The Audi Ur-Quattro is sacred ground. It shoved all-wheel drive into the performance conversation, owned Group B, and soundtracked an entire generation with that glorious five-cylinder howl. So when a small Scottish outfit decided the engine had to go, the pitchforks came out. Audacious Automotive’s IV is the counter-argument: a hand-built restomod that keeps the Quattro’s boxy silhouette while dropping in the 4.2-liter V8 from the B7 RS4—the last truly analog Audi many enthusiasts still revere.
Founder Mac Zaglewski had a practical problem. Modern five-cylinder RS3s can’t take a proper manual and route power through a front-biased Haldex system. That’s the opposite of what a Quattro successor should do. The B7 RS4, by contrast, already had the right ingredients: a high-revving 4.2 FSI V8, Torsen all-wheel drive, a six-speed manual, and suspension geometry worth keeping. Every Audacious IV starts with that complete architecture and then gets restyled into something that looks like a short-wheelbase Sport Quattro that spent time in a wind tunnel and a carbon shop.
There are four engine stages. Stage One adds a supercharger for roughly 600 hp. Stage Two upgrades internals, cooling, and fueling for 750 hp. The last two options re-engineer the V8 to spin to an absurd 10,000 rpm—available either naturally aspirated or supercharged. Power figures for those high-rev versions remain under wraps for now, but the company claims sub-3.4-second 0-60 times and a 200 mph top speed across the range. The gearbox stays the original RS4 six-speed manual, and the drivetrain remains mechanical Torsen all-wheel drive.
Body construction is where the build gets interesting. One route uses a genuine Ur-Quattro donor, preserving its roof, upper structure, and glass while wrapping everything else in hand-formed steel and aluminum. The other is a full carbon-fiber shell that needs no donor car at all and targets around 2,645 pounds—nearly a thousand pounds lighter than a stock RS4. Most orders are expected to take the carbon path. Either way, the stance is pure Group B: flared arches, a purposeful front splitter, and a wing that doesn’t pretend to be subtle.
Inside, the philosophy is refreshingly old-school. No screens. Traditional dials sit in a bespoke binnacle, the RS4 wingback seats are retrimmed, and the show car wears tan leather with tartan accents—a nod to the Edinburgh workshop. Metal toggle switches and a spherical gear knob complete the picture. It’s the kind of cockpit that rewards you for looking down instead of at a tablet.
Production is capped at 50 cars worldwide. Pricing starts at £350,000 (roughly $470,000) before