Just a few days ahead of its official launch at the IAA Mobility show, and only a couple of days after the design was prematurely leaked online, Audi has confirmed – in passing, at least – that its new, all-electric Concept C will go into production ahead of, potentially, a 2028 release. ICE fans, however, and even potential customers, will be disappointed to learn that the German brand has no plans to introduce an internal combustion-engined version of the all-electric two-seater sports car any time soon.
Speaking with Motor1, Audi’s spokesperson for technical development Daniel Schuster quickly shot down talk of an ICE-engined Concept C making production, stating that the new two-seater will ride on a newly-developed “future EV platform” that “will be shared within the [Volkswagen] Group,” and, more specifically, sister brand Porsche.
Few details have been provided re the Concept C’s drivetrain. Chances are high though that Audi’s new production sports car will share its underpinnings with the all-electric Boxster and Cayman that Porsche plans to unveil next year (or in 2027, if stories of battery-related delays are to be believed). The EV-focused architecture leaves precious little room for an ICE powertrain or even a hybrid alternative.
Like the upcoming Boxster and Cayman EVs, it’s believed that the production-ready Audi will feature a sportier, lighter, and less costly rear-wheel-drive layout from launch. The EV platform will probably adopt a front-axle motor at some point too for an all-wheel drive ‘quattro’ example. Power and torque figures are a similar mystery, though it’s likely the future production two-seater will land around the 400 to 500 horsepower mark. This leaves plenty of room for the more performance-focused Porsches to leapfrog, rather than directly rival, the Audi two-seater.
Upon the Concept C’s reveal, Audi was quick to champion the “new design philosophy” being showcased, one that will serve as a benchmark for Audi’s upcoming models. Indeed, chief creative officer Massimo Frascella, who joined the German marque in 2024, confirmed in the Motor1 report that the concept’s design reflects “87 percent” of the final look. Any changes hereafter will be kept to a minimum, meaning that, rather than offering separate coupe and roadster models, the Concept C’s electronic hardtop roof – which, in a first for Audi, folds into the back deck – will also go into production. Audi CEO Gernot Döllner meanwhile confirmed the model’s presentation in Milan that the Concept C was not just a nifty design study, but was instead “a concrete preview of a production vehicle.” Döllner also announced that the two-seater will be manufactured at Audi’s Böllinger Höfe plant where the German brand currently builds its e-tron GT electric sedan.
Unsurprisingly, rumors that the Concept C will adopt the TT name, despite being both wider, longer, and almost certainly heavier than the (possibly soon to be revived) R8, have refused to go away. Audi’s mid-ship sports car was discontinued in 2023 after a 25-year production run, and the German brand has not ruled out a revival of the model name.
Source: Motor1
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