Audi Creates One-Off Electric Supercar For Will Smith

Could Audi’s new animated sports car preview the next real-world R8?

Gearheads will remember the 2004 science fiction flick I, Robot for the futuristic Audi RSQ concept created specifically for the film driven by Will Smith. It was a memorable piece of automotive product placement that previewed the original Audi R8 years before it went on sale.

Now, history could about to repeat itself because a unique Audi concept car will be driven by Will Smith’s character Lance Sterling in the upcoming animated film Spies in Disguise.

Dubbed the RSQ E-Tron, the supercar concept is presumably an evolution of the RSQ from I, Robot, but it could preview the real-world next-generation Audi R8. The design appears to be heavily inspired by the driver-focused Audi PB18 e-tron concept mixed with cues from the current R8. At any rate, the aggressive design looks far more appealing than the last RSQ, which featured spheres instead of conventional wheels in I, Robot. We wouldn’t complain if the next Audi R8 looks as good as this.

Naturally, the RSQ E-Tron is fully electric and has autonomous driving capabilities that will eventually be offered in future Audi e-tron cars. Since the concept car isn’t real, Audi has equipped the RSQ E-Tron with a plethora of crazy gadgets including cameras replacing traditional rearview mirrors, a holographic speedometer, and several dashboard-mounted displays.

While the RSQ E-Tron has self-driving technology, the driver can still regain control since the sports car includes a gearshift lever and steering wheel. The steering wheel folds away when the car is in autonomous mode.

You’ll have to wait until next September to see the Audi RSQ E-Tron on the big screen when Spies in Disguise releases in cinemas, but you can see the car in action right now in the embedded trailer below.