In mid-June, Audi CEO Gernot Döllner confirmed to Autocar that the brand of the four rings would show a new concept car at September’s Münich IAA mobility show. While he didn’t confirm what the car would be back then, he also hinted at the possibility of passion-driven sportscars being sorely needed at a brand that’s axed quite literally anything two-door. Now, he’s revealed more information in the German press including the project’s referred name… or perhaps rather its effect – “TT Moment 2.0”.
We’re seeing a lot of content in the news about this, though the original story (and thus the most information) can be traced to Germany’s Bild. In as much, this analysis is going to site that original story and draw our own conclusions from there.
Here’s what we know from Bild:
TT MOMEMT
First, it’s important to clarify the TT’s position in this. The story makes clear that the element Audi is seeking to rekindle appears to be the effect the TT had on the brand and not the TT itself. In 1995, Audi was lagging with mainly very conservative products that, in the U.S, at least, were limited to the 90 and 100 range. The “ur S6” was an outlier, and one that was about to be canceled at that time.
The TT, unlike the earlier and more exotic Avus and quattro Spyder concepts, had a strong eye on production with underpinnings already envisioned and engines already in development. Its envisioned price was approachable for Audi’s existing customer base unlike the R8 that would follow and take the brand further upmarket. The TT also heralded a new design language that would transform the brand and usher in what is viewed by many as one of Ingolstadt’s greatest eras of design.
It’s pretty clear the new concept won’t be a recreation of the TT. Instead, it is intended to be a revisiting of the impact the first TT reveal, echoing what that car meant for a an Audi brand in need of a boost. In Döllner’s words, it will be, “an identity founder.”
WAS THE TT AUDI’S 911?
One statement in the Bild story though not clearly credited to Audi’s CEO was that the TT represented to Audi what the 911 represents to Porsche. I’d take issue with that. While important to the Audi brand, even critical in the late 1990s, the TT isn’t Audi’s 911.
That comparison seems hyperbolic. Even if you strip away the universal automotive reverence for the Porsche 911, the two are not the same. The TT rightly represents a transformative moment for a struggling brand and a complete design shift.. albeit one betrayed a bit by being based on a front-wheel drive platform.
Unlike that, the 911 was a design and engineering evolution of the Porsche 356. Its legend was built in motorsport competition over decades. The 911 also struggled at times, notably in the now revered 964 era, when the car was slower and seemed more old world compared to the 964’s period rivals from Japan. That Porsche’s aging platform compared to contemporary rivals is also a likely reason the immediately popular 1991 Audi quattro Spyder concept never saw production (…a story for another day). Still, the 911 has stuck around for decades and built its legend on the track, in the garages of outlaw builders or reimagineers such as Singer, and finally in the development halls of Porsche where a clear commitment to the car flourishing in an authentic way doesn’t get forgotten as production count and data-focused executives chase volume.
For Audi to get back in that lane, it must first recommit to its icon. From there, motorsport is also part of that. And sure, the TT has some motorsport history. Still, that competition history simply doesn’t compare to the rally heritage of the ur quattro or the Le Mans and then GT3 lineage of the R8.
The impact of Iron Man is a whole other subject.
THE NEW CONCEPT
According to Bild, the car will likely be revealed shortly before the Münich IAA mobility show scheduled for September 9-14 – effectively 30 years after the 1995 TT concept debuted at the IAA (then in Frankfurt). The car is expected to embody everything that represents the “new Audi”, from design language to interior design and also technical features.
In Bild Döllner confirms that the car will be produced and launched in two years – one year faster than the original TT came to market for what it’s worth. He also confirms that the car will be fully electric… so forget about motorsport competition for now because there are no series beyond Formula E and Extreme E that are homologating electric race cars.
Döllner describes the car as, “a highly emotional sports car – no TT, no R8 but something in between.” To my ears, that sounds like the position of the quattro that was positioned somewhere in between and is notably not mentioned here by Audi’s CEO. This wouldn’t be the first time a quattro-inspired car is theorized for this platform. Car‘s Georg Kacher hinted at such a car back in 2024.
If the quattro theory holds, this wouldn’t be the first time Audi considered resurrecting that legend in some form. The brand first flirted with the idea by showing the 2011 quattro concept, then a Sport quattro concept in 2013.
For Döllner, that TT moment inspires an impactful change at the brand. He wants to signal a departure with this car. “The effect inward creates the effect outward. It’s about the heart and soul.”
“We’ve taken the last two years to clean up,” Döllner also stated in the piece. With this car he hopes to reinvent the company.
So, if it’s an EV, will it be enough. Even consumers in the European market with its more aggressive EV mandates. Clearly the U.S. is not on the same page as well. For an EV to have this sort of impact, it’s going to need to be substantive and offer not just revolutionary design, but also a revolutionary driving experience with purism as a focus. Time will tell whether it boasts such qualities.