Ever wonder what supercars will look like in the future? Well, wonder no more…
Audi’s new PB18 e-tron provides a very accurate idea of what we can expect from tomorrow’s high-performance sports cars.
Revealed at Pebble Beach in Monterey, California, this all-electric concept takes inspiration from last year’s Aicon, both visually and beneath the surface.
Shared design elements include the side windows that angle inwards and the significantly extended wheel arches. Technically, there’s the electric drivetrains that incorporate advanced solid-state battery technology for energy storage.
‘For the racetrack and road’
The Aicon was designed as a fully automated, long-distance luxury vehicle. In contrast, the PB18 e-tron has been conceived as a radical driving machine for the racetrack and road, Audi says.
It focuses on factors like propulsive power, lateral acceleration and perfect ergonomics.
The concept makes use of three powerful electric motors, one up front and two in the rear. This provides a maximum power output of 500 kW (670bhp), which can be temporarily boosted to 570 kW (764bhp).
With a peak torque of 830 Nm, a 0-62mph sprint can be completed in “scarcely more than two seconds”, which is frankly outrageous.
What does the PB18 e-tron look like inside?
The interior of the Audi PB18 e-tron is entirely focused around the driver. It maximises emotion and engagement, so there are no complex system and comfort is given minimal attention.
The driver’s seat and cockpit are integrated into an inner monocoque shell. It is moveable laterally, depending on how many occupants are on board.
When driven alone, the monocoque can be positioned in the centre of the interior as in a monoposto – the perfect location for the racetrack.
Stretching for 4.53 metres long, two metres wide and at 1.15 metres tall, the PB18 e-tron’s shooting brake-esque back end offers a very un-supercar-like 470 litres of boot space.
Gael Buzyn, head of the Audi Design Loft in Malibu, explained that the idea was to offer the driver an experience usually only found in a racing car like the Audi R18, but with a high degree of everyday usability.
The abbreviated name ‘PB18 e-tron’ is a reference to its Pebble Beach unveiling and to the technological DNA it shares with the Audi R18 e-tron LMP1 racing car.
What do you think of the PB18 e-tron? Let us know down in the comments.
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