Audi eSpira: a technological tour de force

Audi has submitted a double design proposal, featuring the Audi eSpira and the Audi eOra, for the Design Challenge organized by the Los Angeles Auto Show. This year’s Design Challenge, entitled “Youthmobile 2030”, is part of the Design Los Angeles automobile designers’ conference that has evolved into an integral element of the Los Angeles Auto Show.

The 2009 edition of the Design Challenge required the Southern Californian automotive studios to envisage how a new generation of drivers aged 16 to 23 years old - raised with cell phones, webcams and online communities - will emotionally connect to the automobile in 2030.

The premise for the Audi design proposal was the thought that future generations will be born into a comprehensive digital environment. Enchanted by technology, drivers will be accustomed to the convenience of automation in their vehicles.

The next generation of vehicles will provide autonomy far beyond today’s vision.

Although autonomous driving will provide safety, efficiency, and convenience, it could also lead to a detached and sterile driving experience.

True to its “Vorsprung durch Technik” philosophy, Audi developed two vehicle designs that are truly engaging and that capture the youthful excitement of being behind the wheel for the first time.

The Audi eSpira is a technological tour de force that stirs the imagination. An Audi in its most uncompromised form, the eSpira functions as an extension of the body and its senses.

Using next generation vehicle control logic, the Audi eSpira takes even the smallest body movements and gestures into consideration to provide an unsurpassed command of the driving experience. The eSpira means that most direct, fluid form of vehicle control is only a thought away.

The Audi eOra is an accessible representation of freedom and coming of age for the young (and young at heart). It is a sports vehicle that shares the same control logic as the eSpira. Extremely dynamic and efficient, the Audi eOra has a small footprint and unmatched agility.

Like a downhill skier, the eOra “carves” its way down the road with precision. By constantly adapting to the driver’s movements and intentions, the eOra and its driver move harmoniously as one with unrivaled dexterity.

The judges for this year’s Design Challenge are:

Tom Matano (Director, Industrial Design, Academy of Art University)

Imre Molner (Dean, College for Creative Studies)

Stewart Reed (Chair, Transportation Design, Art Center College of Design)

Jason Hill (Principal, Design By Eleven)

The winning entry will be announced on December 3, 2009 at the Los Angeles Auto Show.

The Audi entry was produced by the Design Center California:

Jens Manske (Executive Design Director)

Hendrik Veltmann (General Manager)

Jae Min (Chief Designer)

The concept and art for the Audi entry was created by:

Yuval Appelboum, Designer