This is the Audi PB18 e-tron, a new concept car that is the antithesis of the self-driving car. If you have to carry a passenger, the cockpit can move laterally to make room for another seat. The PB18 e-tron isn't the first electric Audi sports concept. The e-tron Vision Gran Turismo was designed for the Playstation racing franchise of the same name.

Earlier on Thursday, we took a look at an all-electric concept from Infiniti that just broke cover. Now, it's Audi's turn.

The car maker has chosen Monterey Car Week to make a statement about the future, and that statement is called the PB18 e-tron. This is the first time Audi has unveiled a concept at Pebble Beach, and it's quite something—an electric sports car that leverages Le Mans-winning technology from the mighty Audi R18 e-tron quattro race car.

If we needed a clue as to the motivation behind the PB18 e-tron, consider its internal codename. The project's working title was Level Zero, a reference to SAE levels of automation; this is meant to be a driver's car, not a driverless car. To that end, the cockpit and driver's seat can be moved laterally in the car; if you're at the track or don't have any need to cart a passenger around, you can center yourself in the car. (As with the Infiniti Prototype 10, the steering wheel and pedals are all drive-by-wire to make this possible.)

"We want to offer the driver an experience that is otherwise available only in a racing car like the Audi R18," said Gael Buzyn, head of the Audi Design Loft in Malibu. "That's why we developed the interior around the ideal driver's position in the center. Nevertheless, our aim was to also give the PB18 e-tron a high degree of everyday usability, not just for the driver, but also for a potential passenger."