Audi showcases Prologue concept car in Miami

It is progressive and highly emotional; it expresses the technological competence and quality claim of the brand perfectly. Featuring a flowing shape punctuated by defined lines and a spacious interior, the two-door Audi Prologue show car introduces a new design era for the German manufacturer under its recently appointed head of design, Marc Lichte. The radiator grille has been widened from previous Audi models and integrates the brand’s four-ringed emblem into the vehicle’s structure, while high-resolution laser technology allows for the headlights to take a slender and wedge-shaped form. The rear bucket seats are lowered when not in use and automatically extend when a passenger enters to allow for easy access. Design Miami 2014:   Audi’s new head of design has created his first concept car for the brand, which is on display at this year’s Design Miami event (+ movie). Inside, the vehicle’s «butler» – a software program that identifies passengers based on their smartphones – welcomes them politely and adjusts seating preferences, climate-control settings and music accordingly. «Audi stands for sportiness, lightweight design and the Quattro permanent all-wheel drive,» explained Marc Lichte. Related story: Clemens Weisshaar and Reed Kram design car-sharing programme for AudiAir intakes are positioned under the headlights and separated by a gap – a feature commonly found on sport vehicle designs – and the Prologue’s side profile appears balanced equally between the front and rear, visually referencing Audi’s Quattro drivetrain system. Previous Audi concept cars featured on Dezeen include one that drives itself through traffic jams and parks by itself, as well as a futuristic design created for a sci-fi film. Fuel consumption is kept efficient due to a new 48-volt subsystem – a technology that will soon be introduced to production cars at Audi – that utilises recovered energy captured as the vehicle brakes. The vehicle’s rear is dominated by LED brake lights, which run across the entire width of the car. When not in use the display sits flush to the central console and is nearly invisible. A fourth display, ergonomically adapted to the driver, is used for handwriting input and other vehicle settings. Each light is housed behind a three-dimensional glass panel designed to exaggerate its   appearance, improving safety by making the light appear to move towards the observer. The Audi Prologue is its first proponent – it is a ‘signature car’   for Audi.»
The Audi Prologue was launched at the Los Angeles Auto Show in November and is currently on show as part   of   Design Miami.