Audi has lifted the sheet on its newest concept car at the Paris Motor Show, a vehicle called the Crosslane Coupe Concept that hits just about every concept car meme that we know of. The angular Audi is, at once a coupe, a convertible and a crossover; it is a two-seater and a 2+2, it has a hybrid powertrain with a small, efficient gasoline engine and no less than two electric motors; the whole structure is made from advanced materials. As a matter of fact, the car’s interior – usually a showplace for concept car “stuff” – is perhaps the tamest sector of the Crosslane.
Audi has used an exotic mix of aluminum, carbon fiber-reinforced polymer and fiberglass-reinforced polymer to create the concept’s “multimaterial” space frame. The result is a vehicle that offers a rigid, yet lightweight structure. The total weight of the Crosslane is a reasonable 3,064 pounds.
The coupe concept is powered by a combination of a 1.5-liter three-cylinder engine, a smaller electric motor that acts primarily as a starter and alternator and a second electric motor that adds quick to the Audi’s giddy-up. Total system power averages out to 176 horsepower, giving the vehicle a 0-62 sprint of 8.6 seconds and a top speed of 113 miles per hour. The electric motor can also work alone in this plug-in hybrid system, using a 17.4-kWh lithium-ion battery for a range of around 53-miles worth of pure electric driving.
As you might expect, this cocktail of electric motors and gasoline power work together in a number of different ways. The larger electric motor delivers driving power from 0-34 mph. Over 34 mph, all of the motive forces work together to propel the vehicle, until about 80 mph where the three-cylinder becomes the main source of power, with the smaller motor working to support if needed.
The Crosslane has an interesting movable trunk space, which can push forward to allow easy access from inside of the cabin, or move backwards to open up space for two rear seats. When the concept car’s removable top is stowed, it also serves as a cover for this cargo space.
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