This is the second act of the Skysphere coupe.
In August, the Audi Skysphere concept was unveiled on Pebble Beach’s lawns. It marked the debut of the new “sphere” brand naming scheme. This beautiful convertible featured a two-seat configuration, an electric motor and Level 4 autonomy. The company will now show the second “sphere” concept, the Audi Grandsphere, just days before the IAA Auto Show next week in Munich.
Granted, the four-door Grandsphere isn’t as similar to its drop-top sibling. The Grandsphere, like the Skysphere concept shows the brand’s EV future. It promises a fully-electric powertrain, a modern cabin and Level 4 autonomy when the production version hits the public roads.
High-End Design
Audi refers to the Grandsphere as a “private plane for the road” stylistically. This concept looks great, with its sleek exterior design and extra-long length that surpasses the A8. The Grandsphere measures 17.6 feet in length (5.4 meters), has a width of 6.6 feet (2.0 metres), and a wheelbase 10.5 feet (3.2 meters). Audi’s designers wanted to make the Grandshphere feel premium.
Although the front fascia design is somewhat similar to current Audi products, the Singleframe grille makes it easy to spot. The design is completely unique, however. The slim headlights are placed on the corners of the grille. The hood and front overhangs are also short. A unique rear design with light fixtures and an illuminated Audi logo is created by the sculpted side profile.
The Grandsphere’s cabin is unlike any other Audi, except the Skysphere. The Grandsphere’s ultra-high-end cabin features a driver-specific ambient light display and reverse-opening doors. Depending on the mode selected, the cabin adjusts automatically to suit the needs of the driver and passenger.
The cabin is made of high-end materials such as wood, aluminum, wool, and glass. The dash is not equipped with screens. Instead, the MMI infotainment screen projects onto the wood surface and displays audio controls, navigation, and more. For a complete driverless experience, the pedals and steering wheel can retract into the body when Level 4 autonomy is enabled. This allows passengers to use the cooler mounted in the center console, which comes with two glasses as well as a specially designed bottle.
Batteries included
The Grandsphere concept is mounted on the Volkswagen Group’s Premium Platform Electric (or or PPE), which will be produced with the E-Tron and Q6 as well as the Porsche Macan Electric EV. The 120-kilowatt-hour battery module between the axles can produce 710 horsepower (530-kilowatts) or 708 pound-feet (7960 newton metres) when combined with two electric motors. This gives the four-door large car the ability to travel 62 miles an hour in just four seconds.
Audi claims the Grandsphere can travel 466 miles (750 km) on a single recharge. The battery can charge at up 270 kilowatts, which allows it to recover 186 miles (300km) in 10 minutes. It takes just 25 minutes to recharge from 5 percent to 80 percent.
The Grandsphere comes standard with both rear-wheel steering and adaptive air suspension. The former can adjust in milliseconds to control pitch and body roll. The adaptive suspension can be adjusted proactively by a front-facing camera, depending on the weather conditions.
The Audi Grandsphere concept is currently in development. The company claims that the two vehicles, along with the more sporty Skysphere, are a preview of the future of EVs in the Audi lineup. Let’s hope that both of these vehicles make it to production.