Will Smith took this Audi from science fiction to reality
Published on Jun 23, 2025 at 2:18 AM (UTC-4)
by Callum Tokody
Last updated on Jun 23, 2025 at 2:18 AM (UTC-4)
Edited by
Kate Bain
Will Smith’s Audi RSQ concept car and Audi R8 represent a shared design vision that began in science fiction and evolved into production reality.
When Audi created the RSQ as a concept car for I, Robot, it was more than just a movie prop.
The vehicle introduced ideas that would later influence the Audi R8, one of the brand’s most iconic supercars.
That influence extended even further with the Audi RSQ E-Tron, an electric concept designed for another Will Smith film.
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Will Smith’s Audi RSQ stood out with rear-hinged butterfly doors, spherical wheels, and a minimalist interior focused on autonomous driving.
Although it was built purely for cinematic use, Audi gave it a mid-mounted V10 and a working chassis to help ground the futuristic design in reality.
The car appeared in mostly CGI sequences, but its physical version allowed the brand to showcase its forward-thinking approach to vehicle design.
The Audi R8 followed just a few years later, and its connection to the RSQ was instantly clear.
It featured the same mid-engine layout, similar body proportions, and a performance-focused identity.
Available with a V10 and a manual gearbox, the Audi R8 brought elements of the concept car into real-world driving.
For many, the R8 felt like the natural evolution of the RSQ, adapted for the road and ready for customers.
Audi brought the idea full circle with the Audi RSQ E-Tron, featured in the animated film Spies in Disguise.
Like the original RSQ, it was never meant to be sold, but it served a specific purpose in exploring the brand’s design language for electric vehicles.
The Audi RSQ E-Tron featured sleek surfacing, a digital cockpit, and full autonomous capability, all presented within a fictional spy narrative that introduced younger audiences to the future of mobility.
While neither concept car ever reached production, their influence is hard to ignore.
Will Smith’s Audi RSQ gave Audi a platform to experiment with bold design and advanced ideas in a cinematic setting.
Those ideas lived on through the Audi R8 and reappeared in the Audi RSQ E-Tron.
What began as a creative exercise became a defining moment in the brand’s design history.
