Audi confirmed the Concept C previews a 2027 production model. Now journalists are driving street-legal prototypes on public roads in Spain. The all-electric two-seat roadster made headlines in September 2025 as a design study. These test drives confirm the concept is far closer to production reality than typical auto show vehicles.
Designer: Audi
Car and Driver’s Spanish edition reported getting behind the wheel of the Concept C on public roads, describing it as a potential successor to the R8 rather than just a TT replacement. The prototype’s dimensions and supercar proportions align more closely with Audi’s departed flagship than its affordable sports coupe. Audi CEO Gernot Döllner told media the production version will slot between the TT and R8 in positioning and price.
The street-legal status matters because concept cars rarely progress beyond static displays. Audi building drivable prototypes this early signals serious production commitment. The company expects to sell “a very low five-digit number” globally starting in 2027, with pricing between $60,000 and $160,000.
Engineering That Matters: Weight and Dynamics
At 1,690 kilograms curb weight, the Concept C weighs less than an R8 Spider and undercuts most electric sports car rivals. This lightweight approach defies the typical EV weight penalty through careful material selection and structural efficiency. The battery packs stack low in the chassis, creating a lowered center of gravity that delivers mid-engined handling characteristics without the packaging compromises of a traditional mid-engine layout.
The Premium Platform Electric (PPE) architecture, shared with Porsche’s next-generation 718, incorporates 800-volt electrical architecture enabling rapid DC charging. While Audi hasn’t released official charging times, the 800v system typically allows 10-80% charges in under 20 minutes at compatible high-power stations. The 89kWh battery capacity promises over 300 miles of range, aided significantly by the car’s lightweight construction and aerodynamic efficiency.
The concept measures 178 inches long, slightly larger than the R8 at 174.4 inches. This positioning between TT and R8 creates space for a new model in Audi’s lineup while delivering dual-motor Quattro capability with balanced weight distribution front to rear.
Why This Design Actually Works on Real Roads
The Concept C’s radical vertical frame dominates its face, replacing traditional horizontal grilles with an upright monolithic structure. This design choice draws inspiration from the 1936 Auto Union Type C race car and the 2004 A6. What makes this work in practice: the vertical orientation creates authority without aggression. The electric powertrain eliminates functional requirements for large cooling apertures, allowing designers to focus purely on creating emotional impact through form.
Clean surfaces and horizontal slats at the rear emphasize sporting character through subtle visual cues rather than dramatic aerodynamic elements. The electrically retractable hardtop maintains the car’s monolithic silhouette whether raised or lowered, addressing fundamental challenges that have plagued convertible design for decades. When most convertibles sacrifice visual cohesion for open-air driving, Audi solved this by designing a two-element roof system that maintains the car’s proportions in both configurations.
The Vertical Front End: Why It’s Dividing Everyone
The front end of the Concept C represents the most hotly debated design decision Audi has made in years. You either see architectural brilliance or tradition-breaking blasphemy. There’s not much middle ground.
What Makes It Controversial:
Instead of the horizontal grille found on virtually every modern sports car, Audi committed to an upright, solid structure that stretches vertically across the nose. This isn’t a subtle evolution. This is a complete departure from Audi’s classic hexagonal grille and from sports car convention itself. The inspiration reaches back to the 1936 Auto Union Type C race car and forward to the 2004 A6, but the execution feels entirely new.
The monolithic front face doesn’t rely on air inlets for cooling. The electric powertrain eliminated that functional requirement, freeing designers to focus purely on aesthetics and emotional impact. Supporters call it restrained authority with distinct character. The kind of minimalism that’s bold without needless aggression.
Detractors call it blocky. Too architectural. Some reviewers say it looks like a concept car that forgot to follow sports car traditions. The debate centers on whether this departure from Audi’s design language represents timeless evolution or just a bold experiment that won’t age well.
The Light Signature Question:
The new four-element lighting with horizontally aligned LEDs becomes the foundation for all future Audi models. Each headlight features four elements creating unmistakable presence during day and night. But some reviewers feel it undercuts the brand’s previous “predatory” light signatures. The precision is there. The execution is flawless. The question becomes whether Audi’s new face communicates the right emotion.
My Take:
The vertical orientation creates authority without aggression. I’ve said this before, and seeing it on real roads in Spain reinforces my position. This design works because it lets the car express emotional impact through form, not function. The lack of traditional intake, the upright shape, the strong surfacing all mark a major philosophical break.
Will the industry embrace this new face? Will buyers? I think they will, but not immediately. This design requires adjustment time. It challenges what we think a sports car should look like. That discomfort is intentional. Audi isn’t chasing easy consensus. They’re establishing a new design language that will define the brand for the next decade.
The radical simplicity philosophy demands this kind of courage. You can’t claim to strip away excess while maintaining conservative design choices. The vertical front end demonstrates that Audi means what they say about focusing on clarity, technicality, and emotional impact over visual complexity.
Five years from now, this face will either look prescient or dated. My bet: prescient. Audi is leading where others will eventually follow. But they’re accepting the controversy that comes with being first.
Four Design Elements That Actually Matter
The Cylindrical Center Console Element
I have to be honest. This single piece makes me giddy as a designer. The precision and attention to detail evident in this one component represents everything I love about thoughtful automotive design. Look at those machined surfaces and the way it rises from the center tunnel like a piece of automotive jewelry. It’s not trying to be anything other than what it is: a beautifully crafted functional element that happens to be gorgeous.
