New 2022 Audi skysphere concept ((( visionary concept cars )))

You could say that Tesla has had an innate advantage over so-called ‘legacy’ manufacturers when it comes to marketing, and ultimately selling, electric cars. Free from historical precedent and the pressure of maintaining customer expectations, Elon Musk and his team at Tesla have been able to use that fresh perspective to create products that are desirable in a different way. So how does one even begin to fathom the job of revitalising an existing brand such as Audi for electrification, especially when its defining visual element, the single-frame grille, is one that’s no longer relevant? One way is the creation of concept cars to preview that journey, something Audi will do with three different examples to be revealed this year, starting with this Sky Sphere Concept that will debut on the lawn at Pebble Beach.

The Sky Sphere Concept is just that: a design concept with no specific relation to a forthcoming sports car or GT. Instead, it is the establishment of a broader new aesthetic that will find its way onto other Audis. This is a curious form to do such a thing with, given the lack of connection between what many would consider an engaging sports car and the electrified and autonomous agenda being previewed by this concept.
Audi has approached this discombobulation with a clever device that highlights the concept’s duality by giving it the ability to alter the length of its wheelbase. This movement physically transforms the car’s proportions and interior, but also reiterates the historic role that those proportions have played in automotive design. When in ‘GT’ mode, the extra 250mm of length gained within the wheelbase is derived not in the cabin, but between the front wheels and windscreen, referencing and accentuating the long dash-to-axle ratio historically found in luxurious and glamorous GTs. In this mode, the Sky Sphere is also entirely autonomous, with a steering wheel hidden away underneath the dash and the vast digital interface democratically placed within the cabin.