Audi forced us to say goodbye to the TT at the end of 2023 and the R8 in early 2024, and while coupes aren't exactly big sellers these days, killing them off left Audi without a sports car of any sort in its lineup. So is that it? Is Audi done with two-door cars? Nope, not at all. Instead, its coupes are going electric, with Car and Driver reporting that Audi CEO Gernot Döllner told the German newspaper Bild that we'll see a new electric sports car concept in September, just before the Munich motor
show.
So, will the concept be a new Audi TT? Or will it be a new R8? According to Döllner, it won't actually be either. Instead, the new electric sports car sounds like it will be a bit of a replacement for both, with Döllner telling Bild it will be "a highly emotional sports car — not a TT, not an R8, but something in between." Considering it won't be front or mid-engine and will instead be an EV, that's probably a good thing. Carrying a name over would probably be good for recognition, but at the same time, it makes sense to give the new electric sports car an identity of its own.
While the car we see in September will officially be a concept, Döllner confirmed it's headed for production, saying plainly, "the car will be built." Just don't look for Audi's electric sports car to go on sale immediately. Instead, it will reportedly begin arriving at dealerships in about two years. Odds are, it'll at least share a platform with Porsche's upcoming electric replacement for the 718 Boxster and Cayman, a project that reportedly isn't going so well, so the two-year wait may be necessary to work out all the kinks before customers get their grubby little paws on it.
Read more: These Are What You Wanted As First Cars (And What You Got Instead)
TT Moment 2.0
While Döllner didn't reveal many details on the new car, including what it will be called, Car and Driver says it expects the upcoming concept to also show off a new design language and interior, along with several new tech features. We'll reportedly see that design language in future Audis, too, so you'd better hope you like the new look. If not, you're going to dislike pretty much every new Audi you see over the next decade or so. Maybe it will look like the 2021 Skysphere concept shown here, or maybe not, but, personally, I wouldn't complain if it did. This thing looks rad as hell.
Regardless of what the concept actually looks like, though, Döllner admitted Audi's struggled in recent years and needs a "TT Moment 2.0" to get back on track. He also called the upcoming car "an identity builder" and told Bild, "I don't want to beat around the bush; we have to get back on track now." Those are certainly the right things to say, considering how hard it is to justify buying any Audi other than maybe the new Q6 E-Tron over its competitors. Still, whether or not Audi will actually be successful at the whole "get back on track" thing remains to be seen.
Either way, though, we've got a cool new concept with production intent to look forward to. And for better or worse, in a little over a month, we'll have a much better idea of the direction Audi's headed.
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