Audi Virtuea

If you think that VW's vision of the future is a little optimistic and far-fetched, you should spend a minute poring over the details of the Audi Virtuea idea. It formed part of the LA Design Challenge last year and though it's intended to represent a car from 2057, we think even that's a bit too soon.

The Virtuea is just a single seater, but thanks to advanced holographic technology it can take on the appearance of pretty much any sized car. Audi's designers illustrated this by suggesting shapes as varied as a 1930's Auto Union racer and a contemporary Audi R8, while the 'standard' Virtuea takes on the appearance of a super-shiny fish. That's intentional, as the designers expect the car to drive itself in close proximity to other commuter vehicles and at speed, in much the same way a school of fish moves. Although it may take on the appearance of a much larger sports car, the Virtuea is actually quite small, so it's easy to park. No doubt it'll do that for you too though.

Shane O' Donoghue

Thursday August 7