subject: Audi Celebrates 30 years of its ground breaking Quattro model [print this page] Audi Celebrates 30 years of its ground breaking Quattro model
Audi used the Paris motor show to show off its plans for an eco-friendly hybrid Spider concept, it also used the show to show of its Quattro concept car to mark the release of the original Quattro 30 years ago.
The Quattro concept has been created after Audi's design teams had an internal contest to design the new machine. Audi's bosses briefed the two design chiefs, Stefan Seilaff and Wolfgang Egger, to go head-to-head and revive the Quattro's spirit 30 years on. Egger who is the ex-Alfa head of design won the competition.
The winning design is based on the RS5 with 150mm chopped from the wheelbase and 40mm taken off the roof line. It has also had its rear overhang cut by 200mm, so it measures 4.28-metres long, 1.86-metres wide and 1.33-metres high.
With a 2.6 metre wheelbase, the Quattro concept sits on 20-inch wheels and uses the similar style of large wheel arch flares as the original 1980 Quattro which debuted at the Geneva Motor Show and went on to become a rallying legend.
The concept uses an uprated 402bhp version of the 2.5 litre turbo charged engine found in the Audi TT RS, it's mated to a six speed manual gearbox and of course comes with Audi's permanent four wheel drive system "Quattro".
Audi in Edinburgh have said there are no plans to put the concept into production but, added that if enough interest was generated then it wouldn't be too difficult to get it into production. Reviving old models has become a trend in the automotive industry, we have seen Citroen do it with the DS, Fiat do it with the 500 and it has proved to be successful.
