Car Brief: Audi Roadjet Concept

Ah, family roadtrips. They’re a time for learning about the passing surroundings and getting to know your folks and sibling on a more intimate level. Well, at least they were in the Brady Bunch era, a time officially and unequivocally silenced by the Audi Roadjet concept car, a study in design presented at the 2006 North American International Auto Show in Detroit. You may be wondering, how does a 300-horsepower crossover, poised between the midsized A4 and larger A6 and featuring quattro all-wheel drive, spell the end for that favored piece of Americana, the road trip? With the advent of DVD systems and iPods, family time in the car has definitely changed over the years, but the Roadjet takes it a step farther. The main culprit is the interior, which affords each of the four passengers their own controls, with those in the rear getting their own seven-inch monitors; in front, the driver and front passenger share a 10-inch screen that is part of Audi’s Multi Media Interface (MMI) system. Word association games and talking about different license plates are apparently not preferred. As one may expect, there’s more to this concept car than some control buttons, video screens, and that powerful 3.2-liter V6 motor, which by the way, boasts 236 lb.-ft. of torque and moves the Roadjet to 60 mph in 6.3 seconds. Audi reports a fuel economy rating of 22.6 mpg. Also found on the Roadjet concept car is a 1000-watt Bang & Olufsen sound system with 14 speakers, a sliding rear child seat, a seven-speed transmission, an adjustable suspension system, and of all things, a built-in espresso machine.

Photos courtesy of Ron Perry