The tolerances are so tight you can practically feel the precision just by looking at it. This is what happens when engineers and designers stop compromising with each other and start collaborating. It reminds me why I fell in love with automotive design in the first place. That moment when pure function becomes pure beauty.
That Ribbed Seat Back Detail
This might seem like a small thing, but it’s genius in its subtlety. The way those ribs echo the rear exterior slats without being obvious about it demonstrates master-level design thinking. It’s like discovering a hidden musical theme that runs through an entire symphony. Once you see it, you can’t unsee it.
The seats themselves deserve special attention. Audi specified wool upholstery, a notable departure from the typical leather-everything approach most luxury automakers default to. Wool offers superior breathability, temperature regulation, and sustainable sourcing compared to leather. The fact that most people will never consciously notice the ribbing connection makes it even more beautiful to me. It’s design for designers, but it still works for everyone else on a subconscious level. This kind of visual continuity across an entire vehicle separates the masters from the amateurs.
The Steering Wheel’s Absolute Perfection
Forget every overstyled, button-laden steering wheel you’ve ever seen. This wheel gets back to the fundamental truth of what a steering wheel should be: perfectly round, perfectly weighted, perfectly simple. Those machined aluminum spokes aren’t trying to look like anything other than precision-crafted aluminum. The real metal Audi rings in the center feel substantial in a way that plastic badges never could.
When I see this wheel, I want to hold it. I want to feel that “Audi click” they talk about. This is how you honor the most important interface between human and machine. You approach it with respect, restraint, and absolute commitment to quality.
The Electric Sports Car Question: Alive or Appliance?
Here’s the debate that matters most to enthusiasts. Electric vehicles deliver instant torque and precise power delivery, but do they feel alive? Or do they risk becoming clinical appliances that perform flawlessly while killing the emotional connection that makes sports cars worth owning?
The Concept C’s low center of gravity and balanced weight distribution suggest Audi understands this challenge. Mid-engined feel without mid-engine compromises. Quick handling response from that 1,690kg curb weight. The question becomes whether the driving experience delivers the visceral feedback and emotional engagement that separates sports cars from fast commuters.
I won’t pretend to have driven this prototype. But the engineering choices suggest Audi is chasing involvement, not just performance numbers. The wool seats that breathe with you. The tactile aluminum controls that click with mechanical precision. The steering wheel designed for communication between driver and machine. These details matter when you’re trying to create a sports car instead of a quick EV.
The real test will come when production versions reach the road. Will the Concept C join the rare group of EVs that feel alive? Or will it sacrifice soul for efficiency? The engineering foundation exists for the former. Execution will determine which it becomes.
Production Reality Meets Design Philosophy
Audi plans to manufacture the production version at its Böllinger Höfe plant starting in 2027. The shared platform with Porsche’s upcoming electric 718 Boxster and Cayman suggests significant engineering collaboration between the brands. Both vehicles will use the PPE architecture developed jointly by Audi and Porsche for premium electric sports cars.
The new four-element light signature introduced on the Concept C will define Audi’s visual identity moving forward. Each headlight and rear light features four horizontally arranged elements creating unmistakable presence during day and night driving. This design element will appear across future Audi models as part of the brand’s new design philosophy.
Inside, the Concept C demonstrates sophisticated design translation from exterior to interior. Strong architectural surfaces and clear geometric forms ensure space for both occupants while placing the driver at the center. Physical controls manufactured from anodized aluminum provide tactile experience reflecting mechanical quality. The 10.4-inch foldable center display provides information intuitively, tailored to every situation.
How the Concept C Stacks Up
Competitive Positioning:
The Concept C will compete against Porsche’s electric 718 lineup, which shares its platform and likely similar performance targets. Beyond that direct rival, the positioning between $60,000 and $160,000 places it above traditional affordable sports cars like the Toyota GR86 ($30,000) and Mazda MX-5 Miata ($28,000) while undercutting supercars.
The BMW Z4 ($50,000-$65,000) offers traditional internal combustion competition at the lower end of the Concept C’s price range. However, the electric powertrain and Audi’s radical simplicity design philosophy differentiate it fundamentally from BMW’s approach.
Key Specifications:
Length: 178 inches (vs R8: 174.4 inches, Porsche 718: 172.4 inches)
Weight: 1,690 kg (lighter than R8 Spider, competitive with 718 Cayman)
Range: 300+ miles (89kWh battery, 800v architecture)
Price: $60,000-$160,000 (between TT and R8 positioning)
Production: 2027, Böllinger Höfe plant, low five-digit global volume
The production model will need to justify its premium pricing through design execution, driving engagement, and emotional connection that budget sports cars can’t match while offering the effortless performance and low operating costs that electric powertrains enable.
A Design Philosophy Worth Following
Audi describes its new approach as “radical simplicity,” stripping away digital clutter in favor of tactile controls and emotional clarity. Chief Creative Officer Massimo Frascella, only one year into leading Audi design, calls the Concept C “a call to action for the whole company” and “essential to making our brand truly distinctive once again.”
The concept marks the beginning of a new design philosophy that will shape models beyond the 2027 roadster. Going forward, Audi will focus on clarity, technicality, intelligence, and emotion. High-quality materials demonstrate precision in every detail while minimalist design ensures interiors remain free from distractions.
The street-legal prototype testing in Spain validates Audi’s commitment to bringing this design vision to production. Unlike concept cars that remain purely aspirational, the Concept C represents concrete engineering development. Journalists driving functional prototypes two years before production launch suggests Audi has resolved major technical challenges.
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