Audi has unveiled the Grandsphere Concept, a concept car that anticipates the technical and stylistic contents of the flagships that will arrive in the future. Based on the native PPE electric platform of the Volkswagen Group (530 kilowatt engines and 120 kilowatt batteries) the Grandsphere is the second, after the Skysphere, of a family of three concept cars. The latest, the Urbansphere will be unveiled in 2022 and resembles a self-driving MPV. 5.35 meters long, 2 meters wide and 1.39 meters high: the dimensions of Grandsphere concept place the car in the field of representative sedans. The wheelbase of 3.19 meters is record-breaking, exceeding even the long-wheelbase version of the current A8.
The model evolves the characteristic stylistic features of the Sportback body configuration, evoking, despite its generous dimensions, a four-door Grand Tourer rather than a classic flagship thanks to a strongly descending roofline. The electric propulsion system allows the combination of short overhangs, a low hood height and a particularly inclined windscreen. The upper edge of the hood is characterised by a longitudinal line that extends along the sides of the passenger compartment: a typically GT style, like the ribbing that runs along the entire side. The imposing C-pillar is the prelude to a shooting brake style rear end. The 23-inch rims recall an icon of the 1990s: the Audi Avus show car.
The doors of the Audi grandsphere concept open like a book. The absence of a central pillar means that the passenger compartment is immediately apparent in all its spaciousness. The vehicle identifies passengers by means of gait recognition – an absolute novelty – and welcomes them with animations extended to the display and ambient light. Access by the driver and front passenger is monitored in real time, and the respective seats are adapted automatically, e.g. with individual climate control and backrest wrapping. On the inside, decorative surfaces and functional elements are characterized by a distinctly horizontal development of lines. The retractable steering wheel and pedals, combined with the absence of a conventional dashboard, create an extraordinary feeling of spaciousness.
As soon as the car comes to life, information is displayed in the form of projections along the wooden panelling of the dashboard and at the base of the windscreen. Depending on the driving mode – controlled or Level 4 autonomous – the projections extend full width or are divided into separate sections for driver and front passenger. In “autonomous mode”, the projection surface becomes a cinema screen for entertainment or video conferencing. Switching between contents, for example between music and navigation, is carried out by a sensor bar in the vicinity of the projector.
