10:37PM - 03.12.'14
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News Source: autoblog.com
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You can't tell, but in these photos, I'm wearing what can only be described as an ultra-white cloth spacesuit. Before opening the large driver's door of the Audi Prologue concept outside of the SLS Hotel in Beverly Hills, Audi requested that I don a super-attractive onesie so as to not let my flannel-covered human flesh touch the untreated leather surfaces of the Prologue's interior. I tied the spacesuit around me just above the waist, let my Converse poke out the footholes, and promised to hold in any sneezes. After all, I was being granted a serious privilege. I was about to drive the multi-million dollar, only-one-in-the-world Prologue that had just stunned crowds at the Los Angeles Auto Show days earlier. This isn't the first time Audi has bravely let the media sample its conceptual wares. In 2010, the German automaker granted us access to its incredibly enticing Quattro concept, probably hoping that the media would rave about the thing enough to convince the higher powers to actually green-light and build it. (We're still waiting on that one, of course.) You could argue that this same logic was applied when allowing me to drive the Prologue – it's no secret that Audi has been dreaming of a range-topping A9, though company officials told me that there is currently no decision on whether or not to produce such a car. But that's not really what the Prologue is about. As its name suggests, what you're looking at here is a preview of Audi's next-generation exterior and interior design, in a fully baked, fully functional package. Suit up, and behold the future. "Timeless but progressive." That's the key takeaway of the Prologue's aesthetic, according to exterior designer Parys Cybulski. The focus here is on beautiful, yet modern, simplicity. A design that looks both contemporary and forward-thinking at the same time, and something that will still look up-to-date in several years' time. After all, while the Prologue won't necessarily spawn its own production model, its elements will be incorporated on the next A6, A7 and A8. Up front, the most prominent feature is, of course, Audi's single-frame grille, seen here with a larger breadth than anything else in the brand's lineup, though its closest resemblance is seen on the new TT. The point of positioning the grille lower and wider than before is to convey a more planted stance. Longer, slimmer headlamp clusters with full-laser lighting do wonders here, too, as do the simple creases and character lines that flow up the hood and taper off at the sides. Another key thing to recognize with the design is the stance at all four corners – "more Quattro," says Audi. Rather than creating a shape that conveys the illusion of rear-wheel drive, sort of like Mazda's "up on its haunches" Kodo language, Audi worked to pen something indicative of the brand's signature all-wheel-drive system found underneath. Think of the old Ur-Quattro – four pronounced wheels, power all the way around. This message is also driven home with large, 22-inch wheels, and a profile view that shows a car planted on the road. The shoulder line has been lowered compared to current Audi models, and the rear end slopes downward to reveal a clean, sophisticated rear end – comparisons to the Mercedes-Benz S-Class Coupe are not unwarranted here. The same goes for the pillarless coupe design – Mercedes has nailed this on its coupes, and it's nice to see Audi doing the same thing while preserving its own unique character. Specifically, there's the metal panel within the window frame, which on the passenger side, houses the electronic fuel filler door (that's a trick bit of tech – check it out in our handful of videos below). Everything tapers off nicely at the rear, with a barely noticable, concave curvature to the rear window. Look closely, and you'll also notice the three-dimensionail taillamp shape and the way the rear reds extend horizontally across the entire rear of the car. That taillamp design is mimicked in the exhaust outlets, pushed to the corners of the rump. I love the rear view of this car, especially with the pillarless, window-down look seen here. If you think the S-Class Coupe is a pretty gal, this Audi will give you even more to talk about. If the exterior's minimalist approach to elegance doesn't immediately wow you, the Prologue's interior will. Here, Audi says the Prologue shows "the future of interfacing with the car," with clean, sculptured surfaces, and a lack of buttons, knobs and even traditional air vents, all in an effort to "tidy up the interior." That's right, even the air vents are gone, instead incorporated into the panels (check out that textured bit of metal brightwork below the center console, and to the left of the steering wheel). It's really slick. And I'm just getting started. |
