- Audi’s electric TT successor debuts a controversial new grille.
- All new Audis will adopt this grille, with unique styling cues.
- Design boss behind the change also shaped the Defender.
Not a fan of last year’s Audi Concept C and its curious upright grille? You’re not alone. The unconventional design sparked more than a few online comparisons to a mustache style, nicknamed “toothbrush” or, in German slang, “Rotzbremse” (“snot brake”). It was popularized by Charlie Chaplin, before being permanently tainted by one of history’s darkest figures.
Read: The Concept C Is So Close To Production Audi Got It Street Legal
Well, we have bad news for you, as Audi’s design boss has confirmed that this distinctive vertical grille will be a staple on future models, as the brand moves away from the trapezoidal, singleframe grille that dominated its cars for years.
Italian designer Massimo Frascella landed the job of Audi’s head of design in mid-2024, taking over from Marc Lichte. Frascella was instrumental in shaping models like the Land Rover Defender and Range Rover Velar and has been tasked with pushing Audi’s design philosophy into its next chapter.
The Concept C serves as the opening statement of that new chapter. Developed as a preview of Audi’s next-generation TT or whatever else the company calls the sports car, the concept debuted with a tall, rectangular grille centered on the nose, resembling something between a reinterpretation of Audi’s classic front and a nod to Bugatti’s horseshoe design.
The New Grille is Here to Stay
Guido ten Brink
During a recent interview with Auto Motor und Sport magazione, Frascella revealed that this vertical grille will become commonplace across the line-up. However, he acknowledged that tweaks will be made to the fascias of each new model to ensure they stand out.
More: Audi Design Boss Wants To Remove Big Screens From Future Models
“We have developed the individual elements in such a way that they can be used flexibly, so that models in the A segment differ significantly from sports cars or SUVs –but are connected by a common thread,” he explained. “We want our cars to be identified as Audi first. But of course, every car needs its own character. This is created by the car’s proportions, the special lines, the face, and the eyes.”
Audi Interiors Are Changing Too
Frascella won’t just shape the future of Audi exteriors. The Concept C also introduces a more restrained interior approach, scaling back the trend toward ever-larger displays and retaining physical switches and dials for key functions.
The first new model from Audi, expected to hit the market with the brand’s new design language, will be an all-new TT, based on the Concept C. From what we understand, it won’t carry the TT name, but it will share the familiar two-door layout and compact proportions, now paired with an all-electric powertrain.
