Just when you thought Audi had turned its back on sports cars – having axed the R8 supercar, the TT coupe and roadster and the A5 coupe and cabriolet – the German luxury brand has now previewed an all-new electric performance car that will effectively replace all four of those two-door models.
What’s more, the sleek new Audi Concept C show car you see here will enter production virtually unchanged in just two years, with the premium auto brand confirming the minimalist two-seat folding hardtop convertible will remain faithful to the concept when it reaches showrooms in 2027.
Indeed, Audi says the only differences between the Concept C, which was revealed in Milan overnight, and the production car will be the addition of door handles, sensors and a few other minor tweaks.
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The Concept C not only previews an all-new sports car from Audi, which doesn’t offer a coupe or convertible of any type right now, but also heralds a new design language the Ingolstadt brand will roll out under the direction of its new chief creative officer Massimo Frascella, who assumed the role in June 2024.
Designed with the theme of “radical simplicity”, the Concept C looks like no other previous Audi sports car, but incorporates styling cues from the iconic, Bauhaus-inspired TT, as well as the R8 and even historic Auto Union race cars.
It may look like a coupe but the Concept C is actually a two-seat roadster with an electrically retractable folding hardtop roof – a first for Audi, although whether that carries over to the showroom version is yet to be confirmed.
There’s no rear window, as with the radical Jaguar Type 00 and production models like the Polestar 4 and 5, and in its place are three horizontal slats – one of them housing a third brake light.
Riding on a short 2568mm wheelbase and measuring just 4520mm long and only 1285mm high – but a broad 1970mm wide – the Concept C is closer in size to the R8 Spyder than the TT Roadster.
Audi says the rear-wheel drive Concept C has a “gross weight” of 1690kg, which isn’t too bad for an EV and on par with the old R8 Spyder, and that both rear-drive and all-wheel drive options could be possible.
It also says the Concept C, which rolls on 21-inch wheels, will support ultra-fast charging thanks to an 800-volt electrical system.
Perhaps the biggest question is what platform Audi’s sleek new electric sports car will be based on. It’s possible it will borrow its underpinnings from the new electric Porsche 718 Boxster and Cayman due in 2026, even if it’s tuned to be slightly less sporty than the Zuffenhausen duo.
The interior of the Concept C is just as uncluttered as its exterior, with a minimalist cabin comprising physical controls made from real anodised aluminium and even a metal rather than plastic steering wheel badge.
The minimalist approach, which Audi describes as “shy tech”, extends to the 10.4-inch tablet-style infotainment touchscreen, which can be folded neatly into the dashboard like in older Audi models.
“Radical simplicity is at the heart of our approach. We achieve clarity by reducing everything to the essential,” said Mr Frascella.
Audi has plenty of other new models to release before it launches its new electric sports car in 2027.
It says that by the end of this year it will have introduced more than 20 new models within 24 months, making its product portfolio the youngest in the premium segment.
After launching replacements for the A6 and Q3, which will include the new Q3 Sportback e-hybrid, Audi will release a new entry-level EV that will be produced in Ingolstadt from 2026, plus more performance models from Audi Sport and its hotly anticipated entry into Formula 1.
“Preparations for our start in Formula 1 are moving at full speed,” said Audi CEO Gernot Döllner.
“We look forward to giving all fans a concrete preview of what to expect from us in Formula 1 starting next year.”
MORE: Everything Audi