Audi has announced a slew of news. In addition to a first look at the A2 revival, it also confirmed that the next Q7 and the first Q9 will be coming this year. There's also a refreshed Q4 E-Tron coming in 2026 - but we're most excited about another new model. Especially since it's coming sooner than we expected.
The much-discussed Concept C will go into series production in 2027 – a pleasant surprise, as it was previously expected to hit the market in 2028. Earlier this month, Audi CEO Gernot Döllner said that the two-piece car would be available “within two years.” At a conference yesterday, the Ingolstadt-based management announced that production at the Böllinger Höfe plant is expected to begin next year.
It's the same factory that produced both generations of the R8 between 2006 and 2024. However, the Concept C won't be a direct successor to the V10-powered supercar. Nor will it fill the gap left by the TT model's discontinuation in 2023. Instead, Audi is positioning the new model somewhere in between – but without an internal combustion engine.
Therefore, neither the TT nor the R8 name will be revived, but a new model name will be introduced. Audi has already ruled out internal combustion engines and additional body variants. The production version of the Concept C is said to be available exclusively as an electric car – with an electric Targa roof. This would be the first model from the brand with the four rings to be equipped with this roof structure.
Earlier, there were reports that Audi might abandon the concept after all – which supported another rumor that Porsche is reportedly abandoning the electric versions of the Boxster/Cayman models. However, both the Concept C and the electric models of the 718 series will go into series production. What's more: Zuffenhausen will once again install petrol engines in the top versions of its sports cars – the six-cylinder boxer is expected to make a comeback.
When Audi unveiled the concept car in September last year, it was tight-lipped about technical specifications. They did mention a single-engine version with rear-wheel drive and the possibility of a two-engine version with Quattro. It is also known that the Concept C weighs 1.690 kilograms and has the following dimensions: length 4.520 millimeters, width 1.970 mm, height 1.285 mm with a wheelbase of 2.568 mm.
It's longer and wider than the R8, but also a bit taller - which is not surprising considering the battery pack. Its size wasn't specified, but it's clear that Audi engineers are prioritizing performance over efficiency. So the battery capacity will likely be smaller in order to limit the vehicle's weight.
Audi didn't specify a price. But it seems logical to place the car between the TT and the R8 - hopefully much closer to the TT. Audi is also betting on realistic sales forecasts: CEO Gernot Döllner expects "very low five-digit numbers."
At the same time, the Concept C is more than just a car: it is intended to offer a glimpse into Audi's future - with a completely new design language and a higher-quality interior that once again offers more physical controls and relies less on screens. The brand hopes to achieve a similar effect to that of the first TT model - a benchmark that is difficult to surpass.
