Meet the Audi Concept C: an all-electric two-seater sports car engineered to inject some much-needed excitement back into the Ingolstadt brand.
Picking up where the discontinued TT and R8 duo left off, this dramatic looking roadster embraces a minimalist design aesthetic and introduces the new Audi brand face — a narrow vertical front frame said to be inspired by the grilles fitted to the 1936 Auto Union Type C race car and, oddly enough, the 2004 Audi A6. The restrained antithesis to the OTT vehicular visages coming out of China, this unique feature is flanked by narrow horizontal headlamp clusters incorporating a four-element light signature.
Other standout exterior details include an ultra-sharp shoulder line running the full length of the vehicle, an electrically retractable hardtop with two roof elements and a sloping rear end cut with three horizontal slats. You’ll notice Audi have omitted the rear window meaning that, like the Polestar 4, vision out the back of the Concept C is provided by an HD camera system that feeds a live image to a digital rearview mirror inside the cabin. The side mirrors are of the old-school glass variety, while the horizontal taillamp clusters feature fully customisable light signatures.
Look between the huge wheels — inspired, apparently, by those fitted to the original TT and A2 that both debuted in the late 1990s — and you’ll see the Concept C rides especially low to the asphalt, with a low-slung seating position to match. Audi achieved this by bucking EV convention and fitting the battery pack behind the seats instead of beneath them. Clever. This structural tweak will also affect weight distribution and should give the Concept C similar handling characteristics to that of a conventional sports car fitted with a mid-mounted engine.
As with the exterior, the interior of the Concept C adopts a minimalist design ethos. A digital instrument cluster is complemented by a multifunction steering wheel with haptic controls and physical switchgear made from anodised aluminium on the centre console.
There’s also a 10.4-inch touchscreen infotainment system that folds out from under the dashboard — there when you need it, hidden when you don’t. Practical touches include two storage binnacles built into the centre console and wool upholstery on both the seats and door cards. Somewhat more eco-friendly than leather, this material is known for being cool in summer and warm in winter.
Audi is keeping shtum about what will propel the Concept C but we reckon it will use an electric powertrain similar in specification to the upcoming electric Porsche Boxster and Cayman twins. This means it should debut with a cutting-edge 800V system architecture, the option of single- or twin-motor configurations and a maximum driving range of about 485km.
The production-ready Concept C is expected to go to market in 2027 with minimal design changes. It'll fight against rivals such as the Tesla Cyberster, Polestar 6 and Tesla Roadster.
