View PhotosAudi
- In an interview with Top Gear, Audi CEO Gernot Döllner revealed more details on what to expect from the brand’s upcoming electric sports car.
- The Concept C is about 90 percent similar to the production model, which will sit between the retired TT and R8 in terms of performance.
- Döllner also said the sports car could feature virtual gearchanges to make it more engaging to drive.
Last week, Audi unveiled the sharp-looking Concept C, previewing a new design language with a rectangular, vertically oriented grille and thin LED headlights. But the Concept C doesn’t just serve as a vision for the brand’s styling; it will actually go into production within the next few years as an indirect electric successor to the TT sports car. Now, in an interview with Top Gear, CEO Gernot Döllner has revealed a bit more of what to expect from Audi’s upcoming performance EV. Döllner told Top Gear the concept is about 90 percent similar to the production model, saying, “During my time at Audi, I will only present concept cars that have a decision to be produced.” He says the company aims to get the production version ready by 2027, and clarified that it will not carry the TT badge. View PhotosAudi”It sits almost precisely in the middle between TT and R8,” he explained, stating that the Concept C moniker is just a placeholder. “To be honest, it could start with an R or be a name,” he said. “Sometimes it’s easier to develop a car than find a name for it.” The concept car Audi unveiled ahead of the IAA show in Munich is fully functional and street-legal, Döllner claimed. ➡️ Skip the lot. Let Car and Driver help you find your next car.Shop New Cars Shop Used CarsElectric sports cars have so far struggled to capture the attention of automotive enthusiasts, who tend to be more attached to the noise and vibration of internal-combustion powertrains—not to mention that no production EVs have a manual transmission. Sporty EVs such as the Rimac Nevera post mind-boggling performance numbers, but they have had trouble finding buyers.But Audi plans to follow Hyundai’s lead in its bid to make the Concept C engaging to drive by creating a virtual transmission, with faux shifts that allow the car to be driven more like a conventional gas-powered vehicle. Hyundai implemented this feature on the Ioniq 5 N, which can be “shifted” via paddle shifters behind the steering wheel and can even bounce off a virtual redline, with piped-in engine noise to match the behavior of the powertrain.View PhotosAudi”We found that a virtual gearbox and sound really add something to driving an electric car,” Döllner said. Creating fake gearchanges and fake engine noises gives drivers extra cues to understand the car’s behavior, which can inspire more confidence behind the wheel. Döllner sees this as beneficial to spirited driving, saying, “Even on the racetrack, I’m faster with a car with a virtual gearbox.”This technology isn’t officially confirmed for the production version of the Concept C, but Döllner said the automaker is developing a virtual “gearbox” and that Audi is “quite open to finding innovative solutions in this area.” Döllner also hinted at fake engine noises, suggesting that the sound of the soon-to-be-retired five-cylinder engine found in the RS3 could maybe “come back virtually.” There are still a few years before we’ll be able to drive the production-spec sports car, but we’re definitely intrigued.More Electric Performance Cars
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Source: caranddriver.com
