Behind the Scenes: How Audi Built the Concept C

[Source: Audi]

Without question the biggest news story in the Audi universe this year has been the Audi Concept C. It is more than just a concept car. It marks the dawn of Audi’s new design philosophy. And it is not just a clay model. It is a road-legal prototype that can drive 120 kph. Bringing the Concept C from idea to reality took a talented team of people that embody the ‘Vorsprung durch Technik’ philosophy. Now we get an exclusive peek behind the scenes via a film that documents the work of the men and women behind the car.

Building any concept car can be a monumental challenge. But Audi built this functional prototype in just four months. And because it was a ground up design the team had to start from scratch. Not only did the parts for the car not exist, but the tools to make the parts didn’t even exist. Yet despite this, the team held themselves to very high-quality standards. Panel gaps had to be less than 4 millimeters. Other gaps had to be less than 3 millimeters.

Biggest Challenges

The convertible top posed one of the biggest challenges. The entire top is a new development. It was discovered during the painting process that the roof panel was warping. It cost the team precious time to figure out how to rectify that. Also, lighting is of course very important at Audi and the team spent many days just trying to get the lighting sorted.

One month before the premiere and the team was still working on the car. The seats were upholstered by hand, the car was painted by hand, a lot of components of car were put together that way. It was a large manual effort to get the car ready for the debut. That is why when the team saw the car drive out of the gate for the first time, they had to fight back tears.

Everything Works

Once the car was done, the work didn’t stop. The car was photographed in front of an LED wall at all different angles. The team wanted to see how the car would look with its matte paint and how the metallic surfaces would look in all directions.

Then it is time to actually drive the car. Top up and top down, the car performed flawlessly. Everything worked and the attention to detail really paid off. This car was not slapped together. It was built to an exceptional standard.

The Audi Concept C will lead the way into the future of Audi. The Audi team is extremely proud of what they built. They came together and put their best foot forward for this car. They know this car is important to the company and to Audi enthusiasts around the world. Seeing how this car all came together gives us even more hope for the future of the brand.

Click HERE to watch the video on the making of the Audi Concept C on the Audi YouTube channel, and check out ACNA’s photo gallery of the Audi Concept C from our coverage at IAA Mobility 2025.