Audi Quattro return planned for Frankfurt motor show

Audi is planning to return the Quattro to its lineup some 30 years after the original model first appeared, Autoweek sources say. September's Frankfurt motor show is shaping up as the likely backdrop for the reveal; the car looks like it could be one of the German automaker's most exciting cars in quite some time. Word is sales will start in 2014.

The modern-day Quattro aims to revive the 1984 Sport Quattro's spirit and performance potential. The new car will be limited production and priced well above any existing Audi. It will be built on a dedicated line at the company's Quattro division in Neckarsulm, Germany.

Audi hasn't confirmed it is readying a production version, but sources said the company's Frankfurt activities will focus on four-wheel drive. “We have a great history with quattro four-wheel drive, and this will be reflected by what we have in store for the Frankfurt auto show,” a source said.

Details remain scarce, but word is the car will ride on a modified A5 platform to help Audi keep costs down and gain production efficiencies. However, the Quattro will be about 8 inches shorter overall.

Reportedly a highly tuned version of Audi's 4.0-liter V8 will power the Frankfurt concept. The engine will likely have cylinder deactivation and sources suggest power will be pumped up to over 600 hp -- 40 more than the recently introduced RS6 Avant that uses the same powerplant.

The power will be channeled through a seven-speed dual-clutch gearbox with paddle shifters and, keeping with tradition, a Torsen torque-sensing four-wheel-drive system with a sport differential offering torque-vectoring qualities to all four wheels.

Audi hopes to keep weight down with extensive lightweight materials. The S5 tips the scales at 3,850 pounds, and Audi is aiming for the new car to weigh significantly less.

Ingolstadt insiders suggest a 0-62 mph time of less than four seconds and top speed approaching 186 mph – straight-line performance matched only in the Audi lineup by the R8 V10.

By Greg Kable