Audi Future Models Roadmap: Will TT Replacement Be TT, quattro or Something Different?

Information coming out of Ingolstadt suggests Audi is in the conceptualization phase of hatching a replacement to its TT under the project name TT Evo. Even more interesting, it’s said to be one of a four car development project that will span the Audi, Porsche, Cupra and Volkswagen marques.

In other words, the upcoming electric Porsche Boxster/Cayman will be followed by a TT replacement, production version of the Cupra Dark Rebel, and even a Volkswagen Scirocco.

Audi says everything from silhouette to soundtrack is being considered, and the timeframe is a surprisingly long 5 to 10 years according to Autocar Magazine that was the source of this story.

If the rumor’s correct, other information attributed to Audi’s spokesperson for technical development Daniel Schuster. He told Autocar that Audi was taking a blank sheet of paper to create the right “icon”, and that the car may very well not continue use of the “TT” name even though it is being planned to occupy the same position in the Audi range.

The Volkswagen intel suggests a new Scirocco will not only harken the 70s-inspired design of the original Giugiaro-penned original, but that will potentially have two motors and all-wheel drive. This information from VW suggests a 2028 launch should the car get approval, so perhaps this means a TT that’s closer to 4-5 years away than 5-10 as hinted by Audi.

The source of the platform underpinning these cars is up for debate. Autocar reports it is an adaptation of PPE, but with lower door sills and floor heights so that it can be more suitable for sportscars rather larger luxurious cars and crossovers from PPE as we expect in the Q6 e-tron, Porsche Macan and A6 e-tron. Engineers have achieved this by packaging the battery in the center tunnel and behind the cabin. This derivative has been conceived to support scalable dimensions such as wheelbase and track width. Single motor versions will have rear-wheel drive while dual motor variants will have all-wheel drive.

Alternatively, CAR Magazine is reporting the project is a derivative of the VW Group’s SSP architecture, a more specific component set they’re referring to as SSP Sport. Whether or not SSP Sport and the Autocarmentioned PPE derivative are one in the same is an important question as we begin to track these far-off concepts. Whatever the case, CAR’s Georg Kacher suggests output targets for TT Evo to be about 700 bhp and 810 lb.-ft.

Other tech details provided by Kacher spell an even brighter future for the TT Evo project. He shares that Audi favors an aluminum spaceframe cell-to-pack architecture, reinforced with segments of high-strength steel and carbon fiber. All-wheel drive, four-wheel steering, active aerodynamics and compact interconnected single-chamber air suspension system are all expected. This would also invite a design without the need for physical anti-roll bars, making way for capabilities like anti-dive, anti-squat, roll reduction synced with different driving modes and lift function for rough terrain and extreme approach or departure angles.

Whatever the case, Porsche is said to call this architecture E-Core, though we’re not sure that’s a name that will carry over across the Volkswagen Group. Even still, it’s said to be extremely rigid and stiff, perfect for the Boxster/Cayman and the TT replacement. In Porsche’s case, it’s also not that far off as electric test mules of the next Boxster EV have been seen on numerous occasions.

Interestingly, the Porsche and Cupra offerings are said to be 2-seater, while the Volkswagen and Audi models are said to have longer wheelbase and seat four. Given the coy take on whether to call the car TT, you must wonder if Audi won’t instead pivot back to earlier concept car considerations and chase after a model harkening the iconic quattro or Sport quattro.

A more recent story by Kacher in CAR suggests Audi is seriously considering the heritage of the quattro / Sport quattro but hasn’t fully ruled out a nod to the original 1998 TT concept either. This story suggests the car could arrive as early as 2026 and timed with Audi’s debut in Formula 1, but that 2027 or 2028 are more likely.

Interestingly, Kacher says there is a chance that the TT replacement could land as a performance hybrid, but that this idea is currently out of favor. If that were to happen, it’s doubtful it could use E-Core / PPE as that component set is a purely EV.