New Audi TT: electric sports car confirmed for the first time

The TT was a significant milestone in Audi’s history, capturing the public’s appetite for fashion-led coupes in the nineties before RS variants later down the line transformed it into a driver-focused sports car. While the TT was phased out in 2023, plans are afoot to bring it back.

Audi’s CEO Gernot Döllner has described the TT as “an icon”, and new design chief Massimo Frascella has been tasked with creating a fresh model for the future. Before then, however, our exclusive image previews how the new car could look.

The heritage behind the TT name can’t be downplayed at a time when branding and history count for so much against Chinese start-ups: could that mean Audi revives badges such as the TT’s?

“Yes, that's thinkable,” said Audi’s CEO. “But we have a broad view on what's possible.”

What has Audi confirmed so far?  

Audi posted “challenging” financial results for 2024, with operating profit dropping 38 per cent to 3.9 billion Euros (£3.3bn) due to tough economic conditions and declining sales as key models were renewed. It also took a 1.6bn Euro (£1.35bn) hit for closing the Q8 e-tron factory in Brussels.

Nonetheless, new sports cars are absolutely in the company’s medium-term plan, revealed Döllner: “I believe Audi should have a sports car, for sure,” he told Auto Express. “That’s part of the brand DNA, and we have to find the right way, timing wise, to integrate it into our portfolio.”

What technology will the Audi TT electric have?

Within the wider Volkswagen Group, Porsche is leading a project dubbed C-Sport, and is due to unleash pure-electric replacements for the mid-engined 718 Cayman and Boxster next year, based on the group’s new Scalable Systems Platform (SSP). Expect lightning performance to eclipse the MG Cyberster’s, using a fresh electric sports-car architecture, which Audi could tap into. 

The rear and all-wheel drive components could be a very sporty basis for a spiritual successor to the TT – unless Audi wishes to reinvent the TT as a four-seat GT car. 

“If you’re talking about real racing cars for the track, to me the only way until now is combustion engine or hybrid,” said Döllner. “But if it’s more for everyday use on normal roads, I would definitely see a transition to the electric era.

“Long term, there will be a place for fully electric sports cars, not for the track but for crossing the Alps or having fun on a country road.” Rapid recharging – in the time it takes to stop for a coffee – is also essential, he added.

The Audi won’t be short of performance: SSP can accommodate a mix of e-motors packing up to 1,000bhp. It can also feature an 800-volt architecture for super-fast charging speeds. Battery sizes haven’t been determined, but we can expect comfortably more than 400 miles of range in the next-generation TT, which should be one of the lighter SSP cars to go into production. 

What will the new Audi TT look like? 

Döllner believes the TT was a car that unleashed Audi’s progressive ‘Vorsprung Durch Technik’ philosophy in the design space – and that’s a battleground he wants to win back. “If you look at Vorsprung Durch Technik in design, we are working hard on becoming the brand that is relevant when it comes to car design,” he said. 

And recruiting Frascella from Jaguar Land Rover – where he played a key role in shaping Range Rover’s modernist, clean look and laid the groundwork for Jaguar’s new electric design – is a critical pillar of Audi’s new transformation. 

Auto Express asked why Döllner had headhunted the Italian. “It’s his focus and really minimalistic view on car design. Massimo tries to optimise as much as possible, to take everything away that you don't need. I think it's a unique talent to have such a view on vehicle design, to try to work with as little as possible to reach as much as [the imagination allows].”

We expect Frascella to pay close attention to Audi’s back catalogue, looking to the original TT to inspire the new sports car. Expect a wider, more planted stance, but a similarly rounded shape as a nod to the Mk1. Modern flourishes such as digital door mirrors, flush door handles and a clean side glasshouse, could all feature on the new car.

Frascella joined Audi in June 2023 and it’s likely his first big design statement will come with a concept at September’s IAA Munich Motor Show. 

When will the TT arrive and what are its rivals? 

The electric sports car market hasn’t gotten into full swing yet, and the MG Cyberster is the only real contender right now. Alpine will join the segment soon, however, with its electric A110, while Lotus is looking to build an Emira-sized EV based on last year’s ‘Theory 1’ concept. 

The TT’s closest rivals will come from within the VW Group, though, because the Audi is expected to utilise the same platform as the upcoming pure electric replacements for the mid-engined 718 Cayman and Boxster. Although the Porsche pair will offer high performance at a high price, it sounds as if Audi is keen for the TT to stay true to its attainable philosophy. 

That probably means that the production-ready TT won’t arrive until 2027 at the earliest, on the new SSP electric architecture. This is also set to be used by the next Skoda Octavia and Volkswagen Golf and will deploy hi-tech software co-developed with US electric car pioneers Rivian. 

As the petrol-engined TT did, its all-electric successor will cost less than the Porsches, although it’s likely to start at a much higher price than the £45,650 Audi charged for the TT Final Edition in 2023. 

There's no need to wait until a new Audi TT arrives to enjoy the iconic sports car, take a look at our latest used Audi TT deals...