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German premium brand Audi has taken a page out of Jaguar's book and will simplify its car designs going forward, using the just-unveiled Concept C as a basis.
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Audi has unveiled the Concept C, which hints at a possible TT sports car resurrection and heralds the brand’s new design direction that will inform other future models.
Shown in Milan this week before heading to the Munich motor show, the Concept C strips back fussy interior and exterior design in favour of what Audi calls “radical simplicity”.
As a two-door, two-seat convertible, the Concept C is reminiscent of the TT that was discontinued in 2023, and overseas reports indicate the show car will make it to production by 2027.
Whether it becomes a reborn TT or R8 or something else entirely is still unclear, but Audi states the Concept C’s flat surfaces and hard edges will form the aesthetic backbone of more upcoming vehicles.
From the outside, the Concept C wears Audi’s iconic four-ring logo up front, but a new vertical frame grille replaces the brand’s signature single-frame look that has been in use for over 20 years.
The new front fascia is also the point “from which the entire structural volume of the vehicle develops”, according to Audi, with slender headlights stretching the Concept C outwards, met by a prominent shoulder line that continues unbroken to the rear.
In profile, the Concept C boasts an athletic appearance thanks to short overhangs, a long bonnet, and large 21-inch wheels.
Notably, the sheet metal is mostly free from creases and scallops, with the less-fussy aesthetic described as “athletic minimalism with a purity of form, precision, and solidity”, according to Audi.
The rear of the Concept C adopts a large diffuser, slender tail-lights, and a window-less design, while the electronic-folding, two-piece roof can also be stowed behind the seats.
The concept car is finished in a ‘Titanium’ colour, with its finish evoking brushed stainless steel.
The minimalist philosophy also extends to the Concept C’s interior with simple “natural material” cloth seats, a thin-rimmed steering wheel, and metal accents.
Two screens are fitted – one for instrumentation and the other for infotainment, the latter measuring 10.4 inches and able to fold away to maintain the cabin’s clean appearance.
Audi has also called attention to the use of physical controls to “provide a tactile experience that reflects mechanical quality” and that the buttons will exhibit “the unmistakable ‘Audi click’.”
Still a mystery however, is exactly what is powering the Concept C, with Audi simply calling it “electric”, but mostly likely a production version would share the same underpinnings and technology as the new-generation Porsche 718 Boxster and Porsche that will ditch internal combustion engines.
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Tung Nguyen has been in the automotive journalism industry for over a decade, cutting his teeth at various publications before finding himself at Drive in 2024. With experience in news, feature, review, and advice writing, as well as video presentation skills, Tung is a do-it-all content creator. Tung’s love of cars first started as a child watching Transformers on Saturday mornings, as well as countless hours on PlayStation’s Gran Turismo, meaning his dream car is a Nissan GT-R, with a Liberty Walk widebody kit, of course.
