The fourth and final model in its Sphere series, the Audi Activesphere concept was announced today. Previous versions were the Grandsphere luxury sedan, the Skysphere convertible and the Urbansphere MPV.
An electric vehicle with no local emissions, Audi says the concept car has a range of more than 370 miles with fast charging times, thanks to its 800-volt technology.
It's really a luxury sports car, but its Sportback rear can turn into an open cargo bed.
Matching the term "active" in its name, it's for outdoor types that want a sports sedan that can essentially transform into a truck to carry recreational equipment such as bikes and other sports gear.
"If it ever reaches production, it’ll be one of the more bizarre but capable road-going EVs," writes Autoweek in a tweet.
Here's a look at some side views and its bicycle toting capability, thanks to Twitter user @OtsileJK.
Here's a video, provided by @aKellyBrand.
Audi Calls it a Paradigm Shift
The car, Audi says, is a vision for the future, including use of augmented reality.
"The sphere concept vehicles show our vision for the premium mobility of the future. We are experiencing a paradigm shift, especially in the interior of our future Audi models," said Oliver Hoffmann, Member of the Board of Management for Technical Development, in press release.
"The interior becomes a place where the passengers feel at home and can connect to the world outside at the same time," he continues. "The most important technical innovation in the Audi activesphere is our adaptation of augmented reality for mobility. Audi dimensions creates the perfect synthesis between the surroundings and digital reality."
One feature would seem to make driving the car feel like playing a video game.
"High-tech headsets provide a view of the real environment and the route, while simultaneously displaying 3D content and interactive elements -- individually configurable for drivers and passengers," the press release says.
