Audi Concept Gallery

With its Aluminium chassis and hybrid engine, the Fiesta sized A1 proves that Audi is as serious about citycars as it is supercoupes like the new R8. Unveiled at the Tokyo Motor Show in 2007, the four seat machine is currently under development, and is promised for the road by 2010.

With its twin turbos, ten cylinders and stunning looks, the Le Mans concept was a thinly veiled disguise for the stunning R8 supercar. Taking its bow in 2003, the car was a show-stopper. With 610bhp and 750Nm it had the performance to match the looks.

Named after speed demon Bernd Rosemeyer, who was among a handful of men who tried to tame Audi’s 500bhp Auto Union racers of the 1930s. His name lives on in this high performance concept that was the first to debut both a 700bhp V16 engine and Audi’s latest aluminium chassis technology. Its chassis lives on in both the Lamborghini Gallardo, and the new R8.

It was born to be wild, but since its Paris Motor Show unveiling in 2000, the A3 based Steppenwolf has proved anything but. The Steppenwolf is a concept crossover that promised to blend the road manners of  a top sports car with the security of  quattro four-wheel drive. Powered by a 3.2-litre V6, the car was also intended to introduce the look of the then all-new Audi A3. However, despite a warm reaction from both media and public the car never quite made production.

Such is the reputation of the Audi TT in design circles, that there are at least three people that claimed to have penned its traffic stopping lines, including the Kia designer Peter Schreyer. However, the TT is also important as it was the first modern concept car to herald a near identical production machine. It also marked a key moment in Audi’s reinvention as a premium car.

Audi’s all-aluminium ASF appeared in 1993, and previewed the look of a new A8 executive motor. The concept showcased, the Audi Space Frame principle – hence the name. Liberal use of aluminium gave exceptional stiffness and low weight

The stunning Avus starred at the Tokyo show just a month after the more conservative Spyder appeared. The aluminium-bodied supercar boasted a W12 engine with 509bhp, allowing the car to scorch from 0–60mph in less than three seconds. Despite the big engine, the Avus weighed just 1,250kg.

The Quattro Spyder concept wowed the crowds at the 1991 Frankfurt show. Powered by a 174bhp V6, the mid-engined concept seems underpowered now. However, it featured an weight-saving all-aluminium body, which means it tipped the scales at 1,100kg - 40 per cent less than if it was made of steel.