AI:TRAIL quattro Concept is a Futuristic All-Terrain Vehicle
Looking like it was ripped straight from a sci-fi thriller, this new Audi concept vehicle is one of the craziest and coolest things you'll see today.
Space Machine
Have you ever thought to yourself, 'I wish I could drive a NASA rover vehicle around town?' Well, your dream just got one small step closer to reality, thanks to Audi. The automaker recently unveiled this fascinating concept it calls the AI:TRAIL quattro, and it's easily one of the most intriguing things we've seen in some time.
Photos: Audi
Electric Off-Roader
Like any futuristic concept worth its salt, the AI:TRAIL is powered by electricity. In this case, four motors power one wheel each, and they're quite large as well. This wild machine wears 33.5" knobby tires, which couple well with its short front and rear overhangs in terms of offering up plenty of off-road capability.
>>Join the conversation about the Audi AI:TRAIL concept right here in AudiWorld Forum.
Eco Friendly
And that's exactly the idea here. The AI:TRAIL isn't some planet-saving left-lane hog. It has a whopping 13.4-inches of ground clearance and can ford water up to 1.6 feet deep with no trouble. So you can go out exploring our planet without doing anything to harm it.
>>Join the conversation about the Audi AI:TRAIL concept right here in AudiWorld Forum.
Long Range
The range is pretty solid too, ensuring you won't get stranded out in the middle of nowhere without plenty of warning. Audi says the AI:TRAIL will go 248-311 miles on the road and up to 155 miles on rougher terrain. That'll take you pretty far out on the local trails and back, for sure.
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Almost Fully Autonomous
And if for some reason you get tired of driving or just need to scarf down a sandwich, the AI:TRAIL is also a Level 4 autonomous vehicle. On-road, it'll do all the work for you. Off-road, it'll assist by monitoring tire slip, stopping collisions, and warning you when you're about to hit critical limits.
>>Join the conversation about the Audi AI:TRAIL concept right here in AudiWorld Forum.
Spartan Inside
The interior of the AI:TRAIL reflects Audi's idea of an eco-friendly off-roader with lots of recycled materials and rough-grained wood trim. The spartan cockpit uses your smartphone as a gauge cluster. And the rear seat is even removable to use as a chair for when you come up on a nice, picturesque spot along the trail.
>>Join the conversation about the Audi AI:TRAIL concept right here in AudiWorld Forum.
Super High Tech
One of the coolest things about this high-tech rig, however, is the fact that it doesn't have headlights. Instead, it uses a series of drones that fly ahead of the vehicle and illuminate the road (or rock) ahead. If that isn't something straight out of a movie, we don't know what is.
>>Join the conversation about the Audi AI:TRAIL concept right here in AudiWorld Forum.
Finding Balance
The beauty of the AI:TRAIL is that it aims to please the kind of folks that enjoy a good day out on the trail, yet features enough electronic aids that you won't have to worry about getting stranded. Things like ultrasound, radar, optical systems, and lasers keep an eye on everything while you wheel away.
>>Join the conversation about the Audi AI:TRAIL concept right here in AudiWorld Forum.
Powerful and Slow
You'll have plenty of power on tap with those four electric motors, of course, which combine to provide 429 horsepower. Top speed is rather low, however, at 81 miles per hour. But we imagine that you'll be spending more time driving it slowly off-road rather than fast on the freeway, anyway.
>>Join the conversation about the Audi AI:TRAIL concept right here in AudiWorld Forum.
Dream Ride
Audi claims that the AI:TRAIL would be available via an "on-demand vehicle pool," which seems like a bit of a stretch. As does the possibility that it'll ever be built. But just like the people who designed this fascinating piece of work, we can dream, can't we?
>>Join the conversation about the Audi AI:TRAIL concept right here in AudiWorld Forum.
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