Audi commits to Concept C in 2027 amid Porsche 718 EV uncertainty

Audi has confirmed the production version of the Concept C remains on track to launch next year, as CEO Gernot Döllner has moved to quell speculation around the firm’s electric successor to the TT.

In an internal letter to Audi employees, first reported by Germany’s Donaukurier, Döllner sought to address concerns over the two-seater, elements of which are being developed in partnership with Porsche. 

“The delivery of the platform by Porsche is not in question,” he wrote, adding that cooperation between the two Volkswagen Group brands is “proceeding in good collaboration between Team Porsche and Team Audi”.

Referred to internally as the C-Sport, the new sports car was conceived to share its underpinnings, drivetrains, battery and other key components with Porsche’s planned electric 718 Boxster and 718 Cayman. However, questions over its future emerged following a change of CEO at Porsche, Michael Leiters replacing Oliver Blume on 1 January 2026.

US-based news agency Bloomberg subsequently reported that Porsche, under Leiters’ leadership, was reviewing a possible cancellation for the electric 718 duo as part of broader cost-cutting measures.

This prompted speculation that the C-Sport could also be affected, but Döllner’s message appears intended to reassure Audi employees that plans for the new car remain secure despite wider discussions around EV platforms and future model plans within the Volkswagen Group.

The distinct styling, compact dimensions, snug interior and technical direction of the C-Sport were previewed by the Concept C at September’s Munich motor show.

The 4350mm-long, dual-motor coupé - which Autocar drove last year – is based on a heavily modified version of the Premium Platform Electric (PPE) architecture, with the battery moved from beneath the floor to a location behind the driver, allowing for a lower seating position.

For Audi, the new sports car carries additional significance beyond its technical basis. The C-Sport is the first model to be styled under Massimo Frascella, the company’s new design chief, and is intended to signal the brand’s new design lineage, including the introduction of a revised front grille set to feature on future Audi models.