Audi is in desperate need of a halo car. The TT was sent to pasture in 2023, while the R8 was killed off last year. Just yesterday, the company revealed the Concept C, a sporty coupe marked for production, meant to fill the shoes of both cars. It has a power targa top and some distinctive looks that, personally, I really like.
All signs pointed to the production version of the Concept C being offered exclusively as an EV, though I’ve been secretly holding out hope Audi would offer a cheaper, lighter combustion-powered version. Those dreams have been squashed by a spokesperson for the company, who confirmed to Motor1 that Audi’s new sports car will not have a tailpipe.
From Motor1’s report.
Daniel Schuster, Spokesperson for Technical Development, shut down rumors of a combustion-engine Concept C. In a statement to Motor1, he confirmed the performance machine will be sold exclusively as an EV. He also revealed the car will ride on a newly developed platform “that will be shared within the [Volkswagen] Group.”
To hear the production car will be an EV-only affair isn’t terribly surprising. Though it’s recently backed away from plans to be an EV-only manufacturer by 2033, Audi remains committed to pushing its lineup of electric cars, so having one at the very top of its product range makes sense. This car was also probably first greenlit a few years back, before carmakers started realizing no one really wants electric sports cars.
Source: Audi
Other companies within the VW Group are having a difficult time bringing their respective performance EVs to market. Lamborghini revealed its Lanzador concept back in 2023, with plans to bring a version to production in 2028. Then, back in December, the Italian supercar maker delayed the car’s launch by one year. Then, just last month, CEO Stephan Winkelmann told CarExpert the Lanzador might not end up being an EV at all, but rather a plug-in hybrid. In that same interview, he also axed plans to turn the Urus SUV into an EV.
Porsche, meanwhile, announced plans in 2022 to replace its much-loved 718 sports car with an all-electric version by the middle of the decade. Though the company hasn’t said anything official, rumors suggest the car’s been delayed due to battery issues, with a launch pushed back to 2027.
Source: Audi
Going by Schuster’s statement above, Motor1 seems to think the 718’s replacement and this new Audi will ride on the same platform. It’s a logical theory—Audi’s borrows the Porsche Taycan’s platform to build the e-tron GT, after all. And its previous halo car, the R8, borrowed its platform from the Lamborghini Huracán (and previously, the Gallardo). So the Concept C doing something similar makes sense. That’s the beauty of being a multi-brand conglomerate.
It also means the production Audi sports car should be fun to drive. The most exciting Audis are based on other cars from the VW Group, in my experience. So I have big expectations. Electric or not, this thing needs to stir emotions and get people excited about the brand. That’s the whole point of a halo car.
Top graphic image: Audi
I mean, if you want engagement that badly, all you have to do is ask.
I very, very much want an electric sports car. Maybe more of a sport-compact, the idea of a lightweight, modestly-powered car that’s fun to drive and practical.
On the other hand, the rich people who could actually afford this car probably don’t and might be happier with a large SUV that can go 0-60 in less time than it takes to say “zero to sixty”.
So maybe in practice, the statement is correct.
Nobody wants this electric sports car, and Audi’s customers probably don’t want any electric sports cars.