Audi Studio Grand Piano Car Designers Succeed in Creating Piano No One Can Afford

When it comes to creating things that look great and cost a lot of
money, Audi certainly has their share of experience. I'm not saying I
don't drool over their cars, but in this economic environment most of us
are happy just to own a picture of one let alone the real deal. So what
happens when a set of German auto designers decides that they want to
create a grand piano in the vein of a sleek racing sedan? First, most
people ask why. Didn't we get enough of this ridiculousness with the
Lamborghini laptop? Then they actually hook up with a piano manufacturer
and do it. The result, an outrageously expensive piece of musical art
that will probably be purchased by someone that can't even play piano.

The Audi-Inspired Grand Piano is the lovechild of Audi designers and
Austrian piano manufacturer Bosendorfer. With its sleek lines and
minimalist appearance, the thing screams German design. Cloaked in black
and metal it would seem more at home in a museum of architectural design
rather than Carnegie Hall. The top of the piano seems to fall down to
the ground like a sheet of black silk. The lines are clearly
car-inspired and the shine in the paint is mirror-deep. Even the bench
looks like it was torn out of an Audi A8, leather and all.
If you need a really pretentious quote from a German designer, Generous
surface areas ensure formal clarity; there are no decorative
applications, the edges and lines are sharply drawn, the joints
logically positioned. All these are important aspects of the Audi
design, says Designer Philip Schlesinger, who implemented the project
at the Concept Design Studio in Munich. The Audi Grand Piano, like most
art, lacks reason for its creation and logic behind its price tag. The
piano is priced at 100,000EUR (about $140,000) and will make its debut
on July 16 in the Audi Forum Ingolstadt, in celebration of Audi's 100th
anniversary. Get your checkbook ready.