Audi’s Skysphere Concept is an electric RWD roadster with an adjustable wheelbase

There are generally two types of two-door coupes: smaller, more agile sports cars and larger, longer, more luxurious grand touring cars. Think of Aston Martin Vantage versus DB11. Or Mercedes SLC against SL. Audi’s newest concept car, however, aims to incorporate these two things into one. It’s called the Skysphere concept and besides being an electric roadster with proportions that subtly tilt its cap to a car almost 100 years its senior, its biggest talking point would probably be that it can lengthen or shrink in physical length.

Billed as an electric luxury roadster that offers a glimpse into the future of Audi design, the Skysphere can be driven in two modes. In Sport mode, the car measures 4.94 meters and provides a tighter and sportier driving experience. Switch it to Grand Touring mode, however, and the Skysphere uses electric motors along with a sliding body and frame to extend its entire wheelbase by 250mm, which not only provides a more GT driving experience, but also more. legroom. More concretely, the Skysphere wheelbase can essentially go from that of an RS5 to an A8 L.

Adaptive air suspension also means ground clearance can be adjusted up to 10mm on the move.

Despite its decidedly cyberpunk styling, Audi says the Skysphere was slightly modeled after the classic Horch 853 roadster from the 1930s, a pre-war roadster from one of Auto Union’s four members who was 5.23m tall, not much longer than the Skysphere in GT mode. While the Horch used a 5.0-liter inline eight-cylinder gasoline engine, the Skysphere is fully electric. Running exclusively on volts, the Audi concept produces 623 horsepower and 553 pound-feet of torque.