What: Audi e-tron Safari Tow Vehicle
Model Family: e-tron
Model Family: e-tron/Q8 e-tron
Model / Generation Code(s): type GE
Production: One-off design study
Year: 2019
Assembly: Ingolstadt, Germany
Class: Electric Off-road–inspired concept car
Debut: GTI Treffen, Wörthersee, Austria
Body style: 5-door SUV
Layout: Dual-motor all-wheel drive
Powertrain: Dual electric motors, high-voltage battery
Role: Event support & tow vehicle for Audi TT Safari Concept
RELATED
Concept Cars: TT Safari
Road Cars: e-tron, e-tron S
Race Cars:
OVERVIEW
The Audi e-tron Safari Tow Concept is a one-off show vehicle created in 2019 to accompany the Audi TT Safari Concept at enthusiast events including the GTI Treffen at Wörthersee. Finished in a matching rally-inspired livery, the modified e-tron served as a thematic support and transport vehicle, visually linking Audi’s electric future with its off-road and rally heritage.
While based on the production Audi e-tron SUV, the concept received cosmetic and functional modifications to align with the rugged, motorsport-inspired identity of the TT Safari.
DEVELOPMENT & PROJECT BACKGROUND
The concept was prepared as part of Audi’s apprentice show car program, which regularly produces exhibition vehicles for major Volkswagen Group gatherings. Working alongside Audi specialists, trainees adapted a production e-tron with visual enhancements and accessory equipment suited to a support-vehicle role.
Displayed alongside the TT Safari at Wörthersee-area events, the e-tron emphasized Audi’s electrification strategy while complementing the rally-style theme of the companion show car.
DESIGN & EXTERIOR MODIFICATIONS
The e-tron Safari Tow Concept featured a bespoke livery echoing the TT Safari’s color scheme, with contrasting tones and yellow accents applied to bodywork. Exterior modifications focused on visual ruggedness and event utility rather than structural off-road conversion.
Notable elements included:
- Wheel upgrade with “quattro” script “turbo fan” ring attachments
- Off-Road Tires
- Thematic graphics aligning with the TT Safari show car
These additions gave the e-tron a purposeful, expedition-style appearance while retaining the recognizable form of the production SUV.
POWERTRAIN
Mechanically, the vehicle remained based on the standard Audi e-tron drivetrain, using dual electric motors to provide quattro all-wheel drive. Audi did not release technical changes specific to the concept, and it is generally understood to have retained production-specification performance and battery systems as it was mainly as an accent to the TT Safari Concept.
Its use as a tow and support vehicle underscored the e-tron’s torque characteristics and suitability for utility roles in addition to everyday road use.
INTERIOR
No significant interior modifications were publicly detailed. The cabin is believed to have remained largely production-standard, with possible additions related to its role as an event support vehicle.
PUBLIC APPEARANCES
The e-tron Safari Tow Vehicle debuted alongside the Audi TT Safari at pre-Wörthersee events and during the 2019 GTI Treffen gathering in Austria. Its coordinated presentation reinforced Audi’s tradition of apprentice-built show cars and highlighted the contrast between electric mobility and classic rally-inspired styling. It also brought enthusiast attention to Audi’s then new e-tron, their first mainstream Battery Electric Vehicle (BEV).
SIGNIFICANCE
The Audi e-tron Safari Tow Vehicle served as a visual and thematic bridge between Audi’s electrified production lineup and its motorsport-influenced show car culture. By pairing an all-electric SUV with the TT Safari’s off-road reinterpretation of a sports coupe, Audi aimed to illustrate the adaptability of its design language across both heritage-inspired and future-oriented vehicles.
Though never intended for production, the concept remains part of Audi’s portfolio of apprentice-built exhibition cars that blend creativity, brand storytelling, and technical learning.
REFERENCES
TT Safari, Audi Magazine Australia
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