The Next Audi TT? Brand Hints at a New Design Icon
"Audi CEO Teases New Sports Car Coming in September — Says Brand’s 'Cool Factor' Is Making a Comeback"

Audi’s current situation is far from ideal, according to its CEO, who offered a surprisingly frank assessment in a recent interview. The automaker, he admitted, needs a serious reset — and big changes are coming soon.
But talk alone won’t drive change — Audi plans to lead with action, starting with a bold new model. Described by the CEO as “an identity builder,” the car is internally nicknamed “TT Moment 2.0,” a nod to the original Audi TT transformative impact on the brand and its image in the years that followed.
Audi’s CEO Doesn’t Hold Back — And He Means Business
“I don’t want to beat around the bush — we have to turn things around now,” Audi CEO Gernot Döllner told German newspaper Bild in a strikingly direct interview. He painted a grim picture of Audi’s current struggles: no major new models in the last three years, persistent software issues, delays in autonomous driving development, and plans to cut up to 7,500 jobs by 2029.
Still, Döllner isn’t just highlighting problems—he’s laying out a plan. “We’re making decisions based on the product again—every day,” he said. To streamline operations, Audi has eliminated an entire layer of management and slashed its committee count from 130 to just 35. “Audi must become a different company,” Döllner emphasized. “We can’t develop the cars of tomorrow using yesterday’s structures.”
A major milestone in Audi’s transformation will be unveiled this September. Just ahead of the IAA show in Munich, the brand plans to debut a new model that insiders say captures the essence of the “new Audi” — a car designed to showcase the company’s future direction in both design and identity.
He refers to the upcoming model as the “TT Moment 2.0,” a tribute to the original Audi TT lasting legacy. “I have a gut feeling we’re on the verge of another TT moment,” he said, comparing the new car’s potential impact to the game-changing influence the first sports car had on Audi’s identity.
“Better yet, the car will be built,” he affirmed, with a planned launch two years from now. Describing it as “a highly emotional sports car—not a Audi TT, not an R8, but something in between,” he confirmed that the new model will be fully electric.
While this new model will be fully electric, Audi isn’t abandoning combustion engines anytime soon. Döllner has extended the timeline for ending combustion powertrains to at least 2035, explaining, “We have to manage this transition phase carefully.”
Yes, Audi Has a Plan — And It’s Already in Motion
Döllner aims for Audi to close the gap in China by keeping pace with the country’s rapid innovation and advanced technology—but he admits it’s a tough challenge. Meanwhile, in the U.S., Audi faces hurdles it can’t tackle until “the customs situation is clear,” delaying progress in one of its key markets.
Most importantly, Döllner knows that reviving Audi’s image is crucial. He’s pushing for clearer, more striking design and advertising that’s more engaging and fun. Motorsport remains central to the brand’s identity, with Döllner declaring, “Our brand lives in motorsport.” He even envisions Audi competing for the Formula 1 title by 2030.
A key part of Döllner’s strategy is setting more realistic goals. Audi is stepping back from the ambitious target of three million annual sales—a number that now seems out of reach after deliveries dropped to 1.7 million in 2024 and continue to decline. Instead, Döllner says the focus will shift to quality over quantity. “We want to achieve disproportionate growth in earnings quality and revenue per vehicle,” he explained. “Two million vehicles is a realistic goal.”