Audi has officially unveiled a new sports coupe concept and it's almost ready to turn into a production model
Audi has unveiled a new two-seat sports car, styled after the iconic TT and setting the tone for the future design of all models of the brand. The Audi Concept C debuted at a private event in Milan and will be shown to the public at the Munich Motor Show a week later. It will go into production almost unchanged in 2027.
Here's What We Know
The presentation of this showcar marks Audi's return to the sports car segment after the TT leaves the scene in 2023 and the completion of the R8 supercar. The new project confirms that the company is preparing a compact electric two-seater with a focus on technology and driver engagement.
CEO Gernot Döllner emphasised that the model will not be a successor to the TT, but will occupy a separate niche. He added that the name for the production version will be chosen closer to the launch.
The name of the concept refers to two things at once: to Audi's new course on "clarity" and to the legendary Auto Union Type C racing car of 1936. The author is the brand's new chief designer Massimo Frascella, who previously worked at Jaguar Land Rover on the Discovery, Defender and Range Rover. He intends to restore Audi's uniqueness with a minimalist and monolithic style without unnecessary embellishments.
The Concept C is not just a showcar: Frascella has confirmed that the production version will be almost identical to the prototype and will be released in 2027. The car will get a retractable hard top (a first for Audi convertibles) and the feel of a mid-engined sports car thanks to a centrally placed battery pack. This approach improves weight distribution, lowers the centre of gravity and allows the seats to be lowered closer to the floor, as in classic sports cars with an internal combustion engine.
The platform is a modified version of the PPE architecture developed together with Porsche. The new Boxster and Cayman are built on it.
The concept is equipped with one electric motor on the rear axle, but the production version promises versions with two engines. Data on power is not yet available.
The interior is designed in the spirit of "hidden technology" (shy tech). The main emphasis is placed on simplicity and real tactile elements: buttons made of anodised aluminium, multimedia screen folding into the panel and even a metal logo on the steering wheel.