The current Audi Quattro system is based off the automaker’s Ur-Quattro, which first debuted at the 1980 Geneva Motor Show.
Audi wanted to maintain the Ur-Quattro’s heritage with the Quattro concept. As such, Audi, at the 2010 Paris Motor Show, used a modified version of the RS5 platform, keeping the engine forward of the passenger compartment. A bespoke body that resembles a mixture of the original Ur-Quattro and the modern RS5 rides on a shortened RS5 platform. The unique styling changes give the car a striking, muscular stance.
In addition to keeping the Ur-Quattro’s front-engine heritage intact, the Quattro concept forgoes the RS5′s 4.2-liter V-8 in favor of a turbocharged 2.5-liter I-5. The Quattro concept is also fitted with a six-speed manual transmission, rather than the seven-speed dual-clutch transmission found in the RS5. The engine puts out 408 horsepower and 354 pound-feet of torque using, of course, Audi’s latest Quattro all-wheel drive.
The Quattro concept, despite its modern amenities, tips the scales at 2900 pounds — some 900 pounds lighter than a standard RS5. The platform is all-aluminum and the body is constructed of carbon fiber. According to Audi, the weight savings enable the Quattro to do 0 to 62 mph in 3.9 seconds and still average 33 mpg.
via Audi courtesy of Automobile Magazine Staff
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