There are typically two types of two-door coupes: smaller, nimbler sports cars and longer, more luxurious grand tourers. Think Aston Martin Vantage vs. DB11. Or Mercedes SLC vs. SL. Audi’s newest concept car, however, aims to incorporate those two things into one. It’s called the Skysphere concept and other than being an electric roadster with proportions that subtly tip its cap to a car almost 100 years its senior, its biggest talking point would probably be the fact that it can extend or shrink in physical length.
Billed as an electric luxury roadster that offers a preview into the future of Audi design, the Skysphere can be driven in two modes. In Sports mode, the car measures 4.94 meters and offers a tighter, sportier driving experience. Switch it over to Grand Touring mode, however, and the Skysphere uses electric motors along with a sliding body and frame to extend its entire wheelbase by 250 mm, which not only lends to a more GT-like driving experience, but also more legroom. In more practical terms, Skysphere’s wheelbase can essentially go from that of an RS5 to an A8 L.
Adaptive air suspension also means ground clearance can be adjusted by up to 10 mm on the go.
Despite its decidedly cyberpunk styling, Audi says the Skysphere was lightly inspired by the classic Horch 853 roadster from the ’30s, a pre-war roadster from one of the four members of Auto Union that measured 5.23m, not that much lengthier than the Skysphere in GT mode. While the Horch used a gas-burning, 5.0-liter straight-eight, the Skysphere is fully electric. Running exclusively on volts, the Audi concept produces 623 horsepower and 553 pound-feet of torque.