“The wheels make the car”
How do you see the Audi Q5 from a wheel designer’s perspective?
To me, it’s one of the most beautiful SUVs ever made. The Audi Q5 enjoys a long success story. Each generation manages to impress time and again. The latest Q5 exudes natural self-confidence thanks to its aesthetics and well-designed proportions. It’s a real pleasure to complement this style with the right wheels.
What role do wheels play in a vehicle’s design?
Well, a wheel is, of course, first and foremost a safety-relevant component. All of a car’s forces are transmitted to the road through the wheel-tyre configuration. Unlike the components of the chassis, however, the wheel is visible from the outside. So, the job of a wheel designer like myself is to create something that meets the technical requirements and still manages to emphasise the design of the vehicle – form follows function in the best sense.
How is the Audi DNA reflected in the wheel design?
First of all, it’s the semantics, aesthetics, logic and surface quality that characterise every Audi wheel. Every detail radiates design quality: the tautness, the precise selection of angles, the balance of lines that come together over a radius. A certain calmness, coherence and at the same time, a visual stimulation. That is the Audi DNA of our wheel designs. Of course, we pursue our own intention with each wheel, designing individual characteristic traits such as sportiness, elegance or calmness.
What does this influence the appearance of the Q5?
Our customers, who buy a beautiful premium vehicle, expect absolute functionality, but also uncompromising aesthetics. The various wheel designs of the new Q5 should simultaneously fit in with the refreshing elegance and straightforwardness of the car, but also differentiate it. It’s a fine line. Our approach was to emphasise the symmetry in the spoke design. For a long time, we developed very extroverted wheel designs – now they are more subdued.
Why are the wheel designs for the new Audi Q5 now more subdued?
It’s easy to attract attention. But that’s not the Audi way. In terms of design, everything now happens at the same time in all quality variants. There are all kinds of designs on the market, from poorly executed to well done. It’s time to take a deep breath and reflect on our values. Audi is not loud and chaotic, but emotional and self-confident – it stands out in an unobtrusive way. And the Audi wheels do, too.
“The wheel designs of the new Q5 should simultaneously fit in with the elegance and straightforwardness of the car.”
Shiny silvery-white lanthanide – This is Audi.
Expressive sportiness or understated elegance: the appearance of the Audi Q5 SUV can be customised to suit individual tastes by choosing a special wheel design. More than almost any other design detail, the wheels help to shape the desired character of the vehicle. The selection ranges from 17- to 21-inch sizes, from a five-spoke design to a 10-spoke design, from graphite grey to titanium grey, from matte to metallic to high-gloss¹ neodymium lanthanide – for individual designs according to personal preferences.
Which wheels particularly shape the character of the Audi Q5?
The Audi Q5 wheel lineup is extremely multifaceted, in part because the customers and their demands are so diverse. With an aero cover for the 17-inch wheels in silver, we managed to combine advantages from both worlds: good aerodynamics and light weight. Particularly with wheels in 19-inches and up, the Q5 offers nearly everything a design-savvy customer could want, whether robust, sporty or a combination of both. In keeping with the character of the Q5¹, there is a visually very powerful 20-inch five-spoke wheel and a dynamic five-double-spoke wheel. In my opinion, the most expressive wheels are the forged 21-inch S-design wheels, such as the high-gloss¹ version with elements in neodymium silk matte.
What is your personal wheel highlight for the new Audi Q5?
The all-black 20-inch wheel. I often use superheroes to explain design approaches. Their stereotypical characteristics are well known to everybody. Batman, for instance, is mysterious but morally righteous in my opinion. Besides, he’s just cool. To show the geometry of the completely black wheel, Audi developed the colour black metallic. This colour moves between light and shadow. Just like Batman!
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The colour black metallic of the Audi Sport 20-inch five-double-spoke wheel moves between light and shadow.
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Wheel designer Pollex: “In keeping with the character of the Q5, there is a visually very powerful 20-inch five-spoke wheel.”
¹Alloy wheels with gloss turned or gloss milled finish as well as polished or partly polished alloy wheels must not be used in wintry road conditions. For manufacturing reasons, the rim surface does not have sufficient corrosion protection for such use and can be damaged permanently by road salt or similar.
¹Alloy wheels with gloss turned or gloss milled finish as well as polished or partly polished alloy wheels must not be used in wintry road conditions. For manufacturing reasons, the rim surface does not have sufficient corrosion protection for such use and can be damaged permanently by road salt or similar.
