Audi's Upcoming Electric Targa Sports Car Will Share the Next Porsche 718 EV Platform

Porsche has officially confirmed that Audi's upcoming electric sports car will be built on the same dedicated EV platform developed for the next-generation 718 Boxster and Cayman. During Porsche's third-quarter 2026 earnings call, Chief Financial Officer Jochen Breckner stated that Zuffenhausen is supplying the electric architecture for an Audi project known internally as "C-Sport," with Audi's payment for the technology expected in 2027. Earlier, Audi Technical Development spokesperson Daniel Schuster had hinted that the new model would use a shared Volkswagen Group platform.

By co-developing and sharing hardware across three niche sports cars, Porsche and Audi can spread out the high costs of engineering an electric sports-car architecture, which requires complex battery packaging, cooling, and weight distribution solutions. Despite sharing the underpinnings, Audi will differentiate its model through unique exterior and interior styling, suspension tuning, and power output. The two brands also collaborate in the opposite direction, as the upcoming combustion-engine Porsche Macan will once again be based on the Audi Q5. Neither the new 718 twins nor Audi's sports car will be offered with internal combustion engines.

Each of the three models will feature a distinct body style. While the next Boxster will have a folding fabric soft top and the Cayman will retain a fixed coupe roof, the production version of the 2025 Audi Concept C will exclusively feature an electrically operated targa roof—a first in Audi's history. Its two roof panels are designed to stow neatly beneath the rear deck, transforming the coupe into an open-top car.

Instead of a floor-mounted pack, Porsche's platform places the batteries behind the cabin where the mid-mounted gasoline engine used to sit in the combustion 718 models, allowing for a lower seating position, better weight distribution, and higher structural rigidity. The cars will also include simulated gear shifts and artificial engine sounds. The Audi Concept C debuted with a single-motor rear-wheel-drive setup, though the platform can accommodate a front motor for quattro all-wheel drive. The concept weighs 3,725 pounds (1,690 kilograms) and measures 4,520 millimeters (178 inches) in length, 1,970 millimeters (77.6 inches) in width, and 1,285 millimeters (50.6 inches) in height, positioning it between the discontinued TT and R8 in Audi's lineup while being slightly larger than the R8.

Beyond reviving a two-door model, the Concept C introduces a new design philosophy for Audi. Moving away from oversized screens, touch-sensitive controls, and glossy plastic, the interior focuses on physical buttons and switches alongside genuine metal trim. Both the electric Porsche 718 models and the production version of the Audi Concept C are scheduled to debut in 2027.