Autoblog

Audi's new Quattro Coupe may be Evoque-style CUV

George Kennedy — Thu, 04 Oct 2012 11:30:00 EST

Filed under: Concept Cars, Coupe, Crossover, Rumormill

This is sad news, depending on how you look at it. According to UK magazine Car, Audi will not produce a road-going version of the terrific Quattro Concept, first seen at the 2010 Paris Motor Show. Since its debut, we have driven it, we have loved it and now it seems we will not see a production version of it.

Apparently, Audi believes that the performance coupe market is reaching the point of saturation, with less room than ever for the concept that the car guy world seemed to excited to see.

That there will not be a production version of the Quattro Concept may not stop Audi from using the moniker to name a compact crossover, however. It would not be as tall as a normal CUV, rather Car predicts that it could take the form of a 2-door crossover, à la the Range Rover Evoque Coupe. Possibly to be named "Q-Coupe," potential motivation could be a five-cylinder turbo, sending power through an S-tronic dual-clutch gearbox to the eponymous Quattro all-wheel-drive system.

Considering the recent rollout of Audi CUV concepts, such as the RS Q3 at the Beijing show and the Audi Crosslane Coupe in Paris, this is a real possibility. The Ur-Quattro itself rode higher off the ground than your standard sport coupe at the time. In that regard, a coupe/CUV would have more in common with the original than the ground-hugging Quattro Concept.

Hey, if Audi can make compact crossover coupe that tears up a dirt road with even a fraction of the gusto of the Ur-Quattro, as it dispatched rally stages, we would say, "job well done."

Audi's new Quattro Coupe may be Evoque-style CUV originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 04 Oct 2012 11:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Audi Quattro model to return in time for 35th anniversary?

Jonathon Ramsey — Fri, 24 Aug 2012 11:29:00 EST

Filed under: Concept Cars, Coupe, Performance, Audi, Luxury

The Audi Quattro Concept revealed at the 2010 Paris Motor Show has, quietly, been trying to get enough traction to make a real run at production. The last we heard about it was April 2011, when the prototype engineers had a running model based on the S5 that was about 500 pounds lighter than an R8. In a poll we ran with that news, nearly 61 percent of you said you'd be interested in buying a production version of the Quattro if it were cheaper than the R8. If a report in German magazine Auto Bild is to be believed, you 61-percenters could be in luck.

Their report presents a coupe that is all kinds of tweener, having a stance "halfway between the Q5 and A5," weight between the A1 and A3, power between the S5 and RS5, and a price between the TT RS and R8. Power's been pegged at 375 horsepower from a 2.5-liter inline five-cylinder (the concept we drove in 2010 put out 408 hp from the same engine), moving a four-seater coupe weighing in at around 3,000 pounds(!). As for price, it's supposedly being plotted to fill the gap between the TT RS and R8. We have no idea what to do with that stance prediction, though, since that would take the production car in the opposite direction of the ground-hugging svelteness of the concept, but even if just three out of four prognostications come true, this will be a seriously lusty piece of metal. With those specs, we'd also think the pricing would lean more toward the R8 end of the scale.

Annual sales predictions have come down to 10,000 per year from the 35,000 initially mentioned. As for when we might see any of them, Auto Bild says the car's internal name of Q35 suggests it would be Quattro's 35th anniversary gift to the world, meaning some time around 2015.

Audi Quattro model to return in time for 35th anniversary? originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 24 Aug 2012 11:29:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Audi Quattro could get green light by September

Steven J. Ewing — Tue, 05 Jul 2011 10:31:00 EST

Filed under: Concept Cars, Coupe, Audi

Audi Quattro Concept - Click above for high-res image gallery

We knew Audi was up to something when it invited us to drive the super-hot Quattro concept late last year. The coupe, currently based on the RS5 architecture, pays homage to the original Ur-Quattro from 1980, and by inviting the media to drive the delicate concept, Audi wanted to show us how serious it is about someday offering a production version.

Now, Inside Line reports that a decision about whether or not the Quattro will get the green light should come in September, before the 2011 Frankfurt Motor Show. Stephan Reil, head of Quattro GmbH, admits that the final decision about whether or not Audi will build the Quattro concept has indeed been delayed, but that he is "optimistic" about the concept getting the green light.

Reil told Inside Line that, if produced, the Quattro would be a low-volume product with a production run of around 500 to 1,000 cars. Part of the Quattro's goodness is its focus on lightness, and with a target weight of only 3,086 pounds, plenty of exotic (and expensive) materials will need to be used in the car's construction.

