New Audi Concept C review: a true EV successor to the TT and R8

Verdict

Audi is taking a bold step with the Concept C. It will be almost two years before we finally see a new sports car from the company, but that should give us plenty of time to get used to the idea of ​​an open-top electric car. Audi certainly deserves respect simply for having the courage to try. Let's just hope the firm is serious about it and doesn't water down the plan by 2027.

More than 25 years have passed, but I remember it like it was yesterday. I can still recall every curve I drove through back then – and there were a lot. After all, the test route led through Tuscany and Umbria in Italy, and I only wanted to get out when the tank was empty. 

That was in 1998. But you never forget your first drive in an Audi TT. Yes, there used to be the quattro and the RS 2. But after them, Audi didn't come up with anything as radical for so long that the little sports car was truly a revelation.

That was not only because of its ingenious, purist design, which ushered in a kind of Bauhaus era for the company, but also because the driving experience was as engaging and authentic, and it all came at a relatively affordable price tag. 

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Audi has squandered much of this appeal in recent years. The TT, which had become a little stale towards the end, has been dead since 2023, as has its big brother, the Audi R8. The company’s big-selling models, from the A3 hatchback to the flagship A8, as well as their SUV derivatives, are ordinary yet interchangeable. There's little trace left of the "Vorsprung durch Technik" (Progress through Technology) or the once unique design.

But now everything is about to change, according to Audi’s new CEO, Gernot Döllner. He is playing the role of a decisive agitator and is launching the Concept C to spearhead this bright new era. 

Rather than a direct replacement, the Concept C is a successor to both the TT and R8. It’s a two-seater with a folding hard-top, and the production version is slated to appear in 2027, promising the same awakening experience for the electric generation as my maiden voyage in the TT did for me so many years ago. And to prove the seriousness of its intentions, Audi is putting its concept model onto the road a few months after its premiere at the Munich Motor Show – and I'm experiencing a serious case of déjà vu.

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Although everything is different, it's somehow the same. Okay, instead of Umbria and Tuscany, I'm in South Tyrol, which is still a lovely part of Italy. The old TT from back then is now just a spectator, its timeless design bravely holding its own in the slipstream; where a five-cylinder engine once roared, an electric motor now whispers. But as the Concept C glides up the mountain pass, the old feeling is instantly back. My first realization is that this is finally an Audi again – and one that has the potential to be something truly special.

The C in the name stands for ‘Clarity’, and Audi takes this very seriously. This applies first and foremost to the new, refreshingly uncluttered exterior design. With the Concept C, new design chief Massimo Frascella also makes his debut and apparently recycles a few ideas from his time at Jaguar and his work on the Type 00. The concept does indeed appear as clean and cool as the TT – even if it comes across as somewhat more organic and less geometric than the original from almost 30 years ago. But the Concept C’s design also draws inspiration from the racing cars of pre-war years, which, together with Mercedes, coined the term "Silver Arrow." 

What's most reminiscent of them is the dark, slim, upright plastic badge, which, as the "Vertical Frame," is intended to become the new brand face and replace Audi’s ubiquitous "Single Frame" grille of the past 20 years. Whether electric or combustion engine, sports car or SUV – all future Audis should be recognizable by it. 

Audi is making a huge leap on the outside, but the differences are almost even greater in the interior, which is both functional and sensual. There are only a few switches, which feel and, above all, sound wonderfully authentic when you use them. And instead of being distracted by a lot of digital clutter, the already small screen disappears into the dashboard at the touch of a button; with a second press, the roof opens, letting in air and sunshine. 

Of course, the Concept C is, for now, just a show car. But unlike most of its type, it's not just limited to walking pace under the spotlights, a car you're only allowed to enter in socks and handle with kid gloves. It actually drives. 

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The EV powertrain immediately means there’s a torquey punch that even the TT RS couldn't offer. As if struck by lightning out of the blue, the Audi rockets towards the horizon. Just like the TT of yesteryear, this one-off craves a heavy foot and a firm hand, and with every mile, I’m sinking deeper into the past, only this time someone's turned off the sound. 

After just a few metres, man and machine are one; I’m not thinking about the months of handcrafting and the million-dollar price tag any more. Instead, I simply enjoy the drive and let myself be carried away by an exhilaration that has become rare at Audi. Even just thinking about the next corner makes the nose of the 4.5-metre-long two-seater turn in the right direction, the acceleration is almost intuitive, and the lateral forces are minimal. For an electric vehicle, the car weighs a remarkably light 1,700kg, and this weight is also very evenly distributed. It's no coincidence that the battery isn't located in the floor as is usual with electric cars, but rather, like a mid-engine, behind the seats, right at the car's centre of gravity. 

And even if it doesn't quite fit the image that tomorrow's TT isn't a quattro, the rear-wheel-drive set-up doesn't hurt it. On the contrary, it makes the coupé even more agile, even more nimble. The steering is wonderfully firm and crisp, and has absolutely nothing of the vagueness that’s affiliated with many current Audis; our grin is stretching from ear to ear. And all this with a chaperone sitting next to me, keeping the fun within reasonable limits. Ultimately, Audi still has big plans for the Concept C and would therefore like to take the car home in one piece – not for nothing has the company gone through the obstacles of obtaining road approval for it. 

One just has to get used to the sound of silence. Anyone who still has the noise of a five-cylinder engine in their ears will find the hum of the electric car hard to appreciate in the long run and won't be consoled by even the best synthetic sound. And whether the chirping of birds in the open, quiet car can ultimately replace the goosebumps on your eardrums remains to be seen.

Audi is very tight-lipped when it comes to the technology, data, and details. Yes, 800V for fast charging is a given, and the firm can't hide the forced marriage with the electric successor to the upcoming electric versions of the Porsche Boxster and Cayman. Even the performance figures are speculation, but if the last TT RS had 394hp, with a running theme that electric cars are always a bit more powerful, then 500bhp wouldn’t be a massive surprise. 

The Concept C has achieved its purpose, whetting our appetites for Audi’s future electric sports car. Our expectations are well and truly up for the production car next year.

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