2013 Audi Quattro Concept production almost confirmed

Audi designers and engineers have pitched the concept to the company's Board of Management which is apparently almost ready to give the concept the go-ahead for production, although definite confirmation is yet to be announced. According to a recent Autocar report, inside sources have said the car will be ready for the market sometime in 2013.

It was a pretty cool design when it was first unveiled in Paris, and one that surely stirred up some interest and controversy because it was created as one of those retro remakes. Fortunately, it is one of those retro remakes that actually looks good.

From the back it is easy to see the heritage shining through, with its flat, almost chopped-off rear boot design - although much more modern than the original. There are also elements of the original design in the front end, with the twin headlight arrangement submerged within the front bumper and bonnet overhang section.

As for the performance potential, in short, the new Quattro sounds like it will live up to the name quite well. It will be built upon the Audi S5 platform which is mainly made of aluminium, so it'll be light in weight. Thanks to a number of lighter-weight material inclusions (carbon fibre bootlid and bonnet) and a shortened wheelbase (150mm shorter), the Quattro will shed around 300kg off the S5's weight.

Underneath the bonnet will also keep in tune with the Quattro's five-cylinder tradition. The engine will be a revised version of the 2.5-litre turbocharged unit found in the Audi TT RS. In the TT it presents 250kW of power, but in the Quattro it'll boast 300kW and 480Nm of torque. This, along with the lightweight nature of the car, should help it all achieve 0-100km/h in around 3.9 seconds.

As mentioned, the Audi Quattro is slated to go on sale sometime in 2013. We'll keep you updated with official details as soon as they emerge. Stay tuned.