Overview
The Audi Skysphere is a futuristic, all-electric two-door convertible concept that presents the brand's vision for progressive luxury. Designed at the Audi Design Studio in Malibu, California, this grand-touring roadster serves to transform the relationship between passengers and technology. Drawing philosophical inspiration from the historic Horch 853 classic cabriolet of the 1930s, the vehicle acts as a technical showcase for automated driving, a highly adaptive chassis, and a fully integrated digital ecosystem.
Key Features
- Variable Wheelbase: A sophisticated electromechanical system allows the body and frame components to slide into one another, expanding or shortening the exterior length of the car by 250mm at the push of a button.
- Transformative Driving Modes: The vehicle alters its driving personality between an agile, driver-controlled Sports mode and a fully autonomous Grand Touring mode.
- Retractable Controls: In autonomous mode, the steering wheel, accelerator, and brake pedals fold away completely into the dashboard to maximize cabin space.
- Level 4 Autonomy: Designed with advanced self-driving, passengers can delegate full driving responsibility to the vehicle and focus entirely on the digital ecosystem or relaxing.
- Rear-Hinged Coach Doors: The long doors swing backward to open, creating an expansive entry point that emphasizes luxury and premium design.
- Active Air Suspension: Implements three independent air chambers per wheel alongside electronic active dampers to vary the base ride height and stiffness based on the selected mode.
Design & Interior
The exterior features a striking silhouette dominated by an exceptionally long bonnet, short front overhangs, and flared, muscular wheel arches. At the front, Audi's traditional Singleframe grille is entirely backlit by LEDs, which can display welcoming sequences and adapt their lighting patterns according to the driving mode. The aerodynamic rear end combines a traditional speedster layout with a streamlined shooting-brake design covered by a massive glass surface. Beneath this glass, a wide digital LED panel is populated by numerous red light-emitting diodes scattered across the vertical face like rubies, creating complex dynamic light and shadow effects.
Inside, the cabin takes inspiration from Art Deco design and prioritizes spaciousness over tradition. The interior materials focus heavily on sustainability, with high-quality microfiber suede, vegan leather, and eucalyptus wood accents. The entire dashboard is replaced by a massive 55.7-inch wide digital monitor panel that stretches across the cowl of the cockpit, used to display video streaming, or navigation data. In Sports mode, the wheelbase shrinks to 4.94 metres, lowering the ground clearance by 10 millimetres to just 1.23 metres tall, while the physical steering wheel and pedal box extend outward alongside central console controls to create a tightly focused, driver-centric cockpit. In Grand Touring mode, the wheelbase extends out to 5.19 metres, the steering wheel and pedals retract entirely into the bodywork, and the front seats slide backwards to deliver first-class airline-style legroom for open-air autonomous cruising.
Other Technical Specifications
The Skysphere is constructed with a RWD powertrain layout, departing from Audi's traditional AWD systems. Power is delivered by a single electric motor mounted on the driven rear axle, producing 465 kW of power and 750 Nm of torque. This configuration gets the roadster from 0 to 62 mph in 4.0s flat. To achieve its agility, the battery modules are split; the majority are positioned directly behind the passenger cabin, with supplementary modules placed between the seats in the central tunnel. This packaging results in a rear-biased 40:60 weight distribution. The total battery capacity is rated at more than 80 kWh, providing an estimated electric range of up to 310 miles when driven in the more efficient Grand Touring mode. The underlying chassis features aluminium double-wishbone axles at both the front and rear, operating via a variable-ratio steer-by-wire system that links the front wheels to active rear-axle steering for enhanced high-speed stability and low-speed maneuverability.
Production Plans
Audi has stated that the Skysphere is strictly a concept vehicle and will not enter direct mass production in its current form. However, the technologies and design languages showcased on this vehicle are intended to preview the brand's future premium models. The exterior lighting signature, aerodynamic design philosophies, and interior packaging layout represent the blueprint for upcoming high-end production EVs. While the physical sliding variable wheelbase mechanism remains an experimental technology study, the steer-by-wire system, advanced rear-wheel steering integration, and digital operating interfaces are being developed for future road-going vehicles.