Just two years ago, Audi had two sports cars in its lineup: the TT and the R8. Now, it has zero. With no halo car to point towards, the German carmaker feels like a bit of a lost brand, now best known for fumbling to decide what to name its latest forgettable EV. The company plans to right that wrong today with the introduction of a new, TT-esque concept. Pictures of the two-door coupe have leaked ahead of tonight’s reveal, and it looks… excellent?
This concept car, originally leaked by Audi Canada’s social channel over the weekend before being taken down, takes on the TT’s general silhouette, with a tight cabin and a swooping roof that culminates at the rear. Its proportions are far more dramatic, however, with bigger wheels and larger overhangs. It feels like the first truly distinctive design from Audi in years.
Then there’s that nose. As Autocar points out, the vertical opening is reminiscent of Auto Union’s Grand Prix cars of the 1930s. But the squared off shape also takes influence from Audi’s Avus concept from 1991. The thin headlights are a popular trend with concepts and production cars alike; the whole thing reminds me of the “Mimic” monsters from that Tom Cruise movie, Edge of Tomorrow. And I love it.
Being a leak, there’s no word on specs (or even a name) for this concept, though the internet seems to believe it’ll be fully electric. Going by the windshield wipers, the full interior, and the real side mirrors, it seems pretty close to production, too. In an interview last month with German magazine Bild (and translated by Motor1), Audi CEO Gernot Döllner called this concept the “TT Moment 2.0,” describing it as a “highly emotional sports car.” He also said a production version would arrive within the next two years.
Instead of calling the car an outright TT replacement, Döllner told Bild this new car would be “something in between” a TT and the dearly departed R8. That explains the longer wheelbase and wider track. It also makes a lot of sense—having two dedicated sports cars in Audi’s lineup wasn’t sustainable for the brand, so combining that task into one vehicle is an apt solution. As cool as an Audi-skinned Lamborghini Temerario sounds, it’s almost certainly not happening. It’s either this or nothing, Audi fans.
I’m a longtime believer in halo cars. When a brand has a car that customers can look up to and strive for, it gets them in the door and makes them fans of a company’s overall ethos. Halo cars are good internally, too. Engineers and designers can lean on such a model to develop more striking design cues and better performance. Even if this car is electric, it’s better than nothing at all. What’s that saying? A rising tide lifts all boats. That sorta makes sense in this situation, right?
In any case, the world will know a lot more about this Audi concept later today, when the company releases more information. Keep an eye out here for updates.
**SHEESH**
Love it. Compare this to the sh*i show that contemporary Audi design (looking at you Q3 and Q6), this is a return to form. Forget about those Jaguar references, Audi introduced high-waisted slab-sided design long before, starting with Audi 80 B3 and B4. Walter de Silva introduced swagger and sexiness in Audi design with the Nuvolari, all since lost in a confusion of massive plastic grilles, fake exhausts and blacked out logos. Chapeau!
Well, the Jaguar re-brand was successful enough to inspire Audi on this design.
Hate it!
***Insert Statler and Waldorf heckling it***
Sorry, it looks way too much like that new Jaguar concept car that everyone pretty much despises (usually seen in Barbie pink, though sometimes in blue). The brutalist, chunky form seems antithetical to the original TT (and even the sequels, though of course they did get bigger/heavier over time).
I’d probably never own another Audi myself, or any VW product given my prior experiences with the brands, so they couldn’t give a flying f*ck about my opinion.
Is it called the CyberCoupe? CoupeBeast?
I’m loving these new concepts that look like they took a planer to a Cybertruck to smooth out the edges a little but keep the same brutal “Atlas Shrugged” aesthetic. At least Jag published theirs in pink instead of dystopian grey.
Audi seems to be lost in brand identity. obviously the fact that they belong to VAG doesn’t help as they share too many platforms internally and economically this is the way to go. Their Techno Moto on which they were rolling for years is kind of gone now, every car is now Techno Advanced Application-plagued appliance. I see Audi fans but they are mostly driving S3,S4,S5….
maybe it is location, here in Toronto, Canada but I barely see a new A4, A6, or A8. some Q7s, very little Q8s, some Q3s and Q5 but again not as many as BMW X-series or Mercedes..
Looks much better than the latest batch of blobs Audi has put out.
can’t wait until somebody freezes their hand to the door handle somewhere North.
oh wait…it will be plastic…
God damn, I hate cars with no rear window!
this might as well be 2001 concept.
