Audi is going all out and showing a new open electric roadster concept called Skysphere at the world’s most exclusive car event in Pebble Beach on the Monterey Peninsular in California.
The open two-seater – with an autonomous option – is the first of three concept vehicles from the Sphere series in the Audi design studio in Malibu, a stone’s throw from the beach and the legendary Pacific Coast Highway.
Ironically, the styling is based around an old school Horch 853 roadster, a classic 2-door cabriolet that first hit the road in the late 1930s – and also happened to be a favourite of Nazi Luftwaffe chief Hermann Göring.
The real show-stopper in the new design is the variable-length wheelbase which was designed to achieve Audi’s vision of redefining the grand touring experience, but also delivering the lithe handling of a sportscar.
With normal driving, the Audi Skysphere is already as long as a current sports model of the RS5 Sportback at an impressive 4.94 meters.
Extended to its full length, the Skysphere extends to an impressive 5.19 metres and thus to the dimensions of a current A8 L.
With a short wheelbase, the electric roadster appears extremely nimble. Occupants can be chauffeured open or under the electronic hard-shell roof.
In automatic mode, however, not only does the wheelbase increase by an impressive 25 centimetres, the Skysphere also moves up one centimetre with its variable air suspension for greater travel comfort.
At the push of a button, the steering wheel and pedals disappear under the dashboard, which with its continuous, 1.41-metre-wide display of the future is no longer such a thing. In touring mode occupants can watch films or simply enjoy the surroundings with the roof open.
In addition to the low centre of gravity, the rear-wheel steering and a weight distribution of 40:60 in favour of the rear axle should ensure corresponding agility, with a double-wishbone axle installed at the front and rear.
For a decidedly flat seating position, unlike in most production models, the battery packs are not located in the underbody, but behind the two occupants and in the centre tunnel.
The Skysphere concept is powered an 80kWh battery pack for up to 500km driving range and a 465kW electric motor on the rear axle that offers 750 Nm torque, acceleration from zero to 100 km/hr in four seconds.
Bridie Schmidt is associate editor for The Driven, sister site of Renew Economy. She has been writing about electric vehicles since 2018, and has a keen interest in the role that zero-emissions transport has to play in sustainability. She has participated in podcasts such as Download This Show with Marc Fennell and Shirtloads of Science with Karl Kruszelnicki and is co-organiser of the Northern Rivers Electric Vehicle Forum. Bridie also owns a Tesla Model Y and has it available for hire on evee.com.au.