Reports have emerged that Audi engineers have knocked together a rolling production prototype of the stunning Quattro Concept with the intention of offering the car for mass consumption…
The folks at British motoring publication Autocar have spoken to Audi engineers who claim to have produced a working prototype using the underpinnings of the company’s RS5 performance coupe in order to help product managers and top executives decide whether to proceed with a production run.
Power was provided by a turbocharged 2,5-litre engine developing 308 kW and 480 N.m of torque channeled to all four corners via an all-wheel drive system with a 40:60 front/rear bias. Mated with a six-speed manual gearbox, the five-cylinder powerplant could reportedly propel the 1 300 kg Quattro from 0-100 km/h in just 3,9 seconds.
The concept was built around an aluminium spaceframe chassis with CFRP (carbon-fibre-reinforced plastic) panels bolted on to keep kerb weight to a minimum. Cost considerations and volumes will obviously have to factored in when considering such a fabrication, but if Audi chooses to utilise such materials, the production Quattro could be more than 270 kg lighter than the RS5.
Should the top brass at Audi give the Quattro Concept the final nod for production, it could emerge as early as 2013.