Audi is considering a new halo model that rekindles the spirit of some of its most iconic sports cars - and the original TT is cited as a key potential source of inspiration.
Having retired the TT and R8 supercar in the past 18 months, Audi is currently without a dedicated two-door sports car in its line up for the first time in decades. But CEO Gernot Döllner has suggested that a re-entry into this segment could form part of an extensive overhaul of the company’s product line-up and positioning.
Asked at the company’s 2024 financial results presentation whether he would consider re-adding a sports car to the brand’s portfolio, Döllner said: “For sure. That's part of the brand's DNA, and we have to find the right way, timing wise, to integrate it into our portfolio.”
He suggested it wouldn't be appropriate to hint at a portfolio expansion while the company is in the midst of a wide-reaching restructuring programme that includes 7500 job cuts but said he has a "broad view on where Audi should be and where Audi is heading - and thinking in that direction, sports cars are an integral part of such a set-up".
He emphasised the important role that sports cars have played in Audi's past, citing 1980's four-wheel-drive Quattro as a car that "really started a new era of automotive".
He also highlighted the continued relevance of cars like the aluminium-based second-generation A8 and efficiency-focused A2 supermini on Audi's current line-up.
But he also mentioned the original TT as a car of particular importance and said Audi's new design boss, Massimo Frascella (who arrived in Ingolstadt last year following a long career at JLR), is a particular fan of the late-1990s coupé.
"I've discussed that car so much with Massimo. That was an inspirational car for his whole career. When he was a young designer at Giugiaro, he took a day off when the TT was launched in Italy, went to the Audi dealer in Milan and sat in the showroom for a day just looking at the car.
"The absolutely fantastic aspect is that it seems that he somehow had Audi in his mind for his whole career. Now is the time to let Audi out of the mind of Massimo Frascella."
Notably, Frascella was heavily involved in the rebirth of the Land Rover Defender in his previous role, which nods to the legacy of its long-running 4x4 namesake while embracing a modern, minimalist new design ethos. Döllner believes this approach to styling makes him a logical fit at Audi.
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Dear Audi, the Chinese are not buying German cars now. Can you please go back to normal sized grilles please?
With luck Mr Frascella will use the reincarnation of the TT sports car as an opportunity to rid Audi cars of their ridiculous massive grille and chrome frame.