Audi sports ‘simplicity’
Audi has unveiled a new design language called “radical simplicity” with an electric two-seater, which also previews the fourth-generation TT sports car slated for 2027.
The Concept C, pictured, could put some sheen on the Volkswagen Group’s luxury brand, which has lost ground to rivals Mercedes-Benz and BMW in recent years.
It’s the first model from chief creative officer Massimo Frascella, who made the switch from Jaguar Land Rover in February 2024.
The production version of the Concept C will not be just a halo model, with Audi’s chief executive officer Gernot Döllner saying “we will make money out of it”.
The name of production version has yet to be finalised. “TT is an option, but this car is bigger [than the last TT] and could have another name,” he adds, with global sales forecast to be in the “very low five-digit” range.
Frascella says: “Radical simplicity is at the heart of our approach. We achieve clarity by reducing everything to the essential.” He adds this not only applies to vehicles exteriors, but also inside.
The brand’s new face features a vertical frame with a lighting signature composed of four horizontally arranged elements in each headlight and rear light.
This frame forms the centre of the new front, which the entire structural volume of the Concept C develops.
Inspired by the Auto Union Type C from 1936 and the third-generation A6 from 2004, the face has an upright form that conveys presence and identity, according to the marque.
For the first time, Audi is using an electrically retractable hardtop on a roadster, a feature that will be offered on the next-generation TT, expected to be launched in 2027.
It has two roof elements that allow the vehicle to retain a monolithic shape while also enabling an open-top driving experience.
Audi used canvas tops on the three generations of TTs introduced since 1998. The fourth generation will be offered only as a roadster with the retractable hardtop and will have fully electric and internal-combustion based drivetrains.
The marque produced 662,762 TTs between 1998 and 2023 across three iterations. The final edition released in 2023 marked the end of the line because of falling sales in the segment.
