Audi skysphere concept car: the future is here

On August 10, 2021, the first model of Audi's new concept car, the Audi skysphere concept car, was unveiled in Ingolstadt, Monterey, Malibu and other places. The Audi skysphere concept car is an electric two-door convertible model that points to the future and is sharp. It not only integrates the brand's future design concepts, but also demonstrates the vision of enterprising new luxury. The interior space is interactive and interesting, bringing infinite charm experience. At the same time, the Audi skysphere concept car makes everything possible with autonomous driving, innovative interior design and seamless data ecology. It is undeniable that FAW-Volkswagen Audi has always faced the wave of changes brought about by the era of electrification with a positive attitude, and has joined hands with Audi AG to better listen to the voice of users, capture user needs, and make the Audi brand image more popular.

The Skysphere concept car perfectly embodies Audi’s redefinition of future luxury – it is not just about driving, but also about giving users a fascinating and unparalleled new experience.

In order to give users the ultimate free driving experience, the Audi skysphere concept car is unique and uses variable wheelbase technology, and is specially designed with two driving experience modes: Grand Touring mode and Sports mode. The variable wheelbase technology used refers to the motor and body frame structure can be extended and slid to achieve a 25 cm wheelbase and body length change. At the same time, the ground clearance of the Audi skysphere concept car has 1 cm of adjustment space, which improves the user's driving comfort and sportiness.

With just the touch of a button, you are free to control your car. Users can choose the driving mode of the Audi skysphere concept car at will: in Sports mode, the wheelbase of the vehicle is shortened, turning it into a 4.94-meter-long electric sports car, and the rear-wheel steering function makes the body more responsive; if you choose Grand Touring mode, the body will be transformed into a 5.19-meter-long GT model, and the automatic driving mode will be turned on. Users can enjoy the beautiful scenery, spacious legroom and convenient services of the integrated digital ecosystem during driving. What is more worth mentioning is that in Grand Touring mode, the steering wheel and pedals of the Audi skysphere concept car can be hidden, creating an unprecedented space for users in the car. At the same time, the Audi skysphere concept car will automatically monitor road and traffic conditions through a sensor system to escort the driver all the way.

Audi's new definition of luxury is clearly visible in the interior design of the Audi skysphere concept car. Its digital concept and ecosystem open the door to a new world for users, bringing unprecedented freedom. The Audi brand is continuing to explore unlimited possibilities with its own diverse services and digital integration service capabilities. Users can upload photos of the car and surrounding scenery through social media while driving to share their travel experience with friends. In addition to driving scenes, the Audi skysphere concept car can also perform daily tasks well, such as automatically picking up passengers based on the user's location information, and independently completing parking and charging.

Audi Skysphere concept car debuts in California

On August 13, the Audi skysphere concept car will make its global debut at the Monterey Car Week at the famous Pebble Beach Golf Links. The Audi Design Center in Malibu, California, is the birthplace of the Audi skysphere concept car. It is only a stone's throw away from the Pacific Coast Highway connecting the suburbs of Los Angeles and Northern California, so California is also known as the home of the Audi skysphere concept car.

The Audi skysphere concept car was designed by Gael Buzyn, head of the design center, and his team. They took the Audi brand's own legendary classic model, the Horch 853 convertible, as inspiration for the design of the concept car. The Horch 853 convertible is about 5.2 meters long and is not only a symbol of luxury cars in the 1930s, but also won an award at the Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance in 2009.

However, the visual inspiration that the Audi skysphere concept car gets from the Horch 853 convertible is limited to the size and unique body proportions, namely the compact cabin and the long engine compartment. Under the hood of the Horch 853 is a 5-liter inline eight-cylinder engine, while between the front axle and the windshield of the Audi skysphere concept car are mainly electric drive components, such as chargers and DC/DC converters, actuators and electronic and mechanical components of the variable wheelbase. In addition, the Audi skysphere concept car has a more spacious trunk space design, which includes two golf bags specially designed for the concept car.

Drive system: Power up to 465 kW

“New technologies such as electrification, digitalization and autonomous driving give us endless opportunities to create future experiences that cannot be matched by today’s ordinary convertible sports cars,” said Gael Buzyn, head of design projects at Audi Design Center Malibu.

The Audi skysphere concept car weighs only about 1,800 kilograms. The electric motor on the rear axle is responsible for transmitting power to the wheels, with a total output of 465 kilowatts and a torque of 750 Nm. About 60% of the vehicle's weight is distributed on the rear axle, giving the vehicle ample traction and impressive acceleration capabilities, with an acceleration time of only 4 seconds per 100 kilometers.

