There hasn’t been this much excitement around a new Audi in quite some time. For now, it’s only a concept, but the two-seater sports car is slated to become a production model in 2027. With its clean new design language and a more upscale interior built from higher-quality materials, the Concept C aims to deliver the same image boost the TT provided in the late 1990s.
There’s just one catch: you won’t find a combustion engine beneath those sleek horizontal slats at the back, nor are there cylinders hiding under the generously sized hood. We asked Audi if it had any plans to develop an ICE version, especially after reports suggested a gas-powered variant might be in the works. The answer was no.
Photo by: Audi
Daniel Schuster, Spokesperson for Technical Development, shut down rumors of a combustion-engine Concept C. In a statement to Motor1, he confirmed the performance machine will be sold exclusively as an EV. He also revealed the car will ride on a newly developed platform “that will be shared within the [Volkswagen] Group.”
Reading between the lines, this means the new model will likely have more than a few things in common with Porsche’s successor to the 718. Since Schuster referred to a “future EV platform,” we don’t expect Zuffenhausen to bring back gas engines in the Boxster or Cayman either. While Porsche will continue to offer two distinct models, a soft-top convertible and a fixed-roof coupe, Audi will take a different approach.
Rather than developing two body styles to echo the defunct TT and R8, the sports car will stay true to the concept. Audi confirmed it will merge the coupe and roadster into one model, offering the car exclusively with an electrically retractable hardtop. This targa-like setup uses two roof panels that stow neatly under the rear deck, transforming the Concept C from coupe to roadster. It’s actually the first time Audi has used an electrically retractable hardtop.
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Source: Audi
CEO Gernot Döllner is confident that the company can make the yet-unnamed car profitable, despite annual sales estimated in the “very low five-digit” range. He didn’t rule out reviving the “TT” badge, but cautioned that Audi could opt for something else, as the Concept C is larger. Meanwhile, Chief Creative Officer Massimo Frascella says the concept already reflects “87 percent” of the final design, so changes will be minimal.
On paper, Audi’s performance EV tips the scales at 3,725 pounds, or about the same as an R8 V10 Spyder Quattro with fluids. A gas version would’ve been lighter, but that’s off the table. The Concept C features a rear-wheel-drive layout, though the new platform can also support a front-axle motor for an electric Quattro setup.
We’ll have a clearer picture of the production-ready Concept C once Porsche launches the next-generation Boxster and Cayman, both expected in 2026.
