You can’t drive an autonomous car, but here’s Supercar Blondie calling herself the first person to drive the fully autonomous Audi skysphere concept.
The automotive industry is moving toward full autonomy, also known as Level 5. We’re halfway there, and many carmakers are already imagining a future in which the driver will be rendered obsolete as the machine takes full control – a thought that is already proving daunting for many car enthusiasts. Not Audi, though.
At this year’s IAA in Munich, Germany, Audi brought on display its gorgeous and incredibly awesome skysphere concept. skysphere is a true transformer with an adjustable wheelbase, in that it can switch between sporty, human-operated mode and grand tour, fully-autonomous mode. That’s what allows Supercar Blondie to say she drives the autonomous car, since she gets to experience it in both modes.
As usual, she posted a video with her hands-on experience with the skysphere, and it’s the perfect way to get a better view of the concept and appreciate it in all its beauty. skysphere isn’t just transformable and revolutionary because of it; it’s also sustainable and very, very luxurious.
Designed at the Audi Design Studio in Malibu and envisioned as a tribute to the 1937 Horch 853 roadster, but from the future, the skysphere is striking in every aspect. It has pulsating lights that allow it to “communicate” with its passengers and the world, doors that open by touch, a vast, lounge-like interior, and plenty of luxury features. Materials used inside the cabin are sustainable: sustainable and high-quality fake leather on the seats, and reclaimed bamboo on the doors.
Powered by a single motor delivering 624 hp (465 kW) to the rear wheels, skysphere aims to deliver the best of both worlds: the experience of fast driving as a sport car, and the relaxing experience of a lounge of wheels, cruising on its own on highways. You get to see neither of that in Supercar Blondie’s experience with it. She was allowed to drive the concept, but only at a walking speed, over a very short distance outside the Audi facility.
Still, it’s better than nothing – and more than enough to show off the skysphere. If the supercars of tomorrow do end up looking like that, the future is bound to be a gorgeous (and luxurious) one.
Elena has been writing for a living since 2006 and, as a journalist, she has put her double major in English and Spanish to good use. She covers automotive and mobility topics like cars and bicycles, and she always knows the shows worth watching on Netflix and friends. Full profile
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