There’s an interesting turn of events at Porsche that could possibly affect the future of the production version of Audi’s Concept C and so it’s worth reviewing. In short, Porsche is again evaluating whether or not to scrap plans for its nearly-ready 718 electric. Given the Porsche-developed architecture we’ve come to know as “PPE Sport” and that underpins the car is also planned for the Concept C, this could also have ramifications at Audi. Here’s what we know.
PORSCHE REEVALUATING 718 EV
The reasons for Porsche’s reported reassessment of the plan to launch an all-electric 718 Boxster and Cayman are several. Porsche has a new CEO, Michael Leiters, and within a very short span since he arrived he’s placed programs like that of the 718 EV under heavy scrutiny due to development delays and higher-than-expected costs. The review signals a potential shift in priorities rather than a broader retreat from electrification.
The batteries are a central part of the problem. Delays
Parent company Volkswagen continues to position EVs as central to its long-term strategy, but is applying tighter financial discipline to individual programs. Lower-volume, niche performance EVs face greater scrutiny when engineering complexity, battery costs and software challenges push programs over budget or off schedule.
DOWNSTREAM IS THE AUDI CONCEPT C
Audi’s plan to also use the PPE Sport architecture for Concept C leaves its own plans in question. Audi CEO Gernot Döllner has staked much of Audi’s turnaround on the Concept C given the design leadership and panache planned around adding such a model to the range. However, the business plan around that was assigning costs savings from co-development of the car with Porsche’s own work on the 718. Should Porsche shelve the project, this would leave Audi to either shelve theirs in kind or “buy and finish” the platform on their own, a move that’s being mentioned as having a “nine figure” price tag according to German publication Handelsblatt. And, that’s before you also consider any delays to launch.
Worth noting, Motor1 did reach out to a company spokesperson. Daniel Schuster from Audi did respond, calling the story “pure speculation” though that really neither confirms nor denies anything really… which can probably be translated into “it’s up in the air” or “time will tell”.
THEORIZING ON WHAT IT ALL MEANS
No doubt all options are being considered here. Porsche plays a key role in Volkswagen’s profitability, so decisions around its product portfolio carry outsized financial importance. Canceling or delaying an electric 718 would suggest management is prioritizing margin protection and capital efficiency over maintaining a complete EV lineup in every segment.
There are competitive trade-offs. An electric 718 was expected to help Porsche (and Audi for that matter) establish an early presence in the compact performance EV segment. A delay could give rivals more time to strengthen their positions, including Tesla as well as premium legacy competitors such as BMW and Mercedes-Benz, all of which are expanding their electric performance offerings.
WHAT PORSCHE COULD OR SHOULD DO
Rumors also recently pointed towards Porsche developing an ICE application for the same chassis – at least for the highest price/performance specifications such as 718 GT4 or 718 RS variants. Walking back from PPE Sport may also mean walking back from that development as well. Of course, the complexities of reengineering PPE Sport to accept an ICE drivetrain may be part of the reason for this reevaluation.
On one hand, thoughts of an ICE version of Concept C are interesting. It’s doubtful Porsche would ever share its 4.0-liter flat six crown jewel with any other brands in the VW Group portfolio, but thoughts of a 2.5 TFSI-powered version are certainly enticing if not terribly likely.
Another option here, and this is pure speculation and conjecture on my part, would be Porsche and Audi taking a page out of Volkswagen Group history when component sets and tooling such as B1 and B2 were shipped off to other markets for market-specific cars built to region-specific consumer tastes. From the Audi 80 B1 came a whole range of Volkswagens in Brazil, while the Audi B2 spawned Santana production in places like China. What if Porsche packed up its ICE 982 718 Cayman/Boxster tooling it recently shut down off to America and redesigned the car for a 982.NEXT 718 America model?
If rumors I’ve heard are true, such a move wouldn’t be entirely fruitless for Audi… key word: entirely. Legend has it that Audi explored the idea of a 982 variant to be positioned below R8. Think of it as an R6 if you will. Had that been done, some of the work may already be there for Audi to make its own version of the car… at least for markets like North America that don’t seem to be embracing EVs as quickly. Unfortunately, if this project wasn’t just a rumor, timing suggests it would be consistent with the outgoing Lichte era design and that doesn’t fit Audi’s new direction. Perhaps it could be aligned with Concept C design though. Who knows?
IF PORSCHE PULLS OUT, DOES AUDI HAVE OTHER OPTIONS
Back to PPE Sport and Concept C, Porsche’s pulling out would likely signal that any further development of an ICE version would cease. It’s not that an ICE version of Concept C was likely, but it’s reasonable to assume Porsche’s exit would make it even more unlikely.
Perhaps there’s hope though beyond Porsche or Audi. The earliest rumors of this project suggested there could be a SEAT/Cupra or Volkswagen versions. We haven’t heard about those in a long time, but if conceptualization was done and Volkswagen were looking for a way to spread those costs out beyond just Audi, this might be an option.
SUMMARY WE JUST DON’T KNOW
My gut says it’s too early to tell. Porsche hasn’t made their decision yet and, in as much, Audi hasn’t moved on to whatever comes next. No doubt Ingolstadt is planning for eventualities, carrying on if Porsche continues the project or weighing options should they not. Until that decision is made, Audi is effectively in a planning/holding pattern because the initial plan relies significantly on Porsche as a partner.