With a long nose and short rear deck, the Audi Skysphere concept promises to marry classic proportions with 21st century technology.
In a video released overnight, Henrik Wenders, Audi’s head of sales and marketing, and Marc Lichte, the brand’s design chief, take a drive in the Horch 853A, which is said to have inspired the design of the Skysphere.
Lichte effuses about the Horch’s proportions — especially its expansive wheelbase, short overhangs and long bonnet — and “king of the road feeling”.
A sketch released last week shows the all-electric Skysphere will sacrifice function for form with a long bonnet, small passenger compartment, and tapering rear deck.
Today’s video also gives us our first glimpse of the car’s head and tail.
At the front, the Skysphere takes the company’s single frame grille and transforms it into a black panel with an illuminated Audi badge and white triangular elements.
Out the back there’s a red Audi badge beneath the rear windscreen, and a black panel section underneath with a similar lighting pattern but in red.
Audi’s design chief describes the Skysphere as the “pinnacle of progressive luxury” and a “sports transformation vehicle”, which “on one hand [is] a real sports car and can transform in only a few seconds into an autonomous lounge”.
According to Wenders, “this lounge is perfectly connected” and will be available with experiences and services “we sometimes cannot even imagine yet”.
Under the skin, the Skysphere is said to preview the Volkswagen Group’s upcoming Scalable Systems Platform (SSP). Set to enter production in 2026, it will eventually replace the more affordable MEB and upscale PPE architectures.
The Skysphere will be the first of a trio of Sphere concepts, which includes the Grandsphere sedan and Urbansphere crossover.
In a recent interview with Autocar, Lichte stated the Grandsphere would preview the company’s A8 replacement.
