The Audi Quattro is back! ABT has recreated the icon, and it’s got 523bhp

Considering we have already seen exquisite restomods of rally legends such as the Ford Escort Mk1, Subaru Impreza and Lancia Delta Integrale, it was only a matter of time before someone put their spin on the all-conquering Audi Quattro – and that’s exactly what German tuning shop ABT has done.

Modifications for the ABT Ur-Quattro start with a bodykit made from kevlar carbon, with the new look clearly inspired by the Audi Sport Quattro that took home four World Rally Championship titles. Among the visual changes is a vented bonnet, with Audi’s signature three slots along the front. 

Unique elements for ABT’s remaster include an enormous rear wing, five-spoke lightweight wheels and a new front splitter and grille. In addition, the Quattro’s iconic box flared wheelarches are not only present, correct and look glorious, but appear to have been widened, too. 

Along with an “invisible roll cage”, ABT has also added an impressive set of bucket seats to the cabin, which we’re told customers will be able to extensively personalise. Presumably there are plenty of updates inside, although sadly we haven’t been given an opportunity to have a look yet.

Similarly, while ABT has revealed that the car features a 2.5-litre five-cylinder engine producing 523bhp – nearly three times the power of the eighties’ Ur-Quattro – it’s unclear if that’s a bored-out, heavily reworked version of the original’s 2.1-litre five-pot, or if the unit from today’s Audi RS 3 has been crammed in there instead. 

Either way, it will have all-wheel drive, and ABT has added anti-lock brakes – something the Ur-Quattro didn’t feature the first time round.

One thing we do know is that it’s also more powerful than the tuned Audi Quattro created by the boss of the famous tuning house, Hans-Jürgen Abt, which was the genesis for the new restomod. His one ‘only’ spits out about 444bhp, but uses parts borrowed from the Sport Quattro as well. 

“When I took over the tuning department at ABT from my father at the end of the 1980s, the original Quattro from the showroom was my dowry, so to speak,” said Abt.

He added: “The Ur-Quattro was the first car in my heart back then and has never completely disappeared from there. This retro version has rekindled my love.”

According to Abt: “[The new ABT Ur-Quattro] was a real undercover project, developed together with our managing director Thomas Biermaier and the company LCE Performance on Lake Constance [which borders Germany, Austria and Switzerland]. 

“The Ur-Quattro is probably the most traditional Audi in the Volkswagen Group and also has an emotional importance for our company – so we thought about what we could do with it. The result is our modern interpretation of a true icon.”

We don’t know how much the ABT Ur-Quattro costs either, but it’s largely irrelevant because all 30 examples that will be built have already been sold. Originally, just 25 were going to be made, but after every single one was spoken for within three hours of the car being unveiled, the company decided to produce five more to avoid disappointing its extremely loyal customers. 

“We are delighted that this project has clearly struck a chord with our customers,” said Abt. “It also gives us a little more courage to pursue some other ideas we have in mind. But fundamentally, it also reflects the spirit of ABT: we want to keep reinventing ourselves and moving into the future with fresh ideas and expertise in technology and design.”

Come and join our WhatsApp channel for the latest car news and reviews...