Look. It’s the Batmobile.
Automakers routinely build concept cars – one-off models meant to show possible future design directions but never intended for sale. We rarely bother to report on them because they’re not something you can buy.
But this one is the Batmobile.
Mind you, Audi doesn’t admit this is the Batmobile. They call it the Skysphere Concept, a “vision for the progressive luxury segment of the future, in which the interior becomes an interactive space and the vehicle a platform for captivating experiences.” But you know a Batmobile when you see one, and this is a Batmobile.
Like any good superhero car, it transforms at the touch of a button.
A Car that Transforms
In one mode, it’s a long, low, electric Grand Tourer with a sumptuous cabin, and it drives itself. In autonomous mode, the Batmob…ahem…Skysphere doesn’t bother with a steering wheel or pedals because it’s doing the driving for you.
It’s about the same size as Audi’s A8L long-wheelbase ultra-luxury sedan but seats just two. With trunks in the front and rear, it can easily carry its two passengers and everything they need for a long weekend in an Airbnb cave outside the city.
But tap an icon on its cabin-wide touchscreen, and the car changes shape like the toy from a 1980s cartoon. The front wheels roll back, pulling the hood back with them, shrinking the entire car by about 10 inches. Pedals emerge from the floor. A steering wheel folds out from under the dashboard. That enormous screen splits, with a portion repositioning itself in front of Robi…er…the passenger. The Riddler giggles in the distance. Rear-wheel steering engages. We made one of those things up.
A Signpost for Audi’s Future?
The Skysphere, Audi says, uses one electric motor on its rear axle to give it a 0-to-60 mph time under 4 seconds.
Electric cars open up a lot of possibilities for designers. They don’t require an engine bay (everything that moves the car fits under your feet), which could result in some entirely new visions of what shape a car could take. We hadn’t pictured transforming cars being part of that, and they’re probably not cost-effective.
And, of course, Audi isn’t going to build this thing for sale (well, maybe to one person, but he keeps his purchases very close to his…uh…chestplate). But it shows off future design possibilities for the brand that says it has designed its last internal combustion engine and may go all-electric by 2026.
And that design direction, apparently, is all black, high-tech, and perfect for cave parking.
