Audi Confirmed That All Upcoming Cars Will Bear The new vertical grille as their signature.

Audi’s head of design, Massimo Frasella, confirmed that the high, almost vertical grille will become a trademark of all future models. With this, Audi abandons the recognizable trapezoidal single-frame mask that has defined the appearance of their cars for years and had an excellent reception among its fans.

When the Concept C was unveiled, reactions were mixed. Many on the Internet compared the new mask to the so-called “toothbrush” moustache, also known as “Rotzbremse” in German slang. The style once worn by Charlie Chaplin has much darker associations today, so the jokes wrote themselves.

But at Audi, apparently, they didn’t care too much about memes.  Speaking to Auto Motor und Sport, Frasella made it clear that this is just the beginning of a new design era.

The Italian designer took over as head of design in mid-2024, succeeding Mark Lichte. Before joining Audi, he worked on models such as the Land Rover Defender and the Range Rover Velar, and now he is tasked with redefining the visual identity of the entire brand.

Concept C is not just a design exercise. It is about the announcement of a future sports model that will succeed the Audi TT, although, according to available information, it will not bear that name. It will retain the two-door body and compact proportions, but with a fully electric drive.

The front is dominated by a high mask placed vertically on the nose of the car. Design-wise, it feels like a combination of a reinterpretation of the classic Audi front end and a subtle reference to Bugatti’s horseshoe-shaped grille.

Frasella emphasizes that the same basic design elements will be used throughout the range, but with adjustments depending on the segment.

“We have developed certain elements so that they can be used flexibly, so that the models of the A segment are significantly different from sports cars or SUVs, but that a common thread still connects them,” he said. “We want our cars to be recognized first and foremost as Audi. But of course, every car must have its own character. It is created by proportions, special lines, and the face and eyes.”

In other words, the fascia will be a common signature, but not every Audi will look like a copy of the same car in a different size.

The changes do not only apply to the exterior. Concept C also announces a new direction in the interior. Audi plans to partially move away from the trend of large screens that dominate the dashboards of modern cars.

Instead, physical buttons and dials for key functions return, which should please drivers tired of searching for basic settings on touchscreens.

The first production model with this new design language will be the electric successor of the TT, based on the Concept C.

• Also See: Audi To Bring Physical Buttons Back In Its Upcoming Models