The battery modules of the Audi skysphere concept car are mainly located behind the cockpit, which is conducive to achieving the most ideal vehicle center of gravity and high agility driving performance. The remaining modules are placed in the central channel between the seats inside the vehicle, which is conducive to improving vehicle power. The battery capacity is expected to exceed 80 kWh. In the more economical and energy-saving GT mode, the Audi skysphere concept car will have a range of more than 500 kilometers (WLTP).

Chassis: Rear-wheel steering and adaptive air suspension

The Audi skysphere concept car adopts double wishbone structure for both front and rear suspension. The upper and lower wishbones are made of aluminum casting, and the steering of the front and rear axles is controlled by a wire control system. Since the system has no mechanical connection with the front axle, users can select different steering ratios and steering settings with just a button, from direct and fast steering to comfortable and slow steering, from high return force to the minimum return force when parking. The rear axle steering and variable wheelbase technology help the Audi skysphere concept car achieve a smaller turning radius.

Audi's deep accumulation of chassis technology enables the suspension of the Audi skysphere concept car to be able to handle various scenarios with ease. In order to give drivers a more dynamic and comfortable driving experience, the Audi skysphere concept car is equipped with Audi's latest adaptive air suspension, which not only has three independent air chambers, but also can independently close certain air chambers during rapid acceleration, thereby changing the characteristics of the springs and minimizing the roll and pitch of the vehicle. When the body is lowered by 1 cm, the air resistance becomes smaller, which is especially important during long-distance driving.

The active suspension of the Audi skysphere concept car plays a key role in the diverse handling performance during driving. Thanks to the digital prediction of the navigation system and the precise control and execution of the active chassis, the wheels will selectively rise or fall when the vehicle is in a sliding state to cope with the ups and downs of the road. The Audi skysphere concept car uses 285/30 tires and aerodynamically designed 23-inch alloy rims to achieve the lowest rolling resistance. In the face of long-distance travel or intense lateral and longitudinal driving, the vehicle can still find perfect balance and remain calm.

Appearance: Tribute to classics, but not bound by tradition

Comparing the bodies of the legendary Horch 853 and the Audi skysphere concept car: 5.23 meters long vs. 5.19 meters; 1.85 meters wide vs. 2.00 meters, the similarities between the two are self-evident. However, the height difference between the two is obvious: the 1.77-meter-high body is the iconic design of the legendary Horch 853, while the Audi skysphere concept car with autonomous driving technology is only 1.23 meters high, with a diving posture in Sports mode, and has an optimized center of gravity and excellent aerodynamic characteristics. It can be seen that the Audi skysphere concept car not only pays tribute to the classics, but is also not bound by tradition.

In addition to the size, the body lines reveal the essential difference between the two. The Audi skysphere concept car adopts Audi's iconic design, with widened and expanded curved wheel arches, highlighting its wide body and showing its innate athleticism. From the side, the wheel arches and front cabin also adopt a curved design, and the long front cabin and short front overhang form a harmonious body proportion. The rear styling design combines the consideration of the drag coefficient in the wind tunnel test, and integrates the large glass shape of the sports car and the shooting brake in the traditional streamlined design. Two travel bags designed specifically for the Audi skysphere concept car are placed under the glass and fixed by cross straps.

Although the front of the Audi skysphere concept car no longer needs a heat dissipation grille, it still uses an integrated grille design with a three-dimensional luminous four-ring logo, showing the true colors of Audi. The integrated grille and its left and right sides are supplemented with white LED elements, which can be called a mobile stage for visual effects, and can achieve functional effects and dynamic welcome patterns when the doors are opened and closed. In addition, the Audi skysphere concept car's gentle and uniform dimming and highly organized and rhythmic pulsating lights create a more elegant effect, and the daytime running lights on the front side of the body also give the vehicle a unique and charming "eye". What's more worth mentioning is that if the wheelbase changes, the front and rear LED lights of the car will present a specially designed dynamic sequence, full of technological sense.

The digitally controlled LED taillights stretch across the entire rear of the car, with countless red LED units scattered across the vertical rear surface like rubies. Between the lighting units’ switches, reflections create dynamic lighting and shadow effects.

What’s special is that when the wheelbase is changed and the driving mode is switched from GT to Sports, the light pattern will also change accordingly. In the area around the integrated grille, users can also clearly perceive the diverse style of the Audi skysphere concept car.

The side trim fixed with the front of the vehicle will move forward and backward when the variable wheelbase function of the vehicle is used. As one of the prominent elements on the side of the vehicle, the side trim will "hide" behind the rear wheel arch, which is essential for the realization of the variable wheelbase function. For example, when the wheelbase is shortened and the front of the vehicle moves, the rear of the side trim will "hide" behind the rear wheel arch. In this process, the wheelbase of the Audi skysphere concept car will be reduced by 25 cm - equivalent to shortening from the size of the Audi A8L to the level of the Audi RS 5. This is not only a manifestation of technology, but also a huge difference in the visual experience of the vehicle, especially in the driving experience.

