Audi have unveiled a surprise concept at the IAA Frankfurt Motor Show 2013 named the Audi Nanuk Quattro Concept. It has been developed in collaboration with designers from Italdesign Giugiaro at it bears some significance to the Parcour Concept we saw at Geneva earlier this year. It is a crossover-supercar concept that Audi say, is “equally at home on the race track, the highway or a winding country road as it is off-road in the sand or in the snow”.
The two-seater concept is powered by a brand new V10 TDI engine installed in the middle of the car. It’s output is 5.0-liters and power is rated at 544 hp with a 1,000 Nm of torque to the crankshaft from just 1,500 rpm. It features a twin-turbocharger controlled via the Audi valvelift system (AVS). A strengthened seven-speed S tronic gearbox routes the power to a specially designed quattro drivetrain.
The concept weighs in at around 1,900 kilograms and is able to sprint from 0 to 100 km/h (62.14 mph) in just 3.8 seconds. Top speed is said to be 305 km/h (189.52 mph). Fuel consumption, for those that are interested, is just 7.8 liters per 100 kilometers (30.16 US mpg) on average.
The wheels are 22-inch and are shod with 235/50-series tires up front and 295/45 at the rear. They hide carbon fiber-ceramic brake discs and an adaptive air suspension setup with electronically controlled dampers. The driver can manually adjust the ground clearance of the Audi Nanuk Quattro Concept in three stages: normal, 30 millimeters lower or 40 millimeters higher. The system also controls the level of the body itself based on driving speed and the predictive route data supplied by the navigation system.
Audi have also fitted the Nanuk with integral steering in an effort to resolve the classic conflict between dynamic handling and stability. The system combines the proven Audi dynamic steering at the front axle, with supplemental steering for the rear wheels. Separate actuators activate the two active track rods. When the driver steers at low to moderate speeds, the rear wheels turn up to nine degrees in the opposite direction of the front wheels.
The car sits on a load-bearing body structure constructed from an aluminum Audi Space Frame (ASF). Body components are made of carbon fiber-reinforced polymer (CFRP) and are finished in Extreme Red. Physically, the car looks like a jacked up sportscar, with blend of aggressive styling and a high ride height.
The doors open upward at an angle. Delicate, wing-shaped cameras replace the exterior mirrors. Behind the door opening is a large, vertical sideblade like that on the Audi R8. It feeds intake air to the V10 TDI engine. A second, smaller blade behind the side window is moveable and facilitates the flow of air through the engine compartment.
The interior of the Audi Nanuk Quattro Concept has been reduced to the essentials. The architecture revolves around the instrument cluster. A carbon island accentuates the cockpit and provides for a clear driver focus. The instrument panel seems to float and emphasizes the horizontal lines and the width of the car. It is supported by aluminum stirrups at the center console, which have soft pads as leg rests. Besides numerous storage compartments, there is also a holder made of a soft material in the scissor doors.
All control elements, including the controls for the electronically controlled air suspension, the touchwheel for navigation and multimedia functions and the turn signals, are concentrated on the center tunnel console and the steering wheel. The seats, with folding backs, pronounced side bolsters and integrated head restraints, are power-adjustable. A mobile phone can be charged inductively in the Audi phone box.
