The two-door car is a shrinking niche. Just ask BMW. It’s about to pull the plug on the Z4 without planning a direct successor. Adding insult to injury, the 4 Series Coupe and Convertible might not be long for this world either. Still, there’s a glimmer of hope for those seeking a fun car. Come 2028, we might get an i4 Coupe. Not another five-door liftback marketed as a “Gran Coupe,” but a real coupe, codenamed NA2.
Audi has already phased out the TT and R8, but it too is laying the groundwork for a coupe comeback. With the Concept C, BMW’s rival is also hiding a roadster in plain sight. The coupe morphs into an open-top sports car by electrically folding its targa-like panels for unlimited headroom. Munich might respond with an i4 Convertible (NA3), though, like the i4 Coupe, it hasn’t been officially confirmed for production.
For Audi, the new concept is more than a preview of a sports car coming later this decade. It’s also a window into a fresh design language. Much like BMW with the Neue Klasse, Audi is embracing a “less is more” approach. Out go the busy exterior lines and cluttered dashboards. In their place, smoother surfaces inside and out attempt to revive the elegant simplicity of the original TT.
Drawing a parallel with BMW’s upright kidney grilles on certain models, the Concept C also adopts a vertical grille. That design choice has a legacy behind it, dating back to 1936 with the Auto Union Type C race car. Moving closer to our times, Audi says the front-end treatment also nods to the 2004 A6, a rival to BMW’s E60 5 Series.
Future Four Rings models will also adopt a quad-light motif at both ends. Still, the production version of the Concept C isn’t likely to look quite as clean. Expect proper door handles and plenty of sensors, but otherwise, the styling should remain true to the show car. One feature we’d love to see reach production is the retractable infotainment screen.
Measuring 10.4 inches, the touch display tucks neatly into the dashboard when not in use. Some older Audis also offered a hideaway screen, but that’s long gone. Given widespread criticism of shifting too many functions into touchscreens, we’re glad to see physical switchgear on the steering wheel and center console. Meanwhile, BMW is going the other way. Its upcoming iDrive X ditches the rotary knob between the seats, though some traditional controls will remain.
Audi is coy on technical specifications, confirming only that the concept is purely electric. There are no plans for a combustion engine, whether up front or behind the seats. The Concept C does, however, have mid-engine proportions reminiscent of the R8 rather than the front-engined TT. Size-wise, it seems to slot between the two, raising questions about a possible connection to Porsche’s upcoming electric Boxster and Cayman.
Competition is always healthy, and we can’t wait to see how BMW and Mercedes respond. In a sea of bulky crossovers and SUVs, enthusiasts would welcome a revival of low-slung, two-seater coupes, even if they’re electric…
