The presence of Chinese automakers added some international flavor to this week’s Munich Motor Show, but in reality the event was more about familiar German brands and their new, and in some cases unfamiliar, faces.

Related: Star-Stricken Mercedes GLC EV Has A Grille Big Enough To Swallow A BMW iX3

All of the big German automakers were on hand with fresh concept cars and production models that showcased new stylistic directions. It feels like we’re at one of those moments where car design is changing across the industry for premium European brands after a period during which the big players have struggled to reinvent themselves and work out how to differentiate EV and combustion cars, or whether to even differentiate them at all. But have the Germans really rediscovered their design mojo?

Photos Stefan Baldauf & Guido ten Brink

Let’s start with BMW and the iX3, arguably the biggest story from the show because it’s about so much more than a new SUV. The iX3 is the first of the Neue Klasse cars and brings a fresh design language that will shape the brand’s entire lineup for the next decade, as well as a crucial new EV platform.

There was some murmuring here at Carscoops that the iX3’s profile deviated too far from Munich’s conventions, but overall this has to be viewed as a massive hit. BMW designs have mostly either been butt ugly or blandly handsome over the last 20 years, but finally here’s a fresh, modern-looking car with real presence, and one that brilliantly manages to riff on the classic face of old-timers without looking like a lazy retro rip-off.

Photos Stefan Baldauf & Guido ten Brink

To our eyes, the iX3’s key rival, the electric Mercedes GLC, is far less successful. The body looks flabby and dull next to the BMW’s and while we’re all for the three-pointed star marque borrowing some classic inspiration to put new energy into its famous grille, the light-up nose on the GLC, which will find its way onto other future models as well, looks like an afterthought here.

Photos Stefan Baldauf & Guido ten Brink

Audi’s Concept C looked far more confident. Previewing an electric TT successor that will share tech with the upcoming Porsche 718 Boxster and Cayman EVs, it takes inspiration from both the TT and Auto Union’s 1930s Type C racers.

We’re reminded of the string of uber-strong Bauhaus-infused concept cars Audi delivered in the late 1990s and early 2000s, many of which made production, as well as Jaguar’s Type 00 concept, though we think Audi did a better job.

Photos Stefan Baldauf & Guido ten Brink

Volkswagen’s ID. Polo and Polo GTI, the near-production versions of the car we previously knew as the ID.2, looked less radical in comparison, but they still represent a shift in the automaker’s design that hearkens back to the solid shapes and surfaces that made some of the brand’s biggest sellers so enduring.

Think about how fresh the Mk4 Golf still looks almost 30 years after we first met it, or the Mk1 does more than 50 years after it debuted. That’s the kind of self-assured, non-faddy style the ID. Polo embraces, but at the same time the ID. Cross showed VW could also have some fun with the same design language.

Photos Stefan Baldauf & Guido ten Brink

And now it’s time for our question of the day: do you think the German automakers have got their design act together, or do some of them need to get back to the drawing board? And in the battle of the grilles, who did it best – BMW, Audi or Mercedes? Leave a comment below and let us know your opinions and the reasoning behind them.

Audi/BMW/Mercedes

When Audi discontinued the TT, demand for sports cars was very limited and, for a time, no replacement was in sight. However, a successor is finally on its way. The brand’s striking Concept C is “90 percent there” in terms of production planning, according to the four-ring brand’s CEO. Evidently, it’ll roll into showrooms in 2027, along with fake gear shifts and faux five-cylinder noises. Here’s everything we just learned from Audi’s boss.

For those who haven’t being paying attention, the Concept C that made its world premiere this week showcases Audi’s big new design direction. It’s a mix of mostly straight angular lines with a few soft curves here and there. CEO Gernot Döllner said that it’s something in between the TT and the R8, and that’s an apt description of the car from the looks of it.

Beneath the surface, it shares close ties with Porsche’s next 718 EV, a project that is still in development though running behind schedule.

Read: Audi’s Concept C Previews A Porsche-Linked Sports Car Coming Sooner Than You Think

What’s truly interesting, though, is what Top Gear got out of Döllner at the Munich motor show. There, he confirmed that “It’s a fully-functional concept, street legal, you’ll drive it soon.” There’s still one glaring omission, however: a name.

A Car Without a Name

According to Döllner, development moved so quickly that the team didn’t have time to settle on branding.

“It’s not a successor to the TT – it will not have the TT name. We were so fast in developing the concept, we didn’t have time to find a name, so called it Concept C,” Döllner said. “To be honest, it could start with an R or be a name. Sometimes it’s easier to develop a car than find a name for it,” he continued.

Photos Stefan Baldauf & Guido ten Brink

Virtual Gearbox Plans

That’s not the only new detail. The upcoming production car will almost certainly have a virtual gearbox. “We found that a virtual gearbox and sound really add something to driving an electric car. Even on the racetrack, I’m faster with a car with a virtual gearbox,” he told the magazine. “We’re developing it, I think we’ll have one. The company is quite open to finding innovative solutions in this area.”

Also: Mercedes Boss Says Audi Concept C’s Interior ‘Looks Like It Was Designed In 1995’

Those innovations may extend to sound as well. Döllner hinted that Audi could simulate the iconic growl of its five-cylinder turbo engine, a nod to enthusiasts who still mourn its slow fade.

When asked about the lifespan of the engine that lives under the hood of the RS3, Döllner confirmed that it’ll die at some point soon as Audi will not update it for the Euro 7 emission regulations. On the flip side, he did say “maybe it will come back virtually.” We can’t think of a better car for it than whatever the Concept C turns into. 

Could The R8 Return?

