Audi will soon reveal three exciting concept vehicles called the Sky Sphere, Grand Sphere, and Urban Sphere. We've already received a sneak peek of the Grand Sphere, an ultra-luxurious sedan that will debut in September at the IIAA Mobility show in Munich. Before then, Audi will show off the Sky Sphere at its new Four Rings design center in Malibu, California on August 10, 2021. The car will then make its public debut during Monterey car week at Pebble Beach.

To tease the upcoming concept, Audi Senior Vice President Henrik Wenders and Head of Design Marc Lichte filmed a short video to talk about their design inspiration. The video features beautiful cinematography, plus a stunning 1937 Horch 853A Cabriolet.

Horch was a member of Auto Union before the company turned into what we know today as Audi. This is a pretty historic point for Audi to use, but we can see a clear connection between the 853A's design and the Sky Sphere's lengthy silhouette. "The basis for good design are proportions," Lichte says of the Horch. "These proportions are simply awesome - long wheelbase, no overhang, huge bonnet. This car offers king of the road feeling. All of this is the inspiration for our concept car, the Sky Sphere."

Lichte calls the Sky Sphere a "sports transformation vehicle." He describes it as a "real sports car" that can transform into an autonomous lounge. Though we haven't seen the concept's interior, we assume it will be highly luxurious. From the teaser, we can see an incredible light array on the bumpers, and a long, elegant silhouette. We assume the car will use an all-electric drivetrain, likely pulled from the 2022 Audi e-tron GT.

This is the first time Audi has confirmed the Sky Sphere will be a roofless car, though having "sky" in the name was an obvious indication. Audi has specified that the Sky Sphere is only a concept without production intent. Still, it is interesting to see the automaker introduce a convertible luxury sports car in this day and age where buyers heavily prefer SUVs and crossovers. Aside from the mid-engined R8, there's never been a flagship luxury convertible from Audi to rival models like the Mercedes-Benz SL or BMW 8 Series. Perhaps this is set to change.