Just last week we showed you images of the new Audi Activsphere EV concept. It along with the other three Sphere concepts is great looking, but so what? Most great concepts never make it into production, so it becomes a “what if” exercise. But we now know the Grandsphere concept is really a thinly disguised 2024 Audi A8 sedan. 

What does Audi say about this being the next A8?

The next A8 will ride on Audi’s PPE EV platform, a collaboration between it and Porsche. Its first PPE vehicle will be the 2024 Macan. In all, Audi has a gang of EVs coming throughout 2023 that include the Q6 E-tron, A4, and A6. Then in early 2024, the A8 E-tron will debut. 

Audi chief designer Marc Lichte told Autocar, “The Grandsphere is a very concrete teaser. It is not far away from what will become production. It’s not one-to-one, but very close.” Audi calls the Grandsphere a “private jet for the road.” 

The concept is just one of the Sphere concepts that include the recent Activsphere, along with the Skysphere, Urbansphere, and Grandsphere. But Lichte says that the Grandsphere is the closest of the four to looking like an actual production Audi, in this case, an A8. It is also the host for Audi’s Level 4 autonomous driving system, though not initially.

The Grandsphere is designed around its lounge-like cabin. Though shown with a steering wheel and controls, they retract into the cowl for autonomous mode. The rear seat is a sofa-style bench incorporating an armrest in the middle. 

Will the 2024 Audi A8 have the same tech as the concept?

Its rear doors open out clamshell-style, eliminating the B-pillar interrupting ingress and egress. “First class has now shifted to the front row,” Audi says. That’s because the front seats recline 60 degrees. 

Where tech takes over starts before you get inside. Entertainment or information you watch on your phone continues once you land in your seat on accompanying individual screens. There are no dials or controls but instead are projected into the cabin in various locations. Eye movement adjusts controls or turns things on or off. 

If the production version mimic’s the concept’s dimensions, this will be a much larger vehicle than the current long-wheelbase A8. Importance was given to aerodynamics, which can be seen with the long tail. The wheelbase is 125.5 inches with an overall length of 210.6 inches. Audi says that the profile defines this as a grand touring machine as opposed to a sedan. 

What is the PPE EV platform?

Utilizing the PPE platform, the 2024 A8 will carry a 120 kWh battery that can charge up to 270 kWh for a range of over 470 miles. But the mightier of the two versions use a dual-motor system giving four-wheel drive and 711 hp. With 708 lb-ft of torque, estimates show zero-to-62 mph in under four seconds. 

However, as an interesting aside, Audi’s Philipp Gündert says that “the drive system and the handling are no longer at the top of the design specifications in this new generation of cars.” That’s a big shift from its traditional calling. He says that it is up to Audi customers as to what should be its primary focus. 

But remember, the A8 isn’t a performance car so much as it is a luxury car. We doubt Audi is considering dropping the importance of performance.