With 2013 wrapped up, our eyes are all set on the months to follow. In 2014, car makers will congregate for the Detroit Auto Show->ke222 amidst chilly winter weather. One car that could steal the limelight is the 2015 Audi Quattro->ke2463.
CAR Magazine has voted it as the "Most Wanted Car of 2014." The publication has high hopes from Audi->ke14, which is set to revive an iconic car that had ruled the world rally circuit for years.
The Audi Quattro Concept was unveiled at the 2010 Frankfurt motor show. and soon after word spread about the Quattro being considered for production. Audi officials went on record saying that the public had appreciated the concept shown at Frankfurt and a limited-production run could be possible.
The Audi Sport Quattro Concept is the modern interpretation of the famous, championship winning machine from 30 years ago. We could see the first production prototypes at the Detroit show with sales beginning in 2015.
Click past the jump to read more about the Audi Sport Quattro Concept
The 2010 Audi Quattro Concept borrows styling cues from the classic 1980s icon. Built around an aluminum spaceframe with carbon components, the car weighed just 1300 kg (2,866 pounds). This was the first concept made on the lines of the original Quattro and under the hood was a five-cylinder turbocharged engine with 402 horsepower and all-wheel drive, of course.
The revised concept, called the Sport Quattro is based on the RS7 platform. The RS7 being one of the most potent weapons in Audi's armour is also quite rigid, which makes it ideal for the Quattro. Thus, the Sport Quattro concept is longer the previous concept that was shown to the public in 2010. It is a tad bit heavier too.
As far as the powertrain is concerned, the new Sport Concept is a plug-in hybrid, unlike the pure-gasoline powered five-pot turbo on its predecessor. Under the hood is 552-horsepower, twin-turbocharged 4.0-liter V-8 from the Audi RS7. Torque is rated at 516 pound-feet and as part of fuel-saving measures, the engine can shutdown four cylinders on its own.
An tiny electric motor generating 148 horsepower and 295 pound-feet is mated to drivetrain taking the cumulative horsepower figure up to 690 horsepower and 590 pound-feet. An eight-speed automatic transmission has been employed to keep the engine running at its peak. Now, all of that sounds pretty staggering and extremely thirsty.
In fact, the combination of a force-fed V-8 and an electric motor powered by a 14.1kWh lithium-ion battery turns out to be quite economical. The car can run on electric power alone for up to 30 miles with permanent all-wheel drive. In Sport mode, the V-8 fires up along with the electric motor to accelerate the car to 60 mph in just 3.7 seconds and to a top speed of 180 mph.
In Hybrid mode, the performance is dialed down to a more planet friendly level. Although, Audi claims 112.9 mpg, given the performance potential of the car, it is highly unlikely in real world driving conditions.