In an interview with the guys over at TopGear UK, Audi chief engineer Ulrich Hackenberg made quite a few comments about the on-and-off again Sport Quattro GT . We’ve reported on Audi’s four-door sports concept before, but never has it seemed so close to a green light for production. Hackenberg said that originally the Sport Quattro lacked a profitable business case and wouldn’t make the Volkswagen -owned automaker any money. However, things have seemed to change.
By rethinking the car’s market, it suddenly makes sense to produce. By widening its range by adding less-expensive engines and lowering the selling price, the car would then pay for its own tool-up and overhead costs. “We used a powerful powertrain to position it,” Hackenberg told TopGear.
“But the potential is to have more volume. It needs a high investment so it makes sense to use other engines.” This means the new Sport Quattro GT will likely be slotted between the upcoming and completely refreshed TT and the current R8 . He also made mention of using the next-generation of modular longitudinal matrix platforms, which utilize a lot of aluminum and carbon fiber to cut weight.
If the car gets a green light soon, Hackenberg said it would likely be a 2016 or 2017 model. That seems like fairly certain speak about a car that may or may not move into production. Our bets are on. We say Audi will build the Sport Quattro GT and market it exactly where Hackenberg suggested it fit; right between the TT and R8. Stay tuned to TopSpeed to make sure we’re not eating our words.
The Audi Sport Quattro is said to be built on an shortened version of the A6’s platform and will offer various engine options starting with the 2.5-liter, five-cylinder that delivers 310 horsepower to all four wheels, obviously using Audi’s Quattro all-wheel-drive system. Other engine options will push power even further, getting it closer 400 horses.
-TopSpeed