New Sports Cars Are Coming

Reports that Audi is considering killing off its sports cars are greatly exaggerated. The company’s CEO has said that the Concept C is still on track and will be launched in the next two years. There has been speculation that Porsche could potentially stop production of the electric 718, and how that could impact the EV price on par with the Four Rings.

However, Gernot Döllner denied rumors that the Concept C had been discontinued. In an interview with Australian magazine GoAutoThe head honcho from Ingolstadt makes it clear that the new-age Audi is still coming: “We presented it last September, and in two years, we will have it on the market.”

Audi officials called the Concept C a “serious product,” making everyone feel good about the model’s future. Last month, Döllner sent an internal letter to company employees to make it clear that its performance EV plans had not been scrapped: “Porsche’s delivery of the platform is out of question,” adding that Audi and Porsche are “running in good collaboration.”

Photo by: Audi

While the two-seater sports car with an electric folding targa roof won’t mark the return of the TT, Audi hopes it will have the same impact as the original 1998 car. The Concept C hit the reset button on the design language, adopting fresh styling that we’ll see on subsequent production models in the coming years. The show car already has about 87 percent of the final design, according to previous statements made by Chief Creative Officer Massimo Frascella. Last year, Audi told us that this would be the only body style available, as a fixed-roof coupe wasn’t planned.

While current Audi models have multiple screens, the sports car represents a return to more physical controls and an infotainment system that folds into the dashboard, reminiscent of 2010-era models. We’re also promised nicer materials, as the company itself admits its cabins have seen a downgrade in recent years. Oscar da Silva Martins, Head of Product and Technology Communications, said Motor1:

“We were better in terms of quality in the past, but we will achieve that again.”

This production car is expected to use the VW Group’s PPE Sport platform, with the battery mounted in front of the rear wheels. In concept form, this beautiful Audi weighs 3,725 pounds (1,690 kilograms) and features a rear-mounted electric motor. A dual motor and all-wheel drive configuration is also in the works.

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Source: Audi

Motorcycle Pickup1: The Concept C is not just a special product preview, considering that this car is a sports car and an electric car. Audi has received warnings from customers frustrated with the brand’s direction in recent years, and the new EV will attempt to address those criticisms.

Canceling the sports car after making too big a deal out of what it stands for doesn’t bode well for Audi’s already battered image. While it’s reassuring to hear the car is still officially in production, placing the petrol engine behind the seats would arguably be even better. The electrics-only setup is sure to alienate buyers looking for an indirect TT replacement.

Audi’s own boss projects annual sales of its cars will be in the “very low five figures”, so the company is already aware that this will not be a resounding commercial success. Maybe it doesn’t have to be, considering the C Concept aims to send a message: Audi is back.