THE BREAKDOWN Audi CEO Gernot Döllner quashes rumors about canceling the Concept C. The head honcho labels the electric sports car as a 'serious product.' The production-ready EV will hit the market within the next two years. Reports that Audi is considering killing off its sports car have been greatly exaggerated. The company’s CEO has gone on record to say the Concept C is still on track and will be launched within the next two years. There’s been speculation that Porsche could potentially axe the electric 718, and how that could have repercussions for the equivalent targa EV bearing the Four Rings. However, Gernot Döllner is refuting rumors that the Concept C has been terminated. In an interview with Australian magazine GoAuto, the head honcho from Ingolstadt made it abundantly clear the new-era Audi is still happening: “We presented that last September, and within two years, we will have it in the market.” Audi’s top brass calls the Concept C a “serious product,” putting everyone at ease about the model’s future. Last month, Döllner sent an internal letter to company employees to make it clear that plans for the performance EV have not been aborted: “The delivery of the platform by Porsche is not in question,” adding that Audi and Porsche are “proceeding in good collaboration.” Although the two-seater sports car with an electrically folding targa roof won’t mark the return of the TT, Audi hopes it will have the same impact as the original 1998 car. The Concept C hits the reset button on design language, adopting fresh styling we’ll see on subsequent production models in the coming years. The show car already had about 87 percent of the final design, according to a previous statement made by Chief Creative Officer Massimo Frascella. Last year, Audi told us this would be the only body style available, as a coupe with a fixed roof is not planned. While today’s Audi models have an abundance of screens, the sports car illustrated a return to more physical controls and a discreet infotainment system that folded into the dashboard, reminiscent of 2010-era models. We’ve also been promised nicer materials, as the company itself admitted cabins have suffered a downgrade in recent years. Oscar da Silva Martins, Head of Product and Technology Communications, told Motor1: “We have certainly been better in terms of quality in the past, but we will get there again.” The production car is expected to ride on the VW Group’s PPE Sport platform, with a battery pack mounted ahead of the rear wheels. In concept form, Audi’s stunner weighed 3,725 pounds (1,690 kilograms) and featured a rear-mounted electric motor. A dual-motor, all-wheel-drive configuration is also in the works. 2025 Audi Concept C Motor1's Take: The Concept C isn’t just a preview of what will inevitably be a niche product, given that it’s both a sports car and an electric one. Audi has received a wake-up call from customers frustrated by the brand’s direction in recent years, and the new EV will attempt to address that criticism. Canceling the sports car after making such a big deal about what it stands for wouldn’t have boded well for Audi’s already damaged image. While it’s reassuring to hear the car is still officially happening, putting a gas engine behind the seats would arguably be even better. An electric-only setup will inevitably alienate buyers looking for an indirect TT replacement. Audi’s boss himself projects the car’s annual sales will be in the “very low five digits,” so the company is already aware this won’t be a resounding commercial success. Perhaps it doesn’t have to be, given that the Concept C aims to send a message: Audi is back. We want your opinion! What would you like to see on Motor1.com? Take our 3 minute survey. - The Motor1.com Team
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