Not too long ago, Audi unveiled its exciting new Concept C. A fresh-faced design study, this sleek two-door not only hints (or perhaps, shouts) at a possible future sports car but also previews a whole new design philosophy for the four-ring luxury brand.
There’s a lot to digest here, and industry analyst and all-around automotive expert Jim Hall has plenty of insights to share in the latest episode of Jim Hall Knows it All from AutoEsoterica, so buckle up.
With an all-electric powertrain, the Audi Concept C promises to deliver strong performance and excellent efficiency, even if the automaker hasn’t yet shared any specifics about what’s under the hood. But arguably, what’s even more important than that is this car’s design, which, according to Hall, is something of a throwback, and not just in the way Audi points out in its media release.
The manufacturer notes that the Concept C’s front end, with its tall, narrow grille and air intakes set wide on the front fascia was inspired by the Type C racecar from way back in 1936; and if you squint, there is certainly a passing resemblance. Beyond that, as Hall points out, this concept draws clear inspiration from much more recent Audis, vehicles that were produced in the last few decades, not way back in the 30s. The first-generation TT sports car, the A6 luxury sedan and even the A8 flagship four-door, with its aluminum spaceframe structure all clearly inspired this concept’s styling, both outside and in.
To hear fascinating analysis about the new Audi Concept C, make sure to watch the episode of Jim Hall Knows it All, which is conveniently embedded below. AutoEsoterica is home to the under-appreciated and fantastical in car culture. Frontman Craig Cole is a life-long car enthusiast whose videos range from the restoration progress of his vintage Fords to design analysis and industry insights from contributors Jason White and Jim Hall.
The TTAC Creators Series tells stories and amplifies creators from all corners of the car world, including culture, dealerships, collections, modified builds and more.
A transcript, cleaned up by AI and edited by a human staffer, is below.
[Image: YouTube Screenshot]
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Transcript:
Chapter 1: Introduction
Host:
That’s great. When people are driving and they see someone doing this, they’re like, “What’s he doing?”
Jim:
I was looking in the mirror.
Host:
So to me, this car is like martinis and bourbon.
Jim:
Jim likes his hard liquor, that’s for sure.
Host:
Well, there’s nothing hard to like about liquor.
Jim:
And the head of Audi America figured that out. He saw me once and said, “That was pretty clever, but you can’t do it anymore. We blocked it.”
Host:
Jim finds the loopholes. When he wants something, he knows how to get it.
Jim, I have a question.
Jim:
Yes, sir.
Host:
Why has Audi gone all the way back to the 1930s with its latest concept car?
Jim:
Audi has learned something from experience: sometimes, in a very crowded room, the best way to be heard is to whisper.
Host:
Jim knows it—or so he thinks.
So Audi recently unveiled a stunning new vehicle called the Concept C. It’s an electric sports car with a retractable hardtop, and it appears to foreshadow an upcoming production model.
Chapter 2: Meet the New Audi Concept C
Host:
It looks like the car would fit between the Audi TT and the R8, both of which are now out of production.
Jim:
Exactly. There’s a clear vacancy in Audi’s lineup for a sports car.
Host:
They’re hiring for that role.
Beyond that, the vehicle also previews a new design philosophy for the brand. Audi calls it “radical simplicity,” and it’s expected to shape the brand’s future design language.
Jim:
And we can see that philosophy on the Concept C.
The car is striking. Like another Audi concept from about 30 years ago, it’s already polarizing. Some people get it, others don’t. A few have compared it to the Jaguar Type 00 concept.
I don’t quite see that. There may be similarities, but philosophically this ties into what Audi has been doing historically.
More importantly, it occupies a very clear space in the market. In its own way, it could do what Audi’s 30-year-old concept did—the original TT concept, which debuted at the 1995 Frankfurt Motor Show.
Host:
Only this time it’s fully electric.
Jim:
Exactly.
Before we get into that significance, though, let’s look at the vehicle itself.
Chapter 3: Specifications
Host:
It’s an all-electric, two-seat sports car. Unfortunately, there are no powertrain details yet.
Jim:
But we can make some reasonable assumptions: lithium-ion battery pack, likely two electric motors, and probably a 0-to-60 time around 3.2 seconds.
That kind of performance is fairly easy with electric powertrains.
Another advantage is packaging. Sports cars are actually easier to package with electric drivetrains than with internal combustion engines.
They’re presenting it as a two-seater, but theoretically they could add small rear seats—similar to what Porsche does with the 911—for insurance classification purposes in Germany.
Host:
Right, because insurance categories change if a car is officially a two-seater.
Jim:
Exactly. That’s why cars like the 911 have essentially unusable rear seats. The original TT did the same thing.
Those seats might technically exist, but they’re mostly for luggage.
