While Tesla may be an industry leader when it comes to implementation of new technologies in their production vehicles, Audi has just introduced a concept that may give the Model S a run for its money.
In a press release issued today, Audi announced the Audi prologue, a new concept car to be introduced at the 2014 Los Angeles Auto Show, scheduled for Nov. 21-30. The result of a “design offensive” launched by Audi’s Chief Designer Marc Lichte, who joined the company in Dec. 2013 after leaving his position as a senior designer at Volkswagen.
“When he moved to Audi, Marc Lichte launched a design offensive,” says Prof. Dr. Ulrich Hackenberg, Board Member for Development, who brought him to Ingolstadt in 2014, in the release. “His clear philosophy and precise understanding of Audi DNA let him develop a design strategy that is opening up entirely new perspectives for us. It is progressive and highly emotional; it expresses the technological competence and quality claim of the brand perfectly. The Audi prologue is its first proponent – it is a ‘signature car’ for Audi.”
It is projected that the prologue will produce 605 hp and 553.2 lb-ft of torque from a 4.0 TFSI, which will launch the car from 0-62 mph in 3.7 seconds. The front grille has been lowered and widened from the one found on current R8 models, and it is also shorter, with a length of 16.7 feet.
The interior, however, is where this concept really sings. With an innovative intelligence software program dubbed the “butler,” driver and passengers are recognized by their cell phones as they approach and enter the car, and the climate settings and seats adjust according to their pre-programmed preferences.
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The entire front instrument panel is a display screen, but that’s just the start of the virtual cockpit’s features. “Across its full width, the front of the instrument panel is designed to be a display surface which integrates three touch displays. The driver-oriented display to the left of the steering wheel is used to control functions for lighting and assistance systems,” the release states. “The driver-oriented operating unit to the right contains media controls. The front passenger faces a widescreen display that is integrated into the full surface of the instrument panel; it is used to individually and conveniently control entertainment features.”
We look forward greatly to seeing this concept’s unveiling, and are keeping our fingers crossed that the prologue isn’t just that; a concept this impressive deserves a full story.
Watch the video above to get a glimpse of the prologue’s exterior and interior, check out the gallery below and check back with us as more information is released.
(Source: Audi)
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