Forward visibility is good, and it feels spacious, even with the roof closed. With the hard top retracted, there’s a real sense of space and openness. That retracting hard top – the first seen on an Audi model – is a key feature on the car and will be seen on the production version. That’s despite the fact that Döllner admitted it was technically challenging, but he said the firm didn’t want to have separate coupe and roadster versions.
While the production version promises a range of drive modes and artificial gears, the concept offers a single drive mode. Even so, it picks up well and responds quickly to throttle inputs.
The steering is weighty but responsive although, unlike Döllner, the short section of closed road my test took place on and the presence of a guide vehicle meant I was unable to attack any corners at speed to judge how well it will handle a demand for quick direction changes from behing the wheel.
For the Concept C, Audi’s team developed full bespoke suspension far beyond that normally applied to a prototype. It copes reasonably well with bumps and undulations in the road, although the relatively low ride height and stiffened nature of the car mean they are more noticeable than they would be in something that rides higher.
There’s also plenty of noise from the electric motor: the concept uses the motor’s ‘natural’ sound, although on the production model, artificial engine noise will be offered because of the benefits it brings to driver engagement.
