Audi has introduced its concept Skysphere. As you may recall, the car will never go into series production in this form, but for those who can read between the lines, it is clear that this design will be partially transferred to the next A8, A6 and electric models e-tron.

Skysphere is a child of the future not only because of its futuristic design. The technique is also quite crazy – the wheelbase, for example, can change its length to turn the two-seater roadster from a comfortable GT. Thus, when folded, the wheelbase is similar to that of RS 5, and when unfolded, 250 mm is added. With the added wheelbase it is the length of the A8 L. The inspiration was the Horch 853 from the 30s, which certainly does not have a variable wheelbase. It is a symbol of luxury in Europe between the wars. Skysphere is 4.94 to 5.19 meters long, depending on the length of the wheelbase.

Although he looks like a muscular macho, every detail in Skysphere is well thought out and has a complex system. The 23-inch wheels are not only great, but provide additional cooling to the regenerative brakes. The entire front grille is an illuminated screen that can send signals to pedestrians.

The drive is entrusted to electric traction. A single electric motor in the rear axle provides 632 hp. and 750 Nm, which through the four wheels materialize in acceleration to 100 km / h in 4 seconds. The concept model is powered by an 80-kilowatt-hour battery, enough for 500 km on a single charge.

Interior

Interior of the future. When you extend the wheelbase, the system automatically assumes that you are not driving, but sleeping or relaxing… So it retracts the steering wheel in the dashboard and hides the pedals on the floor. This is in order to provide the widest possible space for rest. Or car cinema. However, in front of you rises a 55.7-inch screen on which you can easily enjoy your favorite movies. There are no buttons, everything is controlled with the touch screen, gestures and voice commands. Let’s repeat that to a large extent this car will live in the new A8 and then in the A6.

In sport mode, where the wheelbase is shorter, the steering wheel and pedals are returned and the dashboard is changed to form a cockpit for the driver.

Skysphere is not the last such prototype of Audi. The company will show two more – Grandsphere and Urbansphere – the first will be a limousine and the second – a hatchback. We expect them in the coming months.

The team of the YouTube channel Carwow organized another acceleration race between two remarkable cars – the high-performance Audi RS6 Avant station wagon and the Tesla Model X electric crossover.

It’s no secret that Tesla cars accelerate very quickly and usually leave no chance to their competitors in such races. This is achieved due to the fact that all the torque is available to the driver when starting. Model X is no exception, but against it this time is a very fast and powerful car.

In this case, the electric crossover is its most powerful version Dual Motor Performance, which is powered by two electric motors – one on each axle, and they develop a total of 778 hp. and 1140 Nm. Due to the batteries, the Model X weighs 2485 kg, which helps for better traction, but is a problem at higher speeds. Acceleration from 0 to 100 km / h is less than 3.0 seconds.

Rival Audi RS6 Avant is equipped with a 4.0-liter V8 with twin turbo and 48-volt starter-generator, with 600 hp. and 800 Nm. The engine is combined with an 8-speed automatic transmission and an Audi quattro four-wheel drive system. The station wagon is lighter than the electric car, weighing 2075 kg.

The competition is held according to the usual Carwow regulations. The two cars compete for acceleration from a standstill, a start in motion at a speed of 48 km / h and brake efficiency at 113 km / h.

source: carwow

Audi has revealed some of the technical details of the latest generation of the small sports model – RS3. The company showed photos and video of the sedan and hatchback, whose official premiere will take place soon.

The main difference in the new RS3 compared to the previous model is the improved four-wheel drive system. It is borrowed from the hot hatch VW Golf R, based on the eighth generation of the 5-door model. Audi has decided to abandon the traditional multi-disc clutch to transmit traction on the second axle, replacing it with two similar devices – one on each of the drive shafts of the rear wheels.

Such a scheme allows to realize a controlled thrust vector. For example, on left turns most of the effort goes to the rear right wheel, and on right turns the opposite happens. When leaving the bend, the load is the same. In Sport mode, the torque distribution is shifted to the rear axle, and in Normal mode – to the front.

Each of the two multi-disc couplings has its own control unit connected to wheel speed sensors. They take into account the longitudinal and lateral acceleration, the engaged gear, the position of the pedal, etc. The degree of blocking is controlled by special gearboxes, and all this is monitored by the main computer, which is responsible for the overall dynamics of the car.

The video presented by Audi clearly shows how the system works, whose goal is to make the hatchback and sedan both more fun and more extreme than their predecessors. There are a total of 7 modes available to the driver for different conditions – from drift (RS Torque Rear) to driving on a circular trajectory (RS Performance).

Regarding the engine, the new RS3 retains the 2.5-liter 5-cylinder turbo engine, which has been slightly modified. Its power remains 400 hp, which can be felt in the range from 5600 to 7000 rpm. Maximum torque has been increased from 480 to 500Nm

The new exhaust system with controllable valve will provide more impressive sound, and traction control is provided by an upgraded 7-speed robotic gearbox S tronic with lunch control. This will allow the acceleration time from 0 to 100 km / h to be reduced from 4.1 to 3.8 seconds.

The maximum speed remains electronically limited to 250 km / h. At the customer’s request, it can be 280 km / h, and when ordering carbon-ceramic brakes, the limiter can be moved to 290 km / h.

Adaptive shock absorbers are also available for a fee, and the ground clearance is reduced by 10 mm compared to the S3 version. The suspension is the same as the previous RS3 – McPherson front and multi-link (multi-link) rear. More details will become clear at the presentation of the model, which will premiere to the public at the Munich Motor Show in September.