Furthermore, the RS5 powertrain will need to be revised quite extensively, with Reil citing that the Quattro will need to be more powerful, and that the engine will have to be mounted longitudinally rather than transversely. Even so, Reil said that if given the green light, we could see a production Quattro in about two to three years. Here's hoping.

Audi Quattro could get green light by September originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 05 Jul 2011 10:31:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Autoblog's Top 10 Concept Cars of 2010

Steven J. Ewing — Wed, 29 Dec 2010 11:59:00 EST

Filed under: Concept Cars

Autoblog's Top 10 Concept Cars of 2010 - Click above to read the list

Just under 70 concept cars were rolled out by automakers from around the globe at this year's major auto shows. These swoopy, futuristic showstoppers usually preview what's to come in terms of new designs and technology, and in some cases, concept cars directly foreshadow full-on production models that aren't too far down the pipeline.

We've scanned back through our full raft of concept car coverage over the past year to pick these examples, our ten best concept car and truck reveals from 2010, ranked in order as judged by our staff. See what we were most eager to point our cameras at after the jump, then sound off with your own favorites (or take us to task for ours) in Comments.

Continue reading...

Continue reading Autoblog's Top 10 Concept Cars of 2010

Autoblog's Top 10 Concept Cars of 2010 originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 29 Dec 2010 11:59:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Quick Spin: Audi Quattro Concept

Michael Harley — Tue, 07 Dec 2010 11:57:00 EST

Filed under: Concept Cars, Coupe, Performance, Audi, Specialty, Quick Spins

Thirty Years After The Original, Audi Wants To Build Another Masterpiece

Audi Quattro Concept - Click above for high-res image gallery

Blue and red flashing lights filling the mirror after a spirited canyon run are never welcomed. Yet this time, I've fully embraced them. Why?

I'm driving down California's Pacific Coast Highway in Audi's one-of-a-kind Quattro Concept with a full police escort. In front, law enforcement is clearing the road ahead as if sweeping for mines, pushing civilian traffic off to the side. I've got another unit behind me, shooing the restless natives off my flanks. The parade is impressive, but I'm wary of the pageantry. Are the cops there to solely maintain a generous cushion around the multi-million dollar concept, or has Audi paid them to keep me from rocketing off into the sunset off with their turbocharged 190-mph sports coupe?

I'm tempted to floor it and find out.

Continue reading...

Gallery: Audi Quattro Concept: Quick Spin

Continue reading Quick Spin: Audi Quattro Concept

Quick Spin: Audi Quattro Concept originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 07 Dec 2010 11:57:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Report: Audi building business case for limited-edition Quattro concept

Steven J. Ewing — Fri, 08 Oct 2010 10:01:00 EST

Filed under: Concept Cars, Coupe, Performance, Audi

Audi Quattro Concept - Click above for high-res image gallery

Audi stunned us at this month's Paris Motor Show when it unveiled the Quattro concept - an homage to the original Ur-Quattro that pioneered the automaker's now-signature all-wheel-drive system. It shares its underpinnings with those found on the hot RS5 coupe, packs 408 horsepower and weighs less than 3,000 pounds. Talk about impressive.

We certainly wouldn't be opposed to a production version, and according to Autocar, that dream may become a reality. Audi has reportedly been advancing plans for a limited production run of the Quattro, assembled on a dedicated line at parent company Volkswagen's newly acquired design firm, Italdesign. Stefan Reil, head of development at Audi's Quattro Gmbh division, told Autocar that the automaker is "rethinking standard processes to make it possible," and that Audi "know[s] how to engineer it already."

If the Quattro concept gets the green light, power would likely come from a tuned version of the turbocharged 2.5-liter inline-five found in the TT RS, producing somewhere around 350 horsepower. It's not the 408 that Audi originally quoted, but if the sub-3,000-pound weight is kept in order, it should still make for one heck of an interesting performer.

Hurry up and build it, Audi. We'll have our BMW 1M ready for the comparison test.