There is no doubt that the Audi skysphere concept car has the characteristics of both a GT car and a luxury sports car. However, the real key difference is reflected in the interior, creating a refreshing and excellent experience.

Interior space: two-in-one ultimate experience

For the next three concept cars - Audi skysphere concept car, Audi grandsphere concept car and Audi urbansphere concept car, the Audi brand regards the space surrounding passengers (i.e. "sphere") and the experience space as the top priority of design. Because these three concept cars are designed for L4 autonomous driving (in certain specific roads and traffic scenarios, the driver can hand over all driving tasks to the car without active intervention), control elements such as the steering wheel and pedals can be hidden in autonomous driving mode. As a result, drivers and passengers can enjoy a new free driving experience - they can enjoy the beautiful scenery and breeze, or interact with the world through the digital ecosystem of Audi skysphere.

The interior of the Audi skysphere concept car is inspired by Art Deco in many ways. When the vehicle is not in use, the interior becomes a relaxed, spacious and private environment, with comfortable and elegant seats that look like high-end furniture designs. At the same time, in driving mode, the side support and safety features of the seats are still fully retained, and the adjustable seats provide a free range of movement and legroom like in a first-class cabin on an airplane. In terms of materials, the seats are made of a variety of sustainably produced materials, such as microfiber fabrics, environmentally certified eucalyptus and synthetic leather, bringing an unparalleled high-end green experience to the interior of the car.

When the Audi skysphere concept car starts the manual driving mode, the interior of the car will transform into a perfect ergonomic cockpit. Together with the chassis and body, the dashboard and the display panel on the center console will also move to the rear. The driver can find all control elements including the steering wheel and pedals in the most comfortable position.

The large touchscreen display on the dashboard and upper center console is 1415 mm wide and 180 mm high and is used to operate the vehicle and infotainment systems. In Grand Touring mode, it can be used to display Internet, video conferencing or streaming movie content, while the small touch pads on the doors can also be used to operate the air conditioning.

This luxury convertible is equipped with a top-quality sound system that delivers concert-hall-quality sound even when the vehicle is in motion. Speakers are hidden behind the door panels, and speakers placed in the rear of the vehicle create a surround sound effect. The shape of the headrests also prevents airflow disturbances and wind noise from interfering with the acoustic quality of the interior.

Vehicle experience: luxury without limits

Audi brand expresses its vision of progressive new luxury through three concept cars: Audi skysphere concept car, Audi grandsphere concept car and Audi urbansphere concept car to be launched in 2022. It can be seen that Audi brand is creating a new driving experience that goes far beyond the traditional point-to-point driving meaning and even far beyond the driving experience itself.

These concept cars adopt a completely new design, redefining the interior and cockpit as the core of the vehicle, no longer subjecting the user experience to technical requirements. In Grand Touring mode, the variable interior layout, hidden control elements and spacious cabin space not only allow users to enjoy a smooth and pleasant driving experience, but also combine it with a variety of services. These configurations can provide various service options related to the current driving journey, such as planning a scenic route, recommending restaurants or hotels, etc.

The vehicle is also equipped with customized infotainment system services, such as in-car streaming services that can be connected to music and video devices at home. In the next step, Audi also plans to provide personalized exclusive services to its high-end users, such as invitation-only concerts, cultural events, and even sports events. As a result, models such as the Audi skysphere concept car will become experience platforms in just a few years, bringing value beyond driving itself.

Facing the Chinese market, FAW-Volkswagen Audi relies on its strong system strength to actively build a comprehensive electrification strategy driven by user value, and gradually realizes the brand transformation from a traditional automobile manufacturer to a mobile travel service provider through the three-step approach of intelligent driving scenarios, electrification of all vehicle touch points, and intelligent travel life. In the future, FAW-Volkswagen Audi will also implement the electric travel commitment of "All in e-tron" through a richer series of pure electric products, helping the Audi brand to continue to write a new success story in the Chinese market.

As a winner of Toutiao's Qingyun Plan and Baijiahao's Bai+ Plan, the 2019 Baidu Digital Author of the Year, the Baijiahao's Most Popular Author in the Technology Field, the 2019 Sogou Technology and Culture Author, and the 2021 Baijiahao Quarterly Influential Creator, he has won many awards, including the 2013 Sohu Best Industry Media Person, the 2015 China New Media Entrepreneurship Competition Beijing Third Place, the 2015 Guangmang Experience Award, the 2015 China New Media Entrepreneurship Competition Finals Third Place, and the 2018 Baidu Dynamic Annual Powerful Celebrity.