FRANKFURT MOTOR SHOW: Audi nanuk quattro concept revealed

The Audi ‘nanuk quattro’ concept, an audacious off-road sports car concept that is being seriously considered for low-volume production, has made a surprise debut on the eve of the 2013 Frankfurt motor show.

Essentially a jacked-up Audi R8 on steroids, the two-seater 'nanuk' -- which means polar bear in Inuit -- is powered by a monstrously powerful 400kW mid-mounted V10 twin-turbo diesel engine, features four-wheel steering and can adjust its ride height to match the terrain.

Dr Ulrich Hackenberg, Audi's Technical Development board member, told motoring.com.au after the car's glamorous reveal in Frankfurt that the nanuk quattro concept is not purely a flight of fantasy.

"We are testing it. We want to see the reaction of customers who are interested, and then we will see [about a production model]," he said.

Hackenberg confirmed there are already numerous customers interested in the car, but cautioned that it would be a very exclusive – and therefore expensive -- model.

"I think it's not a big volume -- it's a small-volume car. But I can't give you a [production] number."

He admitted that it would be "realistic" to compare volumes to Bentley's upcoming SUV which is expected to be sold in the hundreds not thousands, but wouldn't talk about price.

"Too early to say. We will make our tests and our marketing people, they will get the answers," stated the Audi board member.

Based a similar platform to the Audi R8, the nanuk's aluminium space frame chassis is surrounded by carbon-fibre reinforced plastic bodywork, and its mid-mounted 5.0-litre V10 twin-turbo diesel engine pumps out face-slapping 400kW of power and 1000Nm of torque.

The big engine is paired to a seven-speed S tronic dual-clutch gearbox, and generates enough mumbo to see the 4541mm long all-wheel drive desert dueller accelerate to 100km/h in just 3.8 seconds, then on to a top speed of just over 300km/h.

It's a fast and furious mud-slinging diesel, make no mistake about it, but Hackenberg admits the nanuk's target markets prefer petrol engines -- something the production version could easily accommodate.

"I know that this car can also be driven with petrol, it's no problem. But if I look to the character of the car, diesel fits quite well.

"We are thinking the Arabian market [will want it] ... in those countries petrol is more important than diesel."

He said that cold-weather countries such as Russia will also be "interesting”, but reiterated the vehicle's expected high cost, saying the nanuk quattro would only sell in markets "with customers who have money."

Expected to influence the design of both SUV and sports car models in Audi's future model range, the nanuk quattro concept shows off a sleek, low-slung but rugged aesthetic.

Riding on large 22-inch alloy wheels that hide high-performance carbon-ceramic brakes, the nanuk presents a new take on the single-frame grille that is likely to characterise upcoming SUVs from the luxury German brand.

The four-wheel drive off-road sports car gets air suspension that can alter its ride height depending on the situation, manually or automatically, and even offers four-wheel steering like the latest Porsche 911.

The rear wheels can turn up to nine degrees in the opposite direction to the front wheels, which at slow speeds improves its turning circle. At higher speeds all wheels turn the same direction to improve stability.

Despite its heavy 1900kg kerb mass, Audi reckons the high-performance nanuk can still be more efficient than some family sedans, with fuel consumption of 7.8L/100km.

It's not clear when the striking Audi vehicle could begin limited production, but Dr Hackenberg hinted that it could be sooner rather than later if the customer demand is there -- something that will be clear in the coming months.

"It's never the question how long it takes to engineer it, it's more a question as to how fast we make decisions," he said.