experience.

What is new is a design that ultimately sees the interior, the passenger compartment, as the center and which no longer subordinates the experience of the occupants to the requirements of the technology. This is reflected in the variable layout of the interior, in the disappearance of the controls and the sheer width of the cabin and, in Grand Touring mode, not only allows both occupants to enjoy the journey undisturbed, but also combines them with new service offerings. This enables a multitude of service topics to be developed around the current trip - for example the design of a scenic route, also offers of restaurant or hotel options.

Infotainment offers are also individually tailored: for example, the connection of the on-board streaming offer to music and video providers used at home. And in a further step, Audi also wants to offer personalized and exclusive options for the users of its luxury class automobiles in the future: concerts, cultural events or even sporting events that only open upon special invitation. In just a few years, an experience device like the Audi skysphere concept will become the key to experiences that broaden your horizons beyond travel.