Boxster on the outside, Audi inside: the Concept C may be testing in Porsche clothing

© Carspotter Jeroen

An electric Porsche Boxster EV was spotted testing near the Nürburgring, but one detail made the prototype far more interesting: the car was registered in Ingolstadt, Audi’s home base. Which means the bodywork of the future Boxster may be hiding an early version of the production Audi Concept C.

The Volkswagen Group is preparing several electric sports cars at once, and the logic is clear: Porsche has been honing the new 718 Boxster/Cayman EV for years, and Audi can use the same architecture for its own two-door electric car. The mechanical kinship hasn’t been officially confirmed, but Audi has already said the Concept C is built on a new platform that will be shared inside the group.

The difference between the two cars won’t be limited to the badge. Porsche will keep the classic Boxster recipe with a soft top, while Audi will build the production Concept C exclusively as a targa: two roof panels will retract under the rear bodywork, turning the coupe into a roadster at the push of a button. For Audi, that’s a rare move — the brand has never offered a production model with such a layout before.

The powertrain approach is also different. Audi is calling the Concept C a fully electric car upfront: no inline-five, no gasoline backup option, and no attempt to build a junior R8. The baseline concept is rear-wheel drive with a single electric motor, but the platform allows a front motor to be added to deliver Quattro all-wheel drive.

The risk for Audi is obvious. Porsche can hedge its bets with gasoline versions of the Boxster and Cayman in the higher trims, while Audi is betting solely on an electric sports car. In a segment where emotion often outweighs reason, buyers will need to be sold not only on acceleration, but also on the sense of lightness, the sound, the seating position and the character — the things that made the TT and R8 loved in the first place.

The production Audi Concept C is expected in 2027. If the prototype really is linked to this model, Audi isn’t just preparing a TT successor in spirit — it’s trying to claim the space between the Porsche 718 EV and pricier electric grand tourers, a space that still has no clear winner.