Gallery: Paris 2010: Audi Quattro Concept

Gallery: Audi Quattro Concept

Live photos copyright (C)2010 Zach Bowman / AOL

[Source: Autocar]

Report: Audi building business case for limited-edition Quattro concept originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 08 Oct 2010 10:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Video: Audi Quattro Concept plays with our emotions

Jeff Glucker — Sat, 02 Oct 2010 20:01:00 EST

Filed under: Coupe, Performance, Videos, Paris Motor Show, Audi, Design/Style

Audi Quattro Concept - Click above for video after the jump

Audi unleashed its Quattro Concept at the 2010 Paris Motor Show, but the automaker isn't done sharing with us just yet. We now have a short new video clip of the Quattro, and we can't stop staring. There are so many questions that will most likely go unanswered. What's it like to drive? How much would a production version cost? Does Audi accept our ~~stolen~~ totally legit American Express card? You know it's been at least several minutes since you last ogled the Quattro, so get your fix by watching the this new video. If that's not enough, we also have a longer cut that ditches the annoying background music. Both are posted after the jump.

Gallery: Paris 2010: Audi Quattro Concept

Continue reading Video: Audi Quattro Concept plays with our emotions

Video: Audi Quattro Concept plays with our emotions originally appeared on Autoblog on Sat, 02 Oct 2010 20:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Paris 2010: Audi Quattro Concept celebrates 30 years of performance

Jeremy Korzeniewski — Wed, 29 Sep 2010 18:20:00 EST

Filed under: Concept Cars, Coupe, Performance, Paris Motor Show, Audi

Audi Quattro Concept live debut - Click above for high-res image gallery

Here they are folks, the first live images we've managed to snap of the Audi Quattro Concept that's currently being debuted at the Paris Motor Show. We expect to get much more closely acquainted with the machine over the next couple of days, but until then, take a gander at the machine that Audi crafted to celebrate 30 years of Quattro performance.

Keep in mind that this sucker is packing 408 horsepower from its turbocharged five-cylinder engine and routing all those ponies through a six-speed manual gearbox to all four wheels, making for a power-to-weight ratio on par with that of the Audi R8 5.2 FSI. See the rest of the details here. A fitting tribute, if we do say so ourselves.

Gallery: Paris 2010: Audi Quattro Concept

Gallery: Audi Quattro Concept

Paris 2010: Audi Quattro Concept celebrates 30 years of performance originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 29 Sep 2010 18:20:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Audi Quattro concept celebrates 30th anniversary of original

Jeff Glucker — Wed, 29 Sep 2010 16:37:00 EST

Filed under: Concept Cars, Coupe, Performance, Paris Motor Show, Audi, Design/Style

Audi Quattro Concept - Click above for high-res image gallery

We've been speculating, applying the magnifying glass to spy shots and just plain wishing that the rumors were true. They are - Audi is set to debut the Quattro concept car at the Paris Motor Show in celebration of its famous all-wheel-drive system's 30th anniversary. Drawing its inspiration from the original 1980 Audi Ur-Quattro and using some underpinnings from the current RS5, the Quattro concept features a shortened wheelbase, lower roofline and a sub-3,000 pound curb weight.

The original Ur-Quattro weighed in under 3,000 pounds and featured a turbocharged five-cylinder engine paired with a five-speed manual. Keeping in line with that spirit, the Quattro concept ditches the V8 and dual-clutch transmission from the RS5 in favor of a turbocharged inline five-cylinder engine and six-speed manual gearbox. Power output for the Quattro concept is rated at 408 horsepower and 354 pound-feet of torque. All that energy is put to the ground through Audi's famous quattro torque-vectoring all-wheel-drive system, which in this case is setup with a 40:60 rear-biased torque split. The weight savings mixed with the power output create a vehicle with a power-weight ratio on par with that of the Audi R8 5.2 FSI.

Since this IS a modern Audi, it features stylish exterior features and a wonderful cabin space. The seats are leather-lined Sparco units that weight in at just 40 pounds apiece. The Quattro concept also makes use of the Audi MMI infotainment system. In this application, MMI includes a slew of screens useful for rally racing like classically-styled round gauges and a page for pace notes. On the outside, the Quattro concept boasts the signature Audi LED treatment, but this time it's in the form of headlamps that adjust their direction both vertically and horizontally, as well as being able to open fully or close to a slit.

This is an exciting concept that pays homage to a true motoring classic. If Audi doesn't find a way to put a version of this into production, we're sure that four-ring fanboys around the world will storm Ingolstadt.

Gallery: Audi Quattro Concept

[Source: Motor Trend]

Audi Quattro concept celebrates 30th anniversary of original originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 29 Sep 2010 16:37:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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