Audi’s Best Concept Cars Since 2010

[Author: Zach Miller]

Audi has a pretty colorful back catalogue of concept cars and prototypes, representing previews of forthcoming production models, but also some wild and unexpected creations that never stood a chance at series production. Here’s a flashback in time to some of my personal favorite Audi concepts shown to the public since 2010.

Audi e-tron Vision Gran Turismo (2018)

The Audi e-tron Vision Gran Turismo, unveiled in 2018, was originally designed as a digital concept for the PlayStation game Gran Turismo Sport before Audi brought it to life as a fully functional electric race car. Inspired by the legendary Audi 90 quattro IMSA GTO, this high-performance EV features three electric motors, two on the rear axle and one on the front, delivering a combined 815 horsepower and quattro all-wheel drive for blistering acceleration. With a 0-60 mph time of under 2.5 seconds, the e-tron Vision GT was actually used as a race taxi during Formula E events, showcasing Audi’s commitment to combining electrification with motorsport heritage.

The Gran Turismo Vision series of cars is an outlier from Audi’s normal concept cars, but it looks the business and not every Vision GT prototype got recreated in the physical world. Besides, you can never have too many tributes to the legendary Audi 90 IMSA GTO race car!

Audi Prologue Coupe (2014)

The Audi Prologue Coupé, first shown at the 2014 Los Angeles Auto Show, was a bold concept car that set the design direction for future Audi models. Created under the guidance of design chief Marc Lichte, the Prologue introduced a wider, more sculpted Singleframe grille, sharp Matrix LED headlights, and a sleek, fastback silhouette that influenced later production models like the A7, A8, and e-tron GT. Under the hood, it featured a 4.0-liter twin-turbo V8 producing 605 horsepower and 553 lb-ft of torque, propelling the car from 0-60 mph in just 3.7 seconds.

With its striking pillarless exterior styling, the Prologue Coupe gave Audi fans a glimpse of what a full size personal luxury coupe might look like. Audi A9 anyone? Given the discontinuation of the Mercedes-Benz S-Class Coupe and BMW recently announcing that their 8 Series will not make it to another generation, it remains unlikely that Audi will ever produce anything like the Prologue coupe.

Audi Prologue Avant (2015)

Building on the design language introduced by the 2014 Prologue Coupe, Audi debuted an Avant variant featuring a sleek, elongated body with the same bold grille, dynamic LED lighting, and muscular proportions that foreshadowed the future of Audi’s Avant models. Under the hood, it housed a hybrid powertrain combining a 3.0-liter TDI V6 with an electric motor, delivering 455 horsepower and 553 lb-ft of torque, paired with quattro all-wheel drive for exceptional performance and efficiency.

Inside, its futuristic cockpit featured a fully digital dashboard with multiple OLED touchscreens and a luxurious, high-tech cabin. The Prologue Avant showcased Audi’s vision for their future electrified Avant models, long before the arrival of the new A6 e-tron Avant. Although, it does make you wish that Audi would build a full size A8 Avant doesn’t it? The Prologue Avant concept is probably the closest Audi will ever get to that.

Audi RS 5 TDI concept (2014)

The Audi RS 5 TDI Concept, unveiled in 2014 to celebrate the 25th anniversary of Audi’s TDI technology, was a groundbreaking high-performance diesel coupe that pushed the boundaries of efficiency and power. While power was down compared to the 450 horsepower regular RS 5, torque was up significantly thanks to its 3.0-liter twin-turbo V6 diesel engine with an added electric supercharger. The diesel powertrain produced 385 horsepower and a staggering 553 lb-ft of torque, enabling a 0-60 mph time of around 4.0 seconds (only slightly faster than the standard RS 5 at about 4.5 seconds).

The electric supercharger virtually eliminated lag, showcasing Audi’s innovative approach to diesel performance. While the RS 5 TDI Concept never got approved for production, it remains the only fully functional Audi RS car to be powered by a diesel engine.

Audi Sport quattro concept (2014)

The Audi Sport quattro concept, first revealed at the 2013 Frankfurt Motor Show, was a modern reimagining of the legendary 1984 Sport quattro, celebrating 30 years of quattro performance. This high-performance plug-in hybrid coupe combined a 4.0-liter twin-turbo V8 with an electric motor, delivering a total of 700 horsepower and 590 lb-ft of torque through quattro all-wheel drive. With a 0-60 mph time of just 3.7 seconds, the concept blended raw power with efficiency, offering an electric-only range of 31 miles.

Its aggressive styling, flared fenders, and signature bladed C-pillar paid homage to the original rally icon while incorporating advanced lightweight materials like carbon fiber and aluminum. Though it never reached production, fans were encouraged at the time since this was a further development of the Audi quattro concept shown in 2010.

Audi Nanuk quattro concept (2013)

The Audi Nanuk quattro concept was a bold fusion of supercar performance and off-road capability, akin to today’s Lamborghini Huracan Sterrato and Porsche 911 Dakar. Designed in collaboration with Italdesign Giugiaro, this futuristic lifted supercar featured a 5.0-liter V10 TDI diesel engine producing 544 horsepower and 738 lb-ft of torque, enabling a 0-60 mph time of just 3.8 seconds. Built with quattro all-wheel drive, adaptive air suspension, and high ground clearance, the Nanuk was engineered for both high-speed performance and rugged terrain.

Its aggressive stance, scissor doors, and wide, muscular proportions gave it a striking presence, while its lightweight ASF (Audi Space Frame) construction kept weight in check. While the Nanuk quattro never went beyond a pure design study, it was interesting to see Audi experimenting with an offroad focused performance car about 10 years before other brands would bring similar interpretations to market for limited production. If only the Audi R8 had continued production beyond 2024, perhaps we would have gotten an Audi variant of the popular Huracan Sterrato.

Audi A2 concept (2011)

The Audi A2 concept is an odd ball on this list, probably forgotten by most Audi enthusiasts. Shown at the 2011 Frankfurt Motor Show, this concept showed us what a potential revival could look like for Audi’s short lived MPV, the A2, last seen in 2005. This premium city car concept featured a pure electric drivetrain, producing 116 horsepower and 199 lb-ft of torque, with a range of approximately 125 miles.

Built on an aluminum space frame, the A2 concept was both lightweight and efficient, enhancing agility and energy efficiency. Its minimalist yet futuristic design included a “dynamic light strip” running along the sides, innovative steer-by-wire technology, and a spacious, high-tech interior optimized for urban driving. Some of the exterior design features shown on the 2011 A2 concept looked similar to the Audi A1, which started series production in 2010. Mercedes-Benz continued to sell their B-Class and BMW later created the 2 Series Active & Gran Tourer models, but Audi never felt compelled to re-enter the compact MPV segment with a second generation A2.

Audi’s history of concept cars is a testament to the brand’s relentless pursuit of innovation, blending cutting-edge technology with visionary design. While most of these concepts did not become production models, they provided inspiration for future design direction within the brand, along with some interesting “what if” moments. In retrospect, some of these feel like missed opportunities, I’m looking at you Nanuk quattro!