Audi Quattro reportedly destined for the green light - but in what form?
Audi Quattro Concept – Click above for high-res image gallery
If your jaw dropped at the site of the Audi Quattro concept unveiled in Paris, you weren't alone. The aluminum and carbon fiber throwback was one of the best looking – and all-around most enticing – show cars on display at Versailles. And if you ask the people in charge, it could be destined for showrooms in short order.
The thing about Audi is that when it does a concept car, it does just do a rolling model. It engineers the thing. It does its homework. And in the case of the Audi Quattro, three years of development work have reportedly already gone into it. According to Motor Trend, both Audi's and the Volkswagen Group's chief execs are eager to put it into production, although their visions for how it'll get there are a little different.
Group CEO Martin Winterkorn reportedly wants to put it into serial production at around 35,000 units annually in order to keep pricing to a reasonable level, offering a full range of engine options in the process. Audi CEO Rupert Stadler, meanwhile, sees the Quattro as a niche product, sticking with the solitary turbo five and all-wheel drive set-up that featured in both the show car and the '80s icon that was its inspiration.
The biggest clue, however, could come down to the car's designer. Audi's design director Wolfgang Egger came to Ingolstadt after having designed the Alfa Romeo 8C Competizione, a limited-production halo vehicle that's driving the styling direction for a new generation of Alfas. If that's the role that's destined for the production version of the Quattro concept, Audi could do a lot worse.
Gallery: Paris 2010: Audi Quattro Concept
[Source: Motor Trend]
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 3)
johnmichael.jfc 7:36PM (11/09/2010)
*doesn't
=)
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Nick 3:58AM (11/10/2010)
It seems less off-road than the original Quattro. The ground clearance here makes it more like a street racing car than a trail blazer.
alfietcr 7:37PM (11/09/2010)
It'll cost a gazillion dollars :)
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Khanh 7:54PM (11/09/2010)
I DON'T CARE HOW MUCH IT COSTS, I NEED ME ONE OF THOSE!!!
chazsf 7:41PM (11/09/2010)
I assume a production version would use the supercharged 3.0 V-6. There's no real reason to be developing an oddball I-5.
Either way, sign me up NOW!
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steve lumley 7:49PM (11/09/2010)
"There's no real reason to be developing an oddball I-5."
omg that is hilarious. This is project aniversario, it pays homage to the sport quattro which had, wait, an i5 t. I guess the limited run halo thing would be 200k like the alfa and maybe the other could come in for 911 money.
zamafir 7:57PM (11/09/2010)
"omg that is hilarious"
x1,000,000. autoblog comment section, always good for a laugh.
Mondrell 10:49PM (11/09/2010)
"There's no real reason to be developing an oddball I-5."
TT-RS? RS3?
Verbal 4:43AM (11/10/2010)
> "There's no real reason to be developing an oddball I-5."
They already did (TTRS). One of the most glorious sounding engines in recent history (won't touch AMG's "6.3", but still...).
homunculus 7:41PM (11/09/2010)
Correct answer: "In an overpriced form"
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imag 9:39PM (11/09/2010)
I just hope this doesn't derail the R4. This is very cool. The mid-engine R4 is even better - to me anyway.
Building both seems to be a good compromise :)
Dick Brogan 7:49PM (11/09/2010)
I don't know wheret hey can position this in the line where it wouldn't cannibalize sales of something smiliar. I doubt they can differentiate the performs much either.
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zamafir 8:15PM (11/09/2010)
lets see... 300lbs lighter than the TT, more powerful than the S4, limited run like a typical RS car but even more limited, yeah, I definitely see this cannibalizing sales of... erm... no. It'll be more than the TT-RS, less than the R8, More than the RS5, it won't cannibalize squat because it won't be cheap enough to.
Dick Brogan 8:51PM (11/09/2010)
Please, this thing is all but guaranteed to crack $100K. The RS5, while not priced for the US will probably be in the $70K+ range, fully optioned will probably put it in the $80's. The concept is based on the RS5 platform,but aluminum and carbon fiber intensive. If you think it won't be close to R8 territory, you're high. I'd be picking the R8.
zamafir 10:55PM (11/09/2010)
me: It'll cost more than the RS5 but less than the R8
you: you're high because it'll cost more than the RS5 but less than the R8
Um. Reasserting what I've already said in an oppositional tone? Whatever it is you're already half a pipe into, I want it.
hahajose 7:55PM (11/09/2010)
Audi Quattro -> Audi 80 -> Audi A4 -> R4??
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Larry in Miami 8:19PM (11/09/2010)
And despite the giant mouth ("The better to suck you with, My Dear,") it eats only PLANKTON.
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Zmatt 8:21PM (11/09/2010)
I doubt it will be a halo ca.r Audi already has one. And the V10 R8 has a lot going for it. if it was price as an evo/sti competitor, say starting in the high 20's and could be configured to around 32k then you will have a good car. If it's supposed to pay homage to the rally car then it needs to compete with rally cars.
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Vettro07 7:36PM (11/10/2010)
I like your point but it will unfortunately never happen. It will be more $ no matter what. Audi doesn't compete 1 to 1 with Mits or Subarus and likely doesn't want to (especially considering the light materials they are using and the price of the TTRS) . My guess would be above RS5 and below R8 (as said above) but I would really like it to be around the S4 range :)
AuroraPilot 3.5 8:39PM (11/09/2010)
That's a handsome vehicle. :-)
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