A suitable counterpart or companion piece for the restrained and tasteful – albeit orange – Quattro Spyder is the Avus concept, all bulges and polished surfaces. This is also a 1991 car, and mid-engined, but somehow it couldn’t be more different.
For some reason, I really enjoy Volkswagen Audi Group’s “Not Veyron” concepts.
Yeah, it’s all aluminium, not chrome. The shapes take their inspiration from Audi’s prewar racers, and the name Avus even reflects those days.
The Avus also introduced the W12 engine to the world. A 502-horsepower unit which of course sent power to all four wheels – or did it? The show car didn’t have the engine installed, but a mock-up in its place.
Yet, you can’t deny the striking looks of the Avus. “This is the part in quattro where we dance.”
And inside, red leather buckets.
Both cars side by side at Techno Classica, 18″ wheels gleaming.
Techno Classica Weekend Edition: 1991 Audi Avus Quattro
By Antti Kautonen
Apr 9, 2016
By Antti Kautonen
The resident Finn of Hooniverse. Owns old Peugeots and whatnot, writes long thinkpieces on unloved cars. These two facts might be related.
Bradley Brownell
It’s nice to see cars whose headlamp assemblies don’t wrap around to the front wings.
I see a lot of the Ugly Veyron in this but this car is far less ugly then the Bugatti’s (including the new eyesore model they have)
The Avus’ headlights and grille look small compared to the rest of the car. Maybe that was intentional to give the car some visual mass?
For being a concept car, it sure does have a lot of ground clearance, which I approve of.
That’s as handsome as the Veyron was embarrassing. The headlights in the lead photo don’t seem to match, and overall they’re small and poorly shaped for the design. Maybe I can get my deposit back?
Dig the NACA duct on the roof that feeds the engine.
I was relieved to see that as the previous photos made it appear that the engine intake drew from the headrests and would have disappeared any wigs or toupees in the car.
I need to see it in orange.
I was on the interstate in traffic the other day with a DeLorean in stainless steel. I was impressed by how much smaller the DeLorean is in real life, how amazingly short it is, and how great it looked. Somehow photos don’t seem to do it justice because I usually don’t find it all that impressive when I view it on the web. It could have easily ducked under the 18-wheeler that was between us for a few minutes.
Fortunately, I have impressive Photoshop skills, and your wish is my command…
The Quattro Spyder is lovely…