On November 17, Audi China unveiled the skysphere concept car and grandsphere concept car ahead of the opening of the 2021 Guangzhou Auto Show. The two concept cars represent Audi’s future product design concept after the electrification transformation. One is positioned as a large GT sports car, the other one is positioned as a large sedan.
The wave of automobile electrification is sweeping, and the Audi brand has also announced the new “Vorsprung 2030”. This strategy has laid the framework for Audi’s development in the next ten years. At the same time, by clearly focusing on the three major strategic priorities of electric mobility, autonomous driving and digitalization, Audi will complete its full electrification transformation in the next 12 years. With this new strategy, Audi will also usher in a big upgrade in its design language. Three new concept cars will be released one after another. Skysphere, grandsphere and the unreleased urbansphere will unravel Audi’s design thinking about future products one by one.
Audi skysphere
Positioning: Large GT sports car, representing the design direction of Audi luxury sports models in the future
Under the electrified structure of the car, the design uses more space for creativity and imagination. Although Audi has not seen a mass production version of a large GT sports car for many years, it has made good use of this level of products in the previous concept models. Explain my thoughts on the future luxury sports models.
The design is inspired by the Horch 853 convertible, which is of the same origin from Audi. The new grille design sublimates the traditional hexagonal grille to a more scientific and technological style. It is composed of dot LED light-emitting modules, and Audi’s four-ring LOGO is also featured by a luminous form. The classic slip-back line presents the design style of double fairings, and the new taillight group is integrated in the new display panel at the rear, which is even more eye-catching.
The concept car features variable wheelbase technology and specifically designed two driving experience modes, namely Grand Touring mode and Sports mode. In Sports mode, the wheelbase of the vehicle is shortened to a length of 4.94 meters. In this mode, you can operate this sports car more flexibly.
In the power part, the total output power of the new car’s electric motor is 465 kilowatts, the maximum torque is 750 N·m, about 60% of the vehicle’s weight is distributed on the rear axle, and the 0-100km/h acceleration time is only 4 seconds. The battery capacity of the new car is expected to exceed 80kWh, and in GT mode, the cruising range under the WLTP standard will exceed 500 kilometers.
Audi grandsphere
Positioning: Large sedan, representing Audi’s design direction for pure electric luxury sedan in the future
The design style of the Audi grandsphere is not exactly the same as that of the Skysphere concept car released earlier. In addition to the smoother lines, the new concave hexagonal grille is compared with the large area chrome-plated grille currently used. The grille appears simple and futuristic, while the powerful aura allows it to still maintain the tonality that a luxury car should have.
In terms of body size, the length, width and height of the new car are 5350/2000/1390mm respectively, and the wheelbase is 3190mm. The huge wheelbase brings ample internal front and rear layout. Compared with the skysphere concept car that runs through the screen, this grandsphere concept car brings a luxurious interior with more home design style.
In terms of power, the new car is built on the PPE platform. It is reported that the new car will be equipped with an electric motor on the front and rear axles. The maximum power is 530 kilowatts and the peak torque will reach 960 N·m. At the same time, the Quattro four-wheel drive system will not absent. In terms of cruising range, the cruising range of the new car will exceed 750 kilometers.
In addition, Audi also has an urbansphere concept car that has not yet been released. It is not difficult to find from the trailer that it will be positioned as an SUV or MPV and is an electrified product that can accommodate the whole family. The new car will be officially released in 2022, when Audi’s sphere series concept car will complete the layout, which respectively indicates the future direction of sports models, sedan and SUV products.
