Audi Urban Concept – A new breed of car

Audi will be showing off its new concept car – or a ‘technical study’ as they call it – at the 2011 Frankfurt Auto Show (IAA) in September. Unable to be categorized under any of the conventional, vehicle categories, the Audi Urban Concept may just fall under its own. Sporty, city-practical and simply a fun car to drive, the concept sets the bar high while opening a window into what urban cars of the future may look like.

Unique styling of the Audi Urban Concept, both inside and outside, demonstrates great potential as well as the presence of revolutionary technologies on board. On the outside, the aerodynamic body shape is complimented by massive, 21 inch, free-standing wheels with sets of LED lights on either one. The wheels are positioned far apart giving the vehicle a larger-than-is appearance. Such wheel design is not too common and is shared with vehicles like the well known but now defunct Plymouth Prowler.

The Audi Urban Concept is designed with efficiency and agility in mind. Powered by two e-tron electric motors and a lithium ion-battery a lot of the weight savings is achieved by usage of lightweight materials, like carbon fibre-reinforced polymer (CFRP) for the cockpit. A red stripe which is reminiscent of the Audi’s S-line mark sits prominently just before the rear wheels. The dynamic styling of the Audi Urban Concept ‘lends Audi’s design language a completely new impetus’.

The perks don’t end here because Audi also rethought the way of gaining access to the inside of the vehicle. In order to get inside the spaceship-like interior, one has to slide the entire roof towards the back of the vehicle and climb in – a practical solution to avoiding hitting neighbours’ door panels in congested parking lots. Extra space inside the vehicle is achieved by the compact size of the power source, eliminating the need for a bulky engine and piping on the underbelly.

Seating two people (1+1) the seats in the Audi Urban Concept are positioned in a staggered arrangement, in other words, the passenger’s seat is further back than the driver’s. This potentially creates a safer environment by eliminating unnecessary distractions during driving.

The striking Audi Urban Concept is definitely a new breed-of car. Let’s hope that this is what the future of transportation will hold for us.