Audi Concept C Goes Where Few Concepts Have Gone Before

 As such, we assumed it was a typical concept: a very pretty shell with a rudimentary and practically useless powertrain. We were apparently wrong, because as you can see in the photos, the Concept C is now wearing license plates.

The Concept C Is A Running, Driving Car
Yes, you saw and read that correctly, the Concept C is wearing actual European license plates, and Audi has been driving it around on public roads. It is a genuinely functional car. Now you may be asking, why does it matter that this concept is a street-legal, drivable vehicle? Well, for one thing, it leads us to believe that the final production model will look extremely close to the concept. Clearly, Audi has a platform that fits this shape. We're still expecting detail changes to things such as mirrors and lights for legal and practical reasons, but clearly, this design isn't just a pie-in-the-sky idea that will have to be significantly compromised for a production model.

Additionally, this supports the idea that a production Concept C is coming quite soon. Audi's CEO previously said as much after the reveal, which was encouraging for sports car fans, but of course "soon" can be very relative. However, since this thing is a driving car, clearly Audi has been working on more than just a look, and we won't be waiting forever for the rest of the car to coalesce. Audi's CEO even revealed that the production car would be built at the same factory that made the R8 and E-Tron GT.

What We Know And Are Expecting From The Concept C
What's really strange about this car is that Audi hasn't actually revealed much about it or the production model, despite being quite far in development. What we do know, is that the production car will slot somewhere between the old TT and R8. It will only be available as an EV with no combustion alternatives, with or without hybridization. Audi has even confirmed some amount of open-roof functionality, saying, "the production version will seamlessly blend the thrill of open-top driving with the elegance of a hardtop." Finally, while we don't have specifics on the motors and battery, we do have a weight for the concept: 3,725 pounds. We're expecting the production model to weigh similarly.

From there, we're left to speculate on the Concept C. We suspect that the car will share its platform with the upcoming electric versions of the 718 Cayman and Boxster, similar to how the E-Tron GT and Taycan have been on shared platforms and be sized similarly. The Porsches will likely be offered with rear drive and a single motor, or all-wheel drive with dual motors, though we won't be surprised if Audi only offers an all-wheel-drive version. Furthermore, if the Concept C is as far along as it seems, it would make sense for Audi to be using a platform that has clearly undergone plenty of development already, which the 718 platform has. We also won't be surprised if we see a production version of this car, along with the Porsches, in the next year or two.