Audi reveals Sky Sphere concept ahead of Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance

Audi has officially taken the covers off its Sky Sphere concept vehicle ahead of its public debut at Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance this weekend.

The first of three 'Sphere' concepts to be revealed, the Sky Sphere is an insight into Audi’s future design language and a preview of the technology the German manufacturer will utilise moving into a world without internal combustion engines.

A sporting two-door cabriolet which stands out with its unusually long bonnet and low-slung side profile, the Sky Sphere's design has largely been influenced by the Horch 853A, the German marque’s final vehicle before it was taken over by Audi following the Second World War.

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Its appearance is the brainchild of Gael Buzyn and his team of designers working from Audi’s studio in Malibu, California, with their finished product adopting unique glass panels in place of the trademark single-frame grille, side vents and rear lights.

Behind the glass panels are clusters of LEDs which reflect the two states of being for the Sky Sphere. The first is its autonomous mode, ‘a time of relaxation’ where the vehicle’s controls are retracted from the driver and the interior drenched in a warm, calming glow.

However, when the driver is in control, the lights become aggressive and angular – reflecting the sporty nature of the roadster. Audi's Head of Design, Marc Lichte, says the Sky Sphere will be "on one hand, a real sports car…[but]…can transform in only a few seconds into an autonomous lounge”.

There’s another quite easy way to tell who is in control of the Sky Sphere – by looking at its length. It compresses by 250mm when the driver is given the reins, resulting in a more dynamic ride, while the side glass slides behind the front quarter panel, demonstrating a more aggressive stance on the road.

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Keeping with the eco-friendly theme, it’s unsurprising the interior materials are comprised of vegan leather and sustainably sourced eucalyptus wood, adorning the surfaces which surround the dashboard-width touch-screen.

It also, of course, utilises the extra space afforded by ditching an internal combustion engine and replacing it with an electric motor. Audi claims the front storage compartment is big enough for two golf bags – this comes to balance out a lack of rear space in the traditional location of the boot.

While Audi hasn’t yet provided specific technical details for the Sky Sphere – it has teased us with the figures of approximately 300kW and 750Nm, more than enough to waft along the Autobahn with ease.

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Now the covers are off the Sky Sphere, Audi plans to roll out its next offering – the Grand Sphere. The second in its concept line-up, the Grand Sphere, Audi’s flagship grand tourer will be unveiled at the IAA Motor Show in Munich this September. Following that, the SUV-styled Urban Sphere will be revealed at an as yet undetermined date.

While almost nothing is yet known about the Urban Sphere SUV, Audi’s designers have given away a few clues about what the Grand Sphere has in store. It’ll be bigger on the inside and offer even more luxury than the marque’s current top-of-the-line ICE-powered A8 – particularly in the first row which will have reclining seats combined with Level 4 autonomous capabilities.

With Audi aiming to exclusively release EVs from 2026, and hitting carbon neutral production targets by 2050, Audi seems to know where it wants and needs to be.

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