Maybe sports cars aren’t dead after all?
It seems that Audi reckons there’s life in a classic concept, thanks to the reveal at a special event in Milan of this, the Concept C sports car, ahead of its public debut at the Munich motor show.
The Concept C is a clear signal that Audi wants to resurrect the TT sports car, a model which was in production from 1998 until 2023, and which won as many — arguably more — plaudits for its design as for its driving experience.
Indeed, the first sight of this Concept C is likely to trigger deja vu in anyone who remembers the original TT concept. Not that the two cars are identical, but they do share a commonality of ultra-clean, unadorned styling, and body panels that have the appearance of unpainted aluminium.
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In that, the Concept C shares a kinship with Audi’s famous Avus concept of the 1990s, and even with the ‘Silver Arrow’ Auto Union racers of the 1930s.
There’s another clear link to the Auto Union Type-C race car — arguably the first mid-engined racing car — in the Concept C’s grille. In contrast to the basking shark look of most current Audis, the Concept C gets a narrow vertical slot with rounded corners. It’s almost pure Auto Union.
The Concept C is also a convertible, with a targa-style roof that stows electrically in the rear bodywork.
That rear bodywork is also heavily influenced by the original TT concept from 1998, going entirely without glazing and aping the look of early land speed record cars. Is it just us, or is there also a hint of Jaguar’s recent Type 00 concept in the Audi’s slim lights and razor-edged body lines?
The good news, possibly the best news of all, is that this is no mere motor show pony. The Concept C will, according to Audi’s chief executive Gernot Döllner, reach production in 2027, part of a commitment Döllner recently gave to no longer show concepts that weren’t intended for production. The Concept C — very likely to be called TT by the time it goes on sale — will share a platform and an electric powertrain with the imminent new Porsche Boxster Electric.
As well as a gift for car enthusiasts, Döllner says that the Concept C is intended to be something of a rallying point for Audi after a year in which the brand has been battered by commercial headwinds, including a stuttering performance in the Chinese market, which led to Audi launching an entirely new China-only sub-brand, still called Audi but without the famous four-rings badge.
Audi’s chief creative officer, Massimo Frascella, said: “Our vision is a call to action for the whole company – and is essential for making our brand truly distinctive once again. It is the philosophy behind every decision we make, and we aim to apply its principles across the entire organisation."
Audi could certainly do with both a sales hit and a bit of inspiration right now. Once the powerhouse of the Volkswagen Group’s profit performance, Audi has recently slipped behind humble Skoda in terms of finances, and many have been critical of its confused and confusing approach to model names and badging. A sleek sports car might not threaten the top of the sales charts, but it may cut through some of that noise.
The only thing is, perhaps we shouldn’t get too excited yet. The last time Audi created an electric sports car, it was the e-Tron version of the R8 supercar, which got as far as being given the green light for production in limited numbers.
At the 11th hour and 59th minute, Audi pulled the metaphorical and literal plug, relegating a potentially thrilling car to museum status. Hopefully, the Concept C won’t meet a similar fate.