IIRC The front end is very much in the style of the Auto Union racers. Just to be sure, I double checked and sure enough, it is the style of the historic racers. I wasn’t aware that the Auto Union engineers (Dr. Ferdinand Porsche was the designer of the first AU car) designed the frontal area of their race cars to be reminiscent of Hitler’s mustache. What an homage to facial hair!
Or, people just got Hitler, Fascism, Nazism, and crap taking up space in their heads and everything they see is some dog whistle to Sauron level rightwing conspiracy thing. Don’t get me started on Morgoth. *shrug*
Auto Union racers had grilles which were oval with a flattened bottom, and silver vertical grates in a convex configuration with three horizontal bars. The Audi Rosenmeyer is a faithful reproduction of that grille.
This is a flat black rectangle with no texture at all (piano black?)
Rather different.
A valid point. However, the oval shape that also followed the lines of the curved hoods on the racers. The oval shape just wouldn’t work with the brutalist slab sided lines on the concept car. Just as a flat black rectangle wouldn’t work on the 1930s cars.
Look at the Rosemeyer again.
There’s nothing oval about that fascia.
The grille shape is highly forced – it could just as easily have been a circle, a square, a horizontal slot, or nothing at all considering its rear engine.
Ahh, the Rosemeyer Auto Union unlike the other Auto Unions! I saw that yesterday. There is nothing oval? Of course not, it is a streamline form designed to have minimal frontal profile to aid in being as aerodynamic as was understood in the 1930s. I stick to my opinion that the frontal opening is not only appropriate for the concepts design but is a nice touch while evoking the Audi Union racers. With that said, I would prefer the new concept to be more like the Rosemeyer than the current design.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Audi_Rosemeyer
That’s quite ugly. I hope they build it and that it’ll flop spectacularly.
Its got a great side profile and those rims look pretty sweet too. I’d like some more sidewall, but I understand the world that I live in. From the front it looks like an early 00’s Cadillac humped a current day Supra and this is that love child. With a nose job I think it could be a great looking car.
To my eyes, there’s just something really jarring going on at the B-pillar. Almost like the back half belongs to a car one size bigger (e.g. an A4 front half joined to an A6 rear half).
The toothbrush mustache is doing it no favours either.
It looks mid-engined, with a long mid-section and a short dash-to-axle at the front. Of course, without an engine, that’s pointless, but it does seem they’re at least trying to make an R8 reference with that.
Strong Jaguar concept vibes from the front… and obviously not in a good way
Exactly. I thought this was another article about the Jaguar, it looks 90% based from that slab, with a slightly better rear.
Came here to say this. It’s like they saw the ‘new’ jag and said “This is what we need.” Gross.
The front end is giving major “Cease And Desist Letter from Bugatti’s Lawyers” vibes
And the side/top scream “S8” far more than they do “TT”
Lovely from all sides but the front. I don’t know if I’d want to own an Angry Cyberkoala.
Hopefully the production model tones that down, but it was a lost opportunity for Audi to come up with a cleaner front, something that many manufacturers should get on.
The era of ginormous grilles is drawing to a close, out of fashion if nothing else as they are old news by now. That EVs both don’t need and are not helped by it also pushes against.
I look forward to see ing the 3/4 views. The isolated top and front views are so different in feel, I’d like to see some 3D perspective to know how this thing really looks.
So, for an authoritarian era, we’re getting brutalist automotive design. As a mk.1 TT owner I have to say this sucks.
I like simple designs when executed elegantly. Too many auto designs are overloaded with angles, creases and fake vents, for no reason other than appearance.
This is close to a good design, but those enormous fender cheeks in the front view are horrible, especially combined with that grille.
For over a century, we’ve been conditioned to see a front bumper, and there are very good reasons to have one. Adding a front bumper form would help immensely.
As-is, I have no interest. It’s a crude imitation of an artful design, like someone tried to do a fine-lined sketch on a note card with a broad point marker.
But it’s only a few changes away from something I would lust after.
Maybe a front bumper form could replace that silly knife-edge air dam, possibly doing most of the same aero job.
Well, at least they’ve kept the authentic Audi color scheme.
