Things have not been running too smoothly for Audi lately. Sales have dropped, and the brand has moved less than half the number of cars BMW has so far this year. Part of the struggle ties back to earlier delays when Audi had to hold back deliveries while navigating the murky issue of tariffs.
A recent agreement has helped soften the blow of those tariffs for European carmakers, but Audi knows that survival isn’t enough. According to German outlet Bild, CEO Gernot Döllner is under pressure but remains clear-headed. He’s spoken candidly about the urgent need to “get back on track”, but believes the brand is “passing through the lowest point.”
His confidence seems to come from a major design shift kicking off later this year. A concept car is set to debut at IAA Munich in September, with a production model expected within two years. Döllner confirmed that this concept marks the start of a new visual identity for Audi, driven by design chief Massimo Frascella. Unlike some of Audi’s recent concepts that felt more sci-fi than showroom-ready, this one aims to be a bold yet believable look at what’s coming.
Inside Audi, the project is being referred to as “TT Moment 2.0.” That’s not just a nod to the past, it’s an ambition. Döllner says he has a gut feeling that this new car will create the same kind of emotional impact as the original TT. The idea is to make something so compelling that buyers won’t be able to ignore it.
When those comments first came out, some took them as a hint that the TT was making a comeback. Döllner has since clarified that the upcoming car is a “highly emotional sports car,” sitting somewhere between the classic TT and the more extreme R8. He did not confirm what will power it, but if it turns out to be electric, that could signal the next R8 going fully electric too, rather than being phased out.
Back in March, a rumour surfaced about the third-generation R8 being nearly finished, with a potential launch window in late 2027. That lines up pretty closely with the production version of this new concept, but whether Audi would roll out two enthusiast models so close together is questionable.
If the new R8 does materialise, expect Audi to once again tap its Italian cousin, Lamborghini, to share underpinnings, possibly using the new baby supercar, the Temerario, as a base. As long as the result feels as distinct from the Temerario as the old R8 was from the Huracán, there’s little reason to believe Lamborghini would object.