PAUHauto: Audi A2

The original was axed in 2005 due to the cost of its aluminium spaceframe chassis. The fresh model will retain this construction, but will be priced higher. Audi is set to justify the premium – and set the car apart from the more conventional A1 and A3 – with impressive technical innovation. 

As our illustrations show, the A2 is also likely to be highly flexible, with an MPV-style body. 

An insider told us: “It will only be an electric car. Most battery models are compromised as they are built on rehashed architecture, but the A2 will be built from the ground up as a pure electric machine.

“The idea is so popular [at Audi] that it could even spawn a family of A2 electric models and become almost a standalone brand.” The company recently bought a number of offshore wind turbines to offset the energy used in building a pilot fleet of A3s powered by natural gas, and is likely to pursue the same strategy to keep the A2 production program carbon neutral.

The model will also remain relatively light due to the aluminium structure under the skin. “The spaceframe is, was and always will be the car’s core,” our source insisted. Audi launched the original lightweight A2 to great fanfare in 1999, only for it to prove a sales flop, even though there was a special 1.2-litre version which claimed 90mpg in fuel consumption through the use of pioneering features such as stop-start technology.

Mercedes-Benz F125

Mercedes is looking a little further ahead with the F125 – a concept that points to the S-Class of 2025. 

The sweeping roofline has transformed the three-box S-Class into a coupé-like model. However, Mercedes design chief Gorden Wagener is keen to point out that “it’s a further developed sedan shape” – with seating for four and a 470-litre boot. 

At first glance, there aren’t many clues that this is even a Mercedes. But look closely, and the six-bar grille remains at the front, while the sharply defined creases are clearly reminiscent of the current CLS. 

Inside, the design is simple yet luxurious and spacious. The front passenger seat can be folded away into the footwell to allow one of the rear chairs to recline and lie flat. Most of the major controls are activated through gestures; drivers can point a thumb to the left or right for the indicators or swipe a hand to the right to activate the windscreen wipers. 

Lightweight construction, involving carbon fibre-reinforced plastic and aluminium, means the F125 weighs 1,700kg. That’s around 300kg less than the current model.

Access to the front and rear seats is through a pair of long gullwing doors, in contrast to the current model’s conventional four-door set-up.

Power comes from a hydrogen fuel cell, with an electric motor driving each wheel. The gas is stored in a hi-tech porous material that makes up part of the car’s structure. This set-up can store as much as 7.5kg of hydrogen – which is enough for a range of around 620 miles. Fuel economy is estimated at 105mpg, but the car should sprint from 0-62mph in just under five seconds.