To solve space challenges at its retail outlet in Piccadilly Circus, Audi has used groundbreaking technology to present its growing model line-up.
Visitors can now digitally select their vehicle from several hundred million possible configurations and experience it in realistic 1:1 scale on special powerwalls.
Various details such as drivetrain, bodyshell, LED light technology etc are presented with interactive gestures, touch and physical sample recognition methods. The whole immersive experience helps make the innovations understandable on an intuitive level.
The future of automotive retail is here and Audi is leading the way, with plans to roll out the experience at 20 locations in major international cities by 2015.
Why Audi City matters beyond “wow”
This is not digital for digital’s sake. It is a retail operating model that turns limited floor space into effectively unlimited shelf space, without forcing the customer to imagine the product from a brochure or a small screen.
- Scale without inventory. Hundreds of millions of combinations without storing hundreds of cars.
- Confidence through realism. A 1:1 representation reduces the gap between selection and purchase.
- Innovation made tangible. Drivetrain, bodyshell, and lighting become understandable through interaction.
The showroom becomes an interface
Audi City treats the store like an interface layer between customer intent and product complexity. Gesture, touch, and physical sample recognition are not gimmicks. They are interaction patterns designed to help people explore, compare, and decide.
That is the critical shift. Instead of staff explaining everything verbally, the environment itself becomes the explainer.
In global automotive retail, immersive configuration experiences matter most when they reduce decision friction without expanding showroom footprint.
What this signals about the future of automotive retail
If Audi rolls out this concept across major cities, the implication is clear. Physical retail will not disappear. It will evolve into fewer, smaller, higher-impact locations that are designed for configuration, education, and decision-making, while fulfilment happens elsewhere.
- Fewer cars on the floor. More options in the system.
- More guided discovery. Less brochure-driven selling.
- More consistent global experience. Less dependence on local store size.
What to take from this if you run retail or CX
- Use digital to remove physical constraints. The business problem here is space, not “innovation theatre”.
- Design interaction for comprehension. Gestures, touch, and samples work when they help people understand complexity quickly.
- Make exploration feel premium. 1:1 scale and high fidelity visuals create confidence and desire.
- Separate “experience” from “inventory”. Let stores sell decisions, not stock.
A few fast answers before you act
What is Audi City London?
It is an Audi retail concept in Piccadilly Circus that uses large digital powerwalls to let visitors configure vehicles from hundreds of millions of combinations and view them in realistic 1:1 scale.
Why does 1:1 scale matter in a configurator?
It reduces uncertainty. People can judge proportions, design choices, and visual details more confidently than on a small screen.
How does the experience help explain innovation?
By presenting components like drivetrain, bodyshell, and LED lighting through interactive exploration using gestures, touch, and physical sample recognition.
What business problem does Audi City solve?
It addresses limited showroom space while still presenting a broad and growing model line-up and configuration depth.
What is the transferable lesson for other retailers?
Use immersive digital interfaces to expand choice and understanding without expanding physical footprint, and design interactions that make complex decisions feel intuitive.