ELECTRIC SPORTS CAR SPARKS AUDI'S DESIGN REVOLUTION

Drop-top will fill the gap left by the TT and R8 when it arrives in 2027

- FELIX PAGE

Audi has revealed a striking two-seat sports car inspired by the TT, which previews a radical new design language for all of its upcoming cars - and will go on sale in 2027.

Its unveiling comes around two years after Audi ended production of the TT, the era-defining, Volkswagen Golf-based sports coupé that enjoyed strong commercial success over three generations.

This new show car is confirmation that the firm will make a grand return to the segment with a compact, electric two-seater that blends futuristic cues and technology with elements of historic Audi models and a focus on driver engagement.

Although the Concept C takes heavy inspiration from Audi's seminal sports coupé, CEO Gernot Döllner has ruled out applying the TT name to the production version, because he says they will occupy significantly different market segments.

"The Concept C is not a successor of the TT. It's a different segment to the TT. It's somewhere exactly in the middle between TT and R8," he told Autocar. "We will come up with a name once the car hits the road as a serious product."

SIMPLICITY RULES

The Concept C name references both Audi's renewed focus on 'clarity' and the 1936 Auto Union Type C grand prix racer from which it takes inspiration. The car itself, meanwhile, is a statement of intent from head of design Massimo Frascella, who aims to make Audi "truly distinctive again" with his radical new styling direction.

Frascella joined Audi last year after a 13-year stint at JLR, where he led the design of the current Discovery, Defender and Range Rover. On his arrival in Ingolstadt, he spoke of his appreciation of "simplicity" and said he was "passionate about creating designs that are free from superfluous ornaments and do not merely follow trends".