Audi’s Skysphere concept roadster is an amazing piece of machinery that allows us to peek into the future. Here is why.
Introduction
Audi’s Skysphere marks the beginning of its “sphere” segment of vehicles that aren’t focused only on driving, but on an overall captivating experience of comfort and luxury for the driver and the passengers. Audi plans to separate this segment into three cars of distinctive characters and looks. Namely:
- Skysphere (High-performance GT);
- Urbansphere (saloon similar to A7/e-Tron), and;
- Grandsphere (SUV/Crossover).
Today we’re going to focus on the convertible Skysphere 2-door model, which packs a plethora of tech, power, appeal, and comfort for its passengers.
Powertrain
As expected from a futuristic car, it incorporates electric motors at the front and the rear axle, with a power split of 40:60. The total output is around 465kW (623bhp) with a peak torque of 750Nm, and it propels the 1,800kg car from 0 to 100 km/h (0-62 mph) in just 4.0 seconds. The capacity of the battery is quite generous at 80kWh, which translates to roughly 500km (311mi) of range. This couldn’t be any less, because otherwise, it would undermine the GT character of the car.
Rear-wheel steering is present too, and both front and rear wheels are electronically controlled by the steering wheel, which means that the driver can vary the steering ratios according to his preference. This is also necessary for the car to take full control of the driving with its Level 4 autonomous driving. A GT car of this caliber is also equipped with adaptive air suspension, and it makes use of separate air chambers that provide the highest levels of comfort, or sportiness should you deactivate them.
Exterior
The Skysphere concept distinguishes itself from the rest of the Audi line, by implementing a LED-powered front grille and narrower lights that give a sharper look and emphasize the size of the front end. It seems Audi really likes incorporating big grilles into its vehicles even if it’s completely for cosmetic purposes only, as a sign of the brand’s luxury, power, and identity.
Nevertheless, the grill blends well with the color and shape of the car, and the subtle lighting makes it more pleasant to the eye. I would call it fair if some people still didn’t like it, because I’m not a fan of huge grills either. The same follows for the aero elements. On the concept sample, they aren’t functional, but Audi claims they will be on the production car.
Even though the car’s overall design is inspired by the convertible 1939 Horch 853, it brings no resemblance to it at all. Apart from the size, maybe. On the other hand, quite fancy is the front luggage space in place of the missing ICE. It has a split front lid for easier access and a posher feel.
Moving on to the sides of the vehicle, we can see the complete lack of conventional mirrors, which have been replaced with exterior cameras connected to the infotainment panel. But, what’s really striking is those large oddly shaped rims, that communicate a sporty personality and show off their aerodynamic character by completely blocking external wind from entering the rims.
The frameless doors are also slick, and appear small compared to the size of the car, giving some Aston Martin vibes, which we like, but they open outwards as the engineers thought it would be more creative to implement suicide doors in this design. Not sure how this blends with the character of the car or the safety ratings, but it’s a cool feature, nonetheless.
The money shot, however, of the whole Skysphere concept is its ability to transform itself from a GT to a sports car, and vice versa with its variable wheelbase functionality. The mechanism slowly extends or retracts the front half of the car by 250mm, thus providing a short wheelbase that is agile with higher maneuverability or a longer one for a more comfortable riding experience. The chambered adaptive air suspension does its part too, by lowering the car by 10mm to reduce drag. This has some meaningful impact on long-distance journeys, for energy efficiency purposes and faster acceleration. The activation-deactivation of the air chambers can give the ultimate feeling of a GT or a sports car, as mentioned earlier.
Finally, moving on to the back of the car, the same pattern of rear lights as the front can be observed. On the lower part, a functional diffuser is incorporated, which creates downforce at higher speeds in combination with the aerodynamic elements at the front.
The most striking element at the rear, however, is the glass cover of the small custom luggage space just above the drivetrain. Although it’s redundant, it gives a very cool look, similar to how a large engine would look on a mid-engine car with a glass cover.
Interior
The interior is even more impressive than the exterior. The infotainment screen is unified for both driver and passenger, including the side mirror portions of the screen, and it’s fully touch-sensitive. Hopefully, they have resolved the issue of touch oversensitivity, and not distinguishing the buttons with your fingers while driving. Otherwise, you’ll be in for some accidents if you have to constantly take your eyes from the road.
Audi’s typical minimalistic design, also hides the speakers behind the door panels for less eye distraction and improved surround sound. For the time being, let’s not focus on that, but on the amazing motorized pedals that completely disappear from your feet during Autonomous driving mode. The square sporty steering wheel does the same by hiding under the dashboard and revealing itself only when you want to take things in your hands. As a result, those functionalities will maximize the interior space and offer plenty of legroom for the driver, while the 1.4m wide screen of the infotainment system will be at your disposal for movies, presentations, video conferences, or even browsing the internet.
All the materials used in the cabin are aligned with Audi’s latest policy on sustainability. The fabric of the sport seats, for example, is made from recycled plastic, but the end product resembles that of natural fabric material (e.g. wool). This brings the advantages of both worlds, by conserving the planet’s natural resources, and offering uncompromising comfort and luxury.
Conclusion
Audi’s electric roadster packs an excessive amount of luxury, technology, and sportiness, which make it a solid addition to its arsenal. It might have its flaws, but it’s an innovative design that breaks the traditions and shows a promising direction that Audi is going to follow. We are eager to see what’s coming next from Audi’s “sphere” line, and what’s going to be the final road-legal production car.
What do you think about Audi’s Skysphere roadster?
Will it beat its competition?
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