Audi Confirms a New Electric Sports Car Based on the Concept C will Enter Production Within the Next Two Years

• The brand’s CEO has put an end to rumours that the upcoming electric sports car has been cancelled.

• This model will share its platform and powertrain with the future Porsche 718 EV.

• The production version is expected to retain most of the concept’s design, marking a new direction for Audi styling.

While there have been rumours that the Audi Concept C would not lead to a production version, Audi’s CEO, Gernot Döllner, has confirmed that a new electric sports car based on this concept should hit the market within the next two years.

Indeed, the executive says that the Concept C is a “serious product” that has a secure future as the vehicle that will usher in a new era of vehicle design at the German automaker.

In fact, the production model is expected to retain about 87% of the concept’s design work, which means we can expect a radical departure from the brand’s current models.

Most notably, the Concept C features a narrow vertical “grille” that sits between slim horizontal headlamps and recessed sections of the fascia that lead into large air intakes at the edges of the body.

The overall shape of the Concept C resembles both the R8 and the original TT sports cars, which shows that Audi hasn’t forgotten its heritage in this regard.

Many of the rumours about the project’s abandonment stemmed from uncertainty about the fate of the upcoming electric Porsche 718 Cayman and Boxster, with which the production version of the Concept C will share a platform and powertrains.

Few technical details are known at the moment, but the PPE Sport platform on which the production version will be based features a battery pack mounted in front of the rear axle and a rear-mounted electric motor. An all-wheel drive version with a second electric motor installed up front is reportedly also planned.

In an internal letter sent to employees last month, Audi’s CEO said that the delivery of the platform from Porsche is not in question and that both divisions of the Volkswagen Group are collaborating well on this project.

Apart from its external appearance, the upcoming Audi electric sports car is also expected to preview the brand’s next philosophy in terms of interior design, which should feature more physical controls and better materials than current models.

Given its status as both a convertible-only sports car and an electric vehicle, the production version of the Audi Concept C is not expected to be a volume seller, but rather a niche product that could serve as a halo car that attracts new buyers into showrooms.

Source: Motor1.com