As for the possibility of a new R8 built on the Lamborghini’s Temerario‘s hybrid V8 twin-turbo platform, surprisingly, that door hasn’t been closed. “Of course there’s room for another car, but we need to go step by step. First of all I have to focus now on our core segments and carry this new design language to series production cars,” Döllner explained.

Photos Stefan Baldauf & Guido ten Brink

The Audi TT is long gone, but that doesn’t mean the brand is giving up on fun, compact sports cars. In fact, it has already started testing prototypes of what’s set to be the TT’s spiritual all-electric successor, recently previewed with the striking Concept C. Not only will the new model have a lot to live up to, but it’ll also be developed in less time than any other Audi to come before it.

To keep pace with the lightning-fast timelines established by Chinese automakers, Audi plans to launch its new electric sports car just 30 months after the project was approved. That kind of turnaround is a big shift for a brand known for taking its time.

Read: Audi’s Concept C Previews A Porsche-Linked Sports Car Coming Sooner Than You Think

“China speed at Ingolstadt comes with that car – around 30 months development time, which is really a revolution for us, to develop a car at that speed,” Audi chief executive Gernot Dollner told Autocar.

Shared DNA with Porsche, Different Identities

The electric TT successor will share more than a few components with Porsche’s upcoming all-electric 718 Boxster and Cayman. All three will ride on a modified version of the PPE platform co-developed by Audi and Porsche. Rather the battery pack being on the floor, as is common practice in most EVs, it will be located behind the seats, ensuring similar weight distribution and handling characteristics to a mid-engined sports car.

Still, Volkswagen Group boss Oliver Blume has been clear that despite the technical overlap, each model will stand on its own. “We have very clear brand identities which are very different between Porsche and Audi,” he explained. “That’s what we are doing across the Volkswagen Group, defining the clear brand identities.”

An EV That’s Focused On Fun

According to Audi chief technical officer Geoffrey Bouqout, the automaker is eager to ensure the electric TT is as fun to drive as possible.

“It’s all about the emotions and [being] fun to drive, and at the same time reducing to what you want to focus on,” he said. “Do you want to experience something that is full of information? No. You want to enjoy the drive, and you want to have only the information that you need, whenever you need – and this is part of the things that we’re working heavily on.”

Bouqout added that Audi isn’t necessarily trying to mimic the handling characteristics of the TT or a modern mid-engined model, but rather has taken inspiration from it “and translated it into a BEV model.” Its technical boss also noted that the company “don’t want to give some gimmicks” to enhance the driving experience.

“It’s more about also the acceleration, the capabilities of driving, while also being very stable. It’s something that we can fine-tune, all the sportiness, but I would not say we copied anything.”

The Case for Electric Thrills

For skeptics who believe the absence of an engine diminishes engagement, Blume offered a direct challenge: take the car for a spin. “They have to drive it. You feel so close to the road, having the noise of the wheels, and it’s such fantastic driving. The direct steering we have, it offers such a lot of opportunities, and then there’s the agility.”

On the design side, Audi executives suggest the production car will remain remarkably faithful to the Concept C with around 90 percent of the show car’s styling expected to carry over. If the schedule holds, the new model should arrive by 2027, completing one of the fastest development cycles in Audi’s history.

Audi has officially unveiled the Concept C, just ahead of its first public outing at the Munich Motor Show. It’s a stunning hardtop roadster that previews the brand’s new design philosophy as well as a production model that will likely be based on the redesigned Porsche 718 Boxster and Cayman duo.

Looking bold and minimalist, the concept embraces the spirit of the legendary Auto Union Type C racer and features the all-new “Audi brand face.” The latter is a radical departure as it features a rectangular grille with a portrait orientation.

More: This Porsche 718 Mule Could Be Hiding Audi’s Next TT

The grille is flanked by angular accents, which channel air into vertical curtains. They’re joined by slender four-element headlights, which are slated to become a design hallmark that will “define Audi’s visual identity during both day and night.”

The eye-catching design continues further back as the concept has a rakish windscreen and streamlined bodywork. The latter features taut surfaces, sharp lines, and a pronounced shoulder that runs the entire length of the vehicle.

While the aerodynamic wheels and sporty side skirts draw attention, the retractable hardtop is the real star. It’s the first ever used on an Audi roadster and it promises to deliver the open-air benefits of a convertible as well as the styling and security of a coupe.

The roof is broken up into two different sections and a rear hatch opens to reveal a storage space. The roof then slides backwards, before the hatch closes. It operates similarly to the Porsche 911 Targa, which isn’t surprising as the two share a like-minded design.

Out back, there’s a relatively plain rear end with a wide diffuser and four-element taillights. The model also eschews a rear window for a camera.

A Minimalist Interior Free Of Distractions

The industrial design carries over to the cabin, which has all the ambience and glamour of an airport gate. Drivers sit behind a reimagined steering wheel and find themselves looking at a digital instrument cluster.

While this is fairly typical, Audi embraced a ‘shy tech’ approach to minimize distractions. As part of this effort, the model has a 10.4-inch infotainment system that folds out of the way when it’s no longer needed.

Elsewhere, we can see digital climate controls, anodized aluminum accents, and indirect ambient lighting. The automaker also eschewed leather for stylish cloth upholstery.

Production Model Inbound

While the car is technically a study, Audi confirmed it’s a “concrete preview of a production vehicle.” It will be built at their Böllinger Höfe plant and it’s expected to arrive in 2027.

Besides previewing a future production model, the concept’s exterior and interior design will influence other road-going vehicles. While those changes are likely a ways off, Audi confirmed plans to introduce an entry-level EV next year that will be built in Ingolstadt. 2026 will also see the introduction of new performance models, which will likely include the S6 and RS6 Avant.