Chapter 4: Vintage Inspiration — But Not Retro
Jim:
Viewed head-on, the design references Audi’s Type C Grand Prix cars from the 1930s, built under the Auto Union name.
Host:
Not “auto union” like a labor union.
Jim:
No relation to the UAW.
The car features a large vertical grille, similar to those early racing cars. It also has two vertical openings that likely serve aerodynamic purposes—air curtains.
From a distance, the graphic treatment evokes the narrow black tires those old race cars used.
But this is not a retro design. It’s a contemporary car with historical references.
Host:
And the proportions are interesting too.
Jim:
Yes—very wheel-oriented, as sports cars must be. It also has some similarities to the TT in terms of upper body proportions.
Chapter 5: Jim Loves It — Do You?
Host:
This car clearly makes you smile.
Jim:
It does—and I’m a tough customer.
I love sports cars, but electric sports cars do raise questions. The main concern is weight. They’re extremely fast, but the real question is how they handle.
That said, they can absolutely be engineered to work well.
Host:
Is it possible this shares architecture with Porsche?
Jim:
I can’t say for sure, but it’s safe to assume it will come from a shared platform. Within the Volkswagen Group, they rarely develop a platform for just one vehicle.
With electric powertrains, sharing components is even easier.
Chapter 6: Design Highlights
Host:
The front end is particularly interesting.
Jim:
Yes. It has a large grille—even though an EV doesn’t necessarily need one for cooling.
But that area is perfect for housing the sensor suite used for driver-assistance systems like automatic braking and adaptive cruise control.
Sensors don’t work well behind metallic paint, so integrating them into a grille structure solves that problem.
From a production standpoint, the vehicle is very realistic. Nothing about the design seems impossible to build.
Host:
The radical aspect may not be a single element—it’s how everything comes together.
Jim:
Exactly. That’s what design really is.
Chapter 7: Interior
Host:
The interior might be even nicer than the exterior.
Jim:
It’s striking because of its simplicity. The surfaces are tailored and graphic without being overdone.
Concept cars often use materials that aren’t practical for production, but the overall design philosophy is very strong here.
What I appreciate most is the absence of a giant tablet glued to the dashboard.
There is a screen—but it’s retractable.
You don’t need most of that information while driving. So the screen stays hidden until it’s needed, and it likely pops up automatically when reversing.
The interior feels elegant, quiet, and functional.
Chapter 8: How Did We Get Here? (The TT Started It)
Jim:
To understand this car, you have to understand Audi’s history.
At one point, Audi wasn’t really considered a luxury brand. It was positioned above Volkswagen but below Mercedes-Benz.
Everything changed with the Audi TT concept revealed in 1995.
The TT introduced a distinctive design philosophy that later influenced the entire Audi lineup.
Chapter 9: The A6 Was a Big Deal
Jim:
One of the best examples of that influence was the Audi A6 that debuted a few years later.
Its rounded rear design and lighting graphics clearly echoed the TT’s styling themes.
It stood out among German midsize sedans and helped push Audi further into the premium market.
Chapter 10: The Aluminum A8 Played a Role Too
Jim:
Another major step was the first-generation Audi A8, which used an aluminum spaceframe structure.
Aluminum is expensive, so the car had to be positioned as a luxury product.
But it also gave Audi a unique identity—what some people called the “thinking person’s S-Class.”
It had all-wheel drive, a V8 engine, and advanced engineering that competitors didn’t offer at the time.
Chapter 11: It All Comes Back to the TT
Jim:
Ultimately, all of this traces back to the TT.
That car introduced design ideas that filtered across Audi’s lineup and helped elevate the brand.
The Concept C has the potential to play a similar role three decades later.
Chapter 12: Buy Our Stuff
Host:
Before we move on to Jim’s esoteric pick, we should mention the merchandise.
You can visit autoesoterica.myspreadshop.com to check out hats, mugs, tote bags, stickers, and more. There are original designs—not just a logo slapped on a T-shirt.
Chapter 13: Jim’s Esoteric Pick
Host:
Jim, what’s your pick today?
Jim:
It’s actually a car I owned—an Audi TT.
Mine was finished in a special mineral gray color through Audi Exclusive, paired with a bright Sierra Red interior.
The color was used sparingly—on the seats, door inserts, steering wheel, and shift knob—which gave the interior a very distinctive look.
The TT also had exposed aluminum structural elements inside the cabin, which were both functional and stylistic.
It wasn’t really a sports car. It was more of a sporty car. But I loved it.
If I could buy my original one back, I probably would.
Chapter 14: Conclusion
Host:
Fascinating discussion, Jim. I’m excited to see what Audi does with this new design theme.
Jim:
So am I.
Host:
Next up, BMW is also rethinking its design philosophy—and like Audi, it’s looking far into the past for inspiration.
Click the link on screen to watch that discussion next.
