Audi Skysphere concept, a Batmobile gifted for transformation

Several cars in one.

The concept is not new, but it still makes designers and builders fantasize.

Audi is bringing it up to date with its latest prototype presented in the heart of summer, on the sidelines of the Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance.

This Batmobile-like study foreshadows the design of its next zero-emission models.

Depending on the moods and needs of its driver, the Skysphere concept changes, at the push of a button, from a sporty 4.94m roadster to a 5.19m grand touring vehicle.

In this case, the driver becomes a spectator of the environment since the machine switches to level 4 autonomous driving, the steering wheel and controls disappearing under the dashboard.

To discover

• What responsibility at the wheel of an “autonomous car”?

AUDI AG / AUDI AG

The two occupants can then enjoy an interior dressed in the Art Deco spirit.

It elegantly combines microfiber furniture and aqua green faux leather applications with eucalyptus wood decor.

This sci-fi storyline relies on electric motors that slide body and chassis components to modulate the wheelbase by 250mm and lower ground clearance by 10mm.

The change in the morphology of the Skysphere is accompanied by a variation in the light signature, in particular around the Single Frame grille covering the entire width of the front face.

A spectacular rear section

AUDI AG / AUDI AG

Camped on 23-inch wheels, this concept, not exceeding 1.23 m high, made a strong impression.

The rear part is the most spectacular with its pronounced roundness and the led ring treated like rubies.

This concept, which heralds a much happier future than the one we are being portrayed, is powered by a 632 hp electric machine placed on the rear axle.

It is powered by a battery with a capacity greater than 80 kWh allowing a range of more than 500 km to be considered.

Audi