To everyone saying this is derivative of the Jaguar Type 00 Concept, that car was apparently sketched by Massimo Fraschella, Gerry McGovern’s long time right hand man. Fraschella departed JLR and after gardening leave arrived at Audi, so this is almost certainly the first Audi to apear under his direction.
So not derivative, just a little unimaginative?
Designers like artists, sulctors, fashon designers or architects, have a personal style and aesthetic that is expressed in their work.
Or in this case, lack of style. It looks like the low res CFD models that people compare to Bulbasaur… (I do believe this designer is capable of good things, but this is not it)
I’m still formulating my opinion now it’s officially been released, but my initial thoughts are it’s a little plain and could use some additional detailing.
There are those types of designers, but there are also designers capable of applying styles to fit the context. Not all designers are so ego-driven that they assume their personal style is applicable everywhere. Unfortunately, ego-driven designers are often the ones to cultivate the attention that gives them the positions where their personal style replaces thoughtful, context-driven design.
Very true; Gandini sprang to mind when I read your reply.
I just find it a bit surprising that nobody in Audi paused for thought at the similarity – even down to the pinkish hue.
Some guys need a cheek with a pinkish hue.
George Costanza…
The opposite could also be true: Audi saw something in the Type 00 they liked.
When I first saw the image, I thought “Jaguar Type 00”. Then, had to find an image of the Type 00 to see why that’s what flashed across my mind when it turned out to be an Audi. Yep, look similar enough.
Due to Autopian’s continuing obstinance for starting the comments on the last page rather than on Page 1, I haven’t yet seen other’s comments.
But kudos to all who had the same reaction.
(And have the same disappointment that Autopian refuses to correct their oversight, re: properly starting comments on page 1.)
EDIT:
Also throw in a resemblance to the Bentley EXP 15 Concept.
Seems we’ve moved away from “bar of soap” shaped cars and into “box that soap came in” shaped cars.
I don’t hate it. But I have to side with everyone comparing it to Jag’s 00 concept, at least in connection with the capricious “who needs rear visibility?” decision and especially in terms of the nose’s “paint a face on a Jersey barrier” approach, which pedestrian safety basically mandates. And yes, that face makes two uncomfortably fraught statements. 1: “Don’t forget, we’re part of the same group that owns Bugatti” and 2: “Fascism is BACK, baby! See what we did with the little square above its lip? See? Heil yeah!”
Nevertheless, stuff a turbo 5-cylinder in the back of that thing so it’s RWD or AWD, make it look less like it wants to screech austere dogma at me, and color me intrigued.
I didn’t exactly hate the Bentley EXP 15 Concept’s face. Yet, they’re starting to look the same enough to smear the identity of each brand.
And, maybe you’re on to something about these blocky, brutalist car faces trending toward the authoritarian swing several first world *countries seem to be headed, or already exhibiting.
Until you cited it, I didn’t see the implied mustache (think reversing black and white/silver colors).
When I think about emotional designs, these truly aren’t the emotions I want to feel when looking at new cars.
* EDIT: countries.
After watching a couple of YouTube walk-arounds of the car, the rest of the car seems better from different views. The front still seems, not sure of the word, “uncomfortable” maybe? And, why such a long overhang at the front?
The intersection of the front and rear fenders to the front and rear ends, respectively, seems less resolved and more of, Well, this is just how it stops and we’ll say the knife-blade edge/point was intended all along.
The wool fabric sleekly does its job and allows a more elegant, simple feel to the interior, such as covering auto speakers so they’re hidden. Placement of bare metal is nice. And, good that some physical buttons are returning.
A two-door coupe isn’t my aspiration, whether BEV or ICE. I’ve like Audis and have thought that an Allroad wagon might be on my shopping list in a few years when I need a new car. (I dream that wagons will still exist in the 2030s.)
Guess I’m feeling more meh about the design, and wanted to add to my initial reaction, now that I’ve seen videos of the exterior and interior to better see and understand the overall design.
Not everyone needs to love every design, and I applaud Audi for trying for a reset. Just hope there are enough who have a passion for this concept to keep Audi in the game, and give them time to build other vehicles more suited to those seeking practicality with some vim and interest.
…so i.Robot. Got it.
I was unaware that Audi was consulting GM’s “Tall-Ass Front End” department. There’s too much front, not unlike an Escalade.
The Hitler Mustache Grille does it zero favours as well.
“The Hitler Mustache Grille does it zero favours as well”
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