Audi Concept

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Audi grandsphere concept at IAA 2021

Audi is planning to create three ‘sphere’ concept cars as an indication of how they see the future of automobiles, the first one we could admire during Monterey Car Week, called the Skysphere, was a luxury GT Roadster that could effectively ‘stretch’ her wheelbase to offer more interior space, the second one in the sphere series is the grandsphere concept unveiled at the IAA, the International Motor Show in Germany, usually held in Frankfurt, but for the 2021 edition moved to Munich.

All of the Audi ‘sphere’ concepts will come with level 4 automatic driving, we’ve seen that on the skysphere already, where the car would really transport the occupants from point A to point B without them even touching the steering wheel, as that part of the interior isn’t needed anymore in this mode, it actually folds away, out of view. And that’s exactly what we are seeing inside this larger grandsphere concept too, and it will make its return in the third car in the series, the urbansphere which we’ll be able to admire in 2022.

Audi and CARIAD, the Volkswagen Group’s global software think tank, are working together to create new technology, and their Level 4 is nothing less than changing the interior concept of a car as we know it today, still being a driver-oriented cockpit with seats for three or four passengers, but once the auto-driving mode is engaged, both the steering wheel and the pedals are moved out of sight to create a serene environment for all occupants.

Audi calls these concepts ‘spheres’ because all three are designed from the idea of the interior being the most important part of the car of the future, the occupants’ living and experience sphere while traveling, in case of this grandsphere, Audi calls it a private jet for the road, with an overall length of 5.35 m (17.6 ft.) with a 3.19 m (10.5 ft.) wheelbase that’s even longer than the current Audi A8 Long, the grandsphere is all about luxury and comfort once you open the ‘suicide doors’ found on this concept, the front doors are hinged from the front, but the rear doors open from the rear to allow much easier access into the luxurious interior as there is no B-pillar on this model.

The Audi grandsphere will also come with a pathway identification … this means the car will recognize who is approaching the vehicle, and will automatically open the doors to welcome them, but it goes way further than that, depending on who the car senses, the ambient light changes, climate control settings are restored and the seats move into their predetermined position … even the infotainment system picks up on where a passenger stopped streaming a video before getting into the car, only to resume that video on one of the displays found inside the grandsphere.

A feeling of openness and breadth is created, helped by the absence of the steering wheel and pedals, but also because of the large window surfaces on the Audi grandsphere, even the entire roof is transparent on this concept, even the side windows use a futuristic concept where the upper half gets a very distinctive angle while the widest part of the side window is just above eye level.

Because the Audi grandsphere is all about comfort and luxury, the front seats are considered first-class seating now, especially as the car will drive itself, the passengers have an amazing view over the completely clean dashboard through the fast windshield, despite the size of the grandsphere and the roominess inside, this is actually a 2+2 seater, the rear offers a two-person bench with an armrest that goes around the side, integrated as a seating option in the back when the two front seats are in their most backward position.

With the seats in their upright position, the Audi grandsphere can be perfectly ergonomically controlled when outside level 4 zones as the car has to be driven using the pedals and steering wheel, however, when in ‘auto drive’, the back can be tilted 40 degrees and passengers can relax or use the infotainment system. ultimately, with the back folded down to 60 degrees, the result is a perfect resting position. The headrest can be moved 15 degrees forward while vents emit filtered and temperature-controlled (even scented if desired) air, and then there are speakers that are inaudible to other passengers and allow for a private aural zone while being transported in the Audi grandsphere concept’s first-class cabin.

There is leather inside the Audi grandsphere, instead, you’ll find wool or synthetic textile material combined with wood and metal to offer the most pleasant touch, either sourced from sustainable cultivation or made from recycled material, and while every car needs displays, in case of this grandsphere these are actually projected onto the wooden surface, and while the car is in the automated driving mode, the entire dashboard fascia becomes a CinemaScope screen for entertainment or video conferencing.

The Audi grandsphere comes with the innovative MMI touchless response, using haptic controls and even eye movement detection to interact with the driver, this concept comes with eye-tracking, gesture or voice control, and it comes with a level of AI as the system will ‘learn’ the preferences of the driver and frequently used menus … in the end, the system will be able to offer personalized proposals to the occupant, and if you really want to ‘tune out’, there are VR glasses in the armrests.

Being a concept for the future, the Audi grandsphere is an all-electric car and should come with a 120 kWh battery module using the entire vehicle base between the axles, the massive 23-inch wheels are mounted on axles that have their own electric motor, one for the front axle, one for the rear axle, so this Audi has the famous quattro drive system … power output is an impressive 530 kW with 960 Nm of torque.

Similar to the Audi e-tron GT, the grandsphere comes with an 800-volt charging capacity, this means a depleted battery can be charged up to 270 kW almost instantly when connected to a fast-charging station, it takes only 10 minutes to add 300 km (186 miles) to the range, going from a 5% load to an 80% load on the 120 kWh battery takes less than 25 minutes, the grandsphere comes with a range up to 750 km (466 miles), and while maximum speed is limited to offer more range, acceleration from 0 to 100 km/h (62 mph) takes little over 4 seconds.

