New Audi Concept C previews future design direction

The Audi Concept C is a two-seat sports car that both previews Audi’s future design direction and showcases a production EV that’s set to launch in 2027.

The first car overseen by Audi’s new chief creative officer Massimo Frascella, the Audi Concept C aims to return the German premium brand to its design-led heydays.

Unusually for modern concepts, the firm is clear in the statement represented by the Audi Concept C. “Going forward, Audi will focus on what matters most… clarity, technicality, intelligence and emotion.

“The Audi Concept C marks the beginning of a new design philosophy and thus a defining moment for the four rings. It previews a future production model and will shape further models beyond that.”

Clearly influenced by the iconic Audi TT, the new Audi Concept C is a two-seat sports car with a two-part electric retractable hardtop, which features for the first time on an Audi roadster.

The design represents an “athletic minimalism with a purity of form, precision and solidity” that references famed Audi designs of the 1980s and 1990s.

At the front, it has a vertical frame grille inspired by the 1936 Auto Union Type C racer. The long, clean bonnet feeds into a swept-back cabin, with a strong, clean shoulder line running from front to rear.

The clean surfaces and horizontal slats at the rear combine concept car cool with supercar status. Like the Jaguar Type 00 Concept (and, indeed, the Polestar 4), Audi has eschewed a rear window.

“This design element will define Audi’s visual identity during both day and night, ensuring an unmistakable presence on the road.”

Even the body colour, ‘Titanium’, is extra-special, evoking the “warm, technical elegance” of titanium metal itself.

There’s a new Audi light signature too, with four horizontally arranged elements in each headlight and rear light.

Inside, the paired-back interior is designed around a strong architectural ethos. Just as the original TT transformed interior design for Audi, so the firm intends the new Audi Concept C to heavily influence its models of the future.

Notably, the steering wheel is fully round, with rotary-style controls and real metal Audi rings in the centre. No F1-style flat-bottom steering wheels here.

Physical controls are highly tactile in appearance, feel, even the ‘Audi click’ when used. Instead of leather, natural materials are used to create a warm and refined appearance.

The Audi Concept C showcases what the firm calls ‘shy tech’ too. “It is always close by, yet never dominant.”

The 10.4-inch centre display only folds out from the dashboard when required, while the information displayed is contextual, so won’t overwhelm the driver. Below it is a row of haptic controls for heating and ventilation, reversing the trend seen in today’s Audis.

The aim is to “free users from distractions and provide the right information at the right time through intelligent technology”.

Designer Frascella added that “radical simplicity is at the heart of our approach.

“We achieve clarity by reducing everything to the essential.”

The Audi Concept C is a “return to what exemplifies Audi,” said Audi CEO Gernot Döllner.

“The way we design our vehicles is the way we will shape our company… clarity is an ethos and the compass that will guide Audi through the times ahead”.

Again, this is an unusually stark statement that shows just how significant the new Audi Concept C is set to be.

“The phase of taking stock is over. Now is the time to look to the future and pick up speed,” added Döllner, who was swept in to overhaul Audi in 2023.

The new Audi Concept C will star at the IAA Munich Motor Show which opens on 8 September.