There is hardly anyone among car fans who does not know the crazy Audi Quattro , which raced on world rally tracks in the later banned Group B. The automaker wants to follow up on this model and will bring the Sport Quattro concept to the Frankfurt Motor Show.
The design of the Audi concept aims to accomplish a number of tasks. Naturally, many elements remind the original Quattro and at the same time represent its modern form, but all exterior solutions are in line with possible racing use, so nothing is just for effect. The Sport Quattro is also intended to foreshadow the future of the brand's design.
The interior of the concept is strictly functional and somewhat reminiscent of Italian Ferrari cars in design. Everything is focused on the driver and most of the most important controls have found their place on the sports steering wheel. The car's cabin offers space in shell seats for four people.
High- strength steel and aluminum were used for the body structure, while the front hood, roof and trunk lid are made of carbon fiber , as well as a number of exterior aerodynamic elements. The goal was to keep the weight as low as possible, yet the Sport Quattro is not a flyweight. With dimensions of 2,784 mm wheelbase, 4,602 mm length, 1,964 mm width and 1,386 mm height, the concept weighs 1,850 kg . The quattro all-wheel drive and electric motor with batteries are mainly to blame.
Yes, you read that right – the Sport Quattro is a hybrid! The basis is a gasoline twin-turbo V8 with a volume of 4.0 liters , an output of 560 horsepower and a torque of 700Nm . A disc-shaped electric motor is installed between the engine and the eight-speed single-clutch transmission from ZF , which provides 150 horsepower and 400Nm . It takes its energy from liquid-cooled lithium-ion batteries with a capacity of 14.1kWh located in the rear of the car. The total power of the system is 700 horsepower and a torque of 800Nm .
Thanks to the hybrid drive, the Sport Quattro concept is said to be able to drive with a combined consumption of 2.5 liters per 100km , while CO 2 emissions are reported by Audi at 59g/km . These results are also achieved by economical modifications of the gasoline engine. The latter received the COD system , which disconnects half of the cylinders from operation if necessary, and the now almost ubiquitous start-stop system.
The Sport Quattro concept is capable of operating in three modes . The most ecological is the EV , which uses only an electric motor for propulsion, so emissions are zero at that moment and the battery range is up to 50 kilometers . The second is the Hybrid mode, which uses the cooperation of the gasoline engine and the electric motor for a more dynamic, yet still very economical drive. For petrolheads, the Sport mode is the most interesting, when the internal combustion engine and the electric motor work together to deliver the most intense driving experiences. At the moment, the concept can sprint from rest to 100 km/h in 3.7 seconds and the maximum speed is 305 km/h .
The quattro all-wheel drive , which has a sports differential on the rear axle, is also tuned for the most sporty performance. The chassis is also focused on safety in corners, and the power of the drive train is to be transferred to the four 21-inch wheels on the road. On the contrary, massive carbon-ceramic brake discs will try to tame the Sport Quattro in flight.
Many of us were certainly disappointed by the concept's hybrid powertrain and would have preferred to see an evolution of the Quattro concept from Paris 2010, which only had a petrol five-cylinder under the hood. But it is true that in its day the original Quattro also used the most cutting-edge technology available, which was often not even properly tested. In this respect, the Sport Quattro concept follows in the footsteps of the original iconic Quattro .
As for the serial form of the concept, the automaker is reportedly considering limited production . However, it is not yet certain when we could expect something like this and what price the reborn Quattro would get. However, there is talk of something about 2015 or 2016 and a price exceeding 5 million crowns .
Source: Audi
