Audi has officially confirmed plans for a lightweight, all-electric successor to the A2 – six years after the pioneering first generation model ceased production.

At the upcoming 2011 Frankfurt auto show, Audi will lift the covers off a new pure-electric concept study that revives the name of long gone A2.

The original model was a small MPV built from 1999 to 2005 that was way ahead of its time in several ways, but what made it truly unique was that it was manufactured entirely out of aluminum.

The new A2 concept is, however, a different car - and a very confused one at that. First of all, it’s a five-door hatchback but it's actually smaller in size than the three-door A1 measuring just 3.80 meters (12.47 ft) long, 1.69 meters (5.54 ft) wide and 1.49 meters (4.89 ft) tall. In comparison, the A2 is 3.95 meters long, 1.74 meters wide and 1.42 meters tall.

At this stage, Audi has not revealed many technical details on the A2 Concept, but it is believed that the car is based on a shortened version of the A1's platform.

The German automaker says that the A2 offers "plenty of room for four people" and that it features flat interior floorboard. There are four individual seats, with the center console attached to the driver’s seat and the rear console extending forward between the two rear seats. The load area has two levels with a frame creating the upper level.

The only piece of information we get about the drivetrain from Audi is that the A2 Concept sports a "powerful electric drive system for agile performance and long range".

And what does the future hold for the A2? Well, at last year's Geneva Salon, Audi execs hinted at the A2 but noted that if the company were to produce such a model, it would be offered with both conventional and electric powertrains.

We'll find out more about the A2 at the rapidly approaching Frankfurt Motor Show.



Click for Full Size




Click title for the source