Audi quattro prototype
Exclusive verdict on pre-production version of all-new supercar
This one-off prototype takes the Quattro concept a step closer to production. It feels virtually ready for the showroom, and provides a unique character that’s missing from the current crop of big Audi coupés. The company engineers we spoke to are adamant that, if the model is built, it will be a strict limited edition – but from this early drive, it promises to be something very special indeed.
The Quattro is making a comeback – and we have the inside line on how the project is shaping up.
Audi took the wraps off the stunning Quattro concept at last year’s Paris Motor Show. Now, it has allowed Auto Express to drive this prototype, which sports all the new model’s firepower under an A5 Coupé body.
That means a 402bhp 2.5-litre five-cylinder turbo driving all four wheels via a six-speed manual box. The prototype is based on the RS5, but as the powerplant is smaller than that car’s 4.2-litre V8, and composites and aluminium are used inside and out, it’s 325kg lighter. It’s also more than half-a-second quicker from 0-62mph, taking around four seconds.
We’ve tried this engine before in the TT RS, but the extra 67bhp on offer here means the Quattro delivers searing pace. It pulls hard towards the red line, and each gearchange is accompanied by a deep-throated growl from the quad exhaust tailpipes.
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Although this test demonstrator isn’t quite down to the concept’s 1,300kg kerbweight – or its shortened wheelbase – you can feel the dynamic advantages of the weight-saving technology.
Start pushing hard into corners, and the Quattro is far more eager to turn in than other Audi RS models. There’s also a sharpness to the controls, particularly the steering, which provides greater confidence to exploit the muscular engine.
The suspension is more compliant, though, and despite cornering with real agility, the newcomer gives the impression that it would make a good grand tourer. This A5 is an amazing example of how reducing the weight can change a vehicle’s character, and the crash diet is the result of some innovative engineering. The modifications include lighter sports seats and body panels which are hand-made from aluminium.
Meanwhile, the bonnet and boot are both constructed from carbon fibre-reinforced plastic – a material already used on the R8 supercar. This has all the strength advantages of carbon fibre, but is much cheaper to manufacture on a large scale. Using it here is a clear sign that Audi is deadly serious about pushing the model into production.
The whole package feels ready for the road – and if the firm manages to marry the demo car’s brutal performance with the concept’s superb styling, the Quattro should be a sensation.
