Audi already confirmed that the sport quattro concept is going to debut this week at the Frankfurt Motor Show, but now the automaker has surprised us with another concept, the nanuk quattro concept.
Audi already confirmed that the sport quattro concept is going to debut this week at the Frankfurt Motor Show, but now the automaker has surprised us with another concept, the nanuk quattro concept. Developed collaboration with the designers from Italdesign Giugiaro, the nanuk quattro concept combines the dynamics of a mid-engine sports car with the versatility of a sporty recreational vehicle.
The two-seater concept is powered by a 5.0L V10 TDI diesel engine with 544-hp and 738 lb-ft. of torque. The concept weighs 4,200 lbs, but with all that power on tap it still reaches 0-62 mph in 3.8 seconds and a top speed of 190 mph.
One cool feature on the nanuk quattro concept is a new adaptive air suspension with electronically controlled dampers. The driver can manually adjust the ground clearance of the Audi nanuk quattro concept in three stages: normal, 30 millimeters (1.18 in) lower or 40 millimeters (1.57 in) 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. On the highway, for example, the body remains lowered even when the Audi nanuk quattro concept is moving slowly. It is automatically raised when turning onto a gravel road.
Another cool feature is the concept’s integral steering that combines the proven Audi dynamic steering at the front axle, which among other things can intervene at the cornering limit for enhanced stability, with supplemental steering for the rear wheels. 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. This shortens the wheelbase virtually by around 100 centimeters (39.37 in), reducing the turning circle to roughly 10 meters (32.81 ft). Handling also becomes more agile. The Audi nanuk quattro concept turns in even more eagerly and is essentially neutral in corners. At higher speeds the system turns the rear wheels by as much as 2.5 degrees in the same direction as the front wheels.
Source: Audi
