Future of Audi quattro concept to be decided by September
Last year, Audi introduced the Quattro Concept, which was conceived to celebrate the 20TH birthday of Audi’s legendary original Quattro model and all-wheel drive system.
However, whether the Quattro Concept would make it into production was still up in the air. And while the idea is still there, the fate of the concept’s future will be decided by September of this year, as announced at a press conference for the launch of the new Audi Q3 crossover in Switzerland.
“Although the final decision has been made, I’m hoping to remain optimistic that the Quattro Concept will get the green light for production” said Quattro GmbH’s head, Stephan Reil.
Reil continued to speak on behalf of the concept’s idea, saying that the best way to execute the Quattro Concept for production would be “a small-volume exotic car with a production run of 500-1,000 cars.” He also said that the car’s target weight was a relatively low—for an Audi) 3,086lbs, which would force the Quattro to employ a significant “use of lots of exotic materials.” That guideline alone forces the Quattro to be priced high and made in low volumes.
“There would be no better way of demonstrating Audi’s ‘Ultra’ lightweight technologies,” Reil said. An example of this has been in use for many years: Audi’s own aluminum space frame that posed as the backbone for models like the A6 and the A8.
Audi quattro concept:
In terms of power, the engine would most likely be derived from the RS5’s naturally aspirated 4.2L V8 that’s good for 444hp and 317 lb-ft of torques, which is what the Quattro Concept uses. But for it to be applicable to the production Quattro, it would have to be significantly reworked in order for it to function well with the aluminum chassis.
“We need more power than the RS5,” said Reil, “and it needs to be mounted longitudinally instead of transversely.”
Despite the Quattro’s historic pedigree, Reil also made sure to announce that the Quattro Concept, although paying homage to the original Sport Quattro, has no direct link between motorsports and the concept.
In some closing remarks, Stephan Reil also announced that Audi won’t be making RS versions of their SUVs because of the high-center of gravity, unlike BMW’s X5 and X6 M and Mercedes-Benz’s AMG ML. But an RS version of the A7 was not out of the question as well. “We did two generations of the RS6 so why not do an A7,” he said.
Audi quattro concept:
– By: Chris Chin
Source: Inside Line