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| Audi's new angry concept "Quattro" |
It's no coincidence that this combative, pugnacious looking tyke has been badged the Audi Sport Quattro Concept. It's a deliberate homage to the classic Sport Quattro from 1983 - the short-wheelbase one, that is - and thus carries with it the weight of a million enthusiastic car fanatics.
Under the bonnet is the same 552bhp twin-turbo 4.0-litre V8 as in the new RS6 Avant, but sandwiched between the engine and eight-speed Tiptronic box is a 147bhp electric motor. That takes the total output to 690bhp and 800Nm of torque – enough for a 0-62mph time of 3.7 seconds and a 190mph top speed.
That's... not quite as fast as we'd hoped, considering the gigantic power output and four-wheel-drive. As some of you will no doubt point out, a Nissan GT-R will hit 62mph in three seconds dead. Still, all this and a claimed 59g/km of CO2 and 113mpg for the show car.
With a fully charged battery pack, drivers will be able to go 30 miles on electric power, meaning 113mpg economy and 59g/km CO2 emissions.
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| The new Quattro three-quarters |
The design screams hard of the flamboyant 80s. The exterior is littered with nods to the eighties Sport quattro, like the flat C-pillar, rectangular headlamps and tail-lights, and the slatted bonnet vent.
The racing influences are smattered all over this angry concept; those broad shoulders, single frame grille, bonnet creases, front splitter and rear diffuser, massive 21-inch wheels and flared arches. Inside, there are sports bucket seats, a digital instrument cluster, head-up display, and multi-function sports steering wheel that "provides a glimpse into future sporty production models".
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| Interior of the new Quattro |
The Sport quattro sits on a modified RS5 platform, but is shorter, wider and higher.
A limited production run is expected at the Neckarsulm plant in Germany, where the R8 and RS models are made, and could cost around £125,000.
