Porsche's decision to bring combustion power back to the next-generation 718 has been the loudest story in the lightweight sports-car world for weeks. Now, Audi CEO Gernot Döllner has weighed in on the question that follows naturally from it: will the TT revival—shown to the world as the Concept C—get a real engine too, or stay electric?

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When asked directly whether the Concept C could follow the 718's lead and offer a combustion option, Döllner acknowledged the parallel without committing to it. His position: the Concept C was conceived as an electric vehicle, and that remains the plan, but Audi is not ideologically opposed to revisiting the question if customer demand makes a compelling case. It is a careful answer from a CEO who has spent the past year signaling that Audi's electrification push will not come at the cost of driver engagement. That same interview saw Döllner defend the V8's place in Audi's largest SUVs and respond to a question about a third-generation R8 with a laugh and 'good 'idea'—hardly the language of a brand sprinting toward an all-EV future.

The Concept C itself is a low-slung, compact coupe designed to revive the TT's spirit in a modern body. It sits in the same size class as the outgoing TT — roughly the dimensions of a Volkswagen Golf stretched and lowered — and targets buyers who want a premium, driver-focused alternative to larger GT cars. Audi has positioned it as a design-forward statement, with proportions that emphasize a long hood, short overhangs, and a fastback roofline. As of now, the production intent is electric.

Porsche's move to restore combustion power to the next 718 Cayman and Boxster is the direct reason this conversation is happening. The new 718 is expected to use a turbocharged four-cylinder engine—reports point to a 2.0-liter unit producing in the neighborhood of 300 horsepower, with 0–60 mph times in the low four-second range depending on tune—alongside hybrid variants. That is a significant reversal from Porsche's earlier all-electric 718 plans, driven in part by buyer pushback and in part by the commercial reality that the 911 is being protected as a combustion-only model through at least 2030.

The 718 and the Concept C share Volkswagen Group underpinnings, which is exactly why enthusiasts are pressing Audi for a parallel answer. If the platform can support a combustion drivetrain — and the 718's development confirms it can — then the engineering barrier to a gas TT is lower than it might appear. The business and brand barrier is a different matter. Audi has staked a considerable amount of its near-term identity on electrification, and reversing course on a flagship concept would require a clear market signal.

The stakes here are straightforward. If Audi holds to an EV-only Concept C, the new 718 becomes the sole new lightweight, mid-engine sports car with a traditional combustion engine—a genuine rarity in a segment that is shrinking by the year. That hands Porsche a competitive advantage among buyers who want the analog experience: a rev-happy engine, a proper exhaust note, and the mechanical connection that electric motors, however fast, do not replicate.

If Döllner's careful non-denial eventually becomes a green light for a gas variant, it reshapes the platform's identity entirely. A combustion or hybrid Concept C would put Audi back in direct competition with the 718 on the terms that sports-car enthusiasts actually care about. For now, the CEO's answer keeps that door ajar without opening it—which is either a sign that internal conversations are ongoing, or a diplomatic way of managing expectations while the EV market finds its footing. Either way, the 718's combustion pivot has made Audi's silence on the same question much harder to maintain.

Source: https://www.topspeed.com/audi-ceo-just-answered-the-tt-gas-engine-question-everyone-asking/