I have to admit, if this is the future we are heading into with electric cars, I’m not too worried, this car looks good, a sleek 4-door GT sedan, I wouldn’t call it a supercar or hypercar like the Koenigsegg Gemera, but this Audi grandsphere is intended for a different kind of customer … the future is electric, and the Audi grandsphere is a glimpse of what’s to come in the next decade or so.

September 9, 2021 / Comments Off

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Skysphere, the electric roadster concept from Audi

The future of cars is electric, we have been told that time and time again, many car builders have already committed to stop building internal combustion engines in the not too distant future, while even supercars and hypercars are going electric, or at least hybrid for the next few years, and while I personally do love the sound of a Lamborghini V12, I know it will be a dying breed within a few years, and despite cars like the Rimac Nevera that is all-electric and would obliterate anything from Sant’Agata or Maranello in an acceleration battle, I’m old-school and would still go for a Raging Bull … but that’s just me I guess.

I do look at cars like the Porsche Taycan and the Tesla S, those are some seriously quick cars that can seat four people, but they just don’t give that same sensation in terms of looks like a Lamborghini Urus (if you really need to seat four or five people) or an Aventador, Bugatti Chiron … and other hypercars … but it seems Audi is evolving into the right direction with their latest Skysphere concept, an all-electric two-seater roadster that looks amazing.

Apart from amazing looks and a futuristic design, the Audi Skysphere comes with something really amazing … to offer the client the option of either a sportscar they drive themselves and a comfortable GT with autonomous driving in one single car, the Audi Skysphere can stretch itself by 250mm … yes, you are reading that correctly, the Skysphere can lengthen her wheelbase at the touch of a button to offer more interior space, complete with body panels that slide on top of each other in the ‘Sport’ setting, only to extend in the ‘Grand Touring’ mode.

If that doesn’t blow your mind, get ready for this one … in the ‘Grand Touring’ autonomous driving mode, both the steering wheel and the pedals disappear … since you don’t need them anyway as the Skysphere drives herself, these items would take up unnecessary space in the cabin, so they are moved into an invisible area to give the passengers the best possible feeling of space while the Audi Skysphere worries about the road ahead and other drivers with multiple sensor systems to safely transport the occupants to their destination … I know about self-driving cars already, but this is another level altogether.

But Audi wants to take this autonomous driving even further, the Skysphere can pick up her passengers completely on her own, keeping track of their individual destinations, and when she dropped off the occupants, the Skysphere will drive herself onto a parking spot and take care of recharging her batteries … all on her own, no more waiting in line at the charging station when someone else has taken your spot and you see the battery level drop in fear.

Since this concept car was conceived and designed at the Audi Design Studio in Malibu, we’ll be seeing a public unveiling at the Monterey Car Week later this week, on the legendary fairways of the Pebble Beach golf course to be exact, a really nice anecdote is the fact this Audi Skysphere took inspiration from the Horch 853 roadster, an impressive convertible, that was about 5.20 meters in length that was the definition of modern luxury back in the 1930s, the Horch 853 won the Concours d’Elegance in Pebble Beach in 2009.

But unlike the Horch 5-Liter straight 8-cylinder engine, the Audi Skysphere comes with 465 kilowatts of power and 750Nm of torque from an electric motor to the rear wheels, with an overall weight of 1,800 kg, the acceleration should only take 4 seconds from 0 to 100 km/h, this is a luxury, convertible GT, not a supercar, with a battery capacity of 80 kWh the Skysphere should come with a 500 km range.

The Audi Skysphere comes with active suspension to offer different handling characteristics, in comfort or Grand Touring mode, the individual wheels are selectively raised or lowered to compensate for unevenness and undulations in the road surface taking information from the navigation system’s digital predictions and the active chassis’ sophisticated control and actuation systems. Fitted with massive, aerodynamically styled 23-inch alloy wheels with 285/30 tires the Skysphere offers both minimal rolling resistance and a sporty, active driving style with high longitudinal and lateral acceleration.

Seen from the side, the rocker panels seem to protrude into the rear wheel arch, a requirement for the varying wheelbase, being attached to the front end of the car, as it moves, the panel slides to the rear under the fixed door, during this process, the wheelbase is reduced from the standard size of an A8 L to the significantly more compact size of the curve-compatible Audi RS 5, a 25 centimetres difference. Also, note the multitude of LED lights both at the front and the rear of this Audi Skysphere change between the Sport and the Grand Touring mode.

Entering the interior is achieved via rear-hinged doors, so-called suicide doors, that unveil a very special Art Deco style design, the comfortable seats look like designer furnishings, upholstered in sustainably produced microfiber fabric, and offer legroom usually only found in first-class airplane seating, other items in the interior are made from environmentally certified eucalyptus wood and synthetically produced imitation leather.

August 11, 2021 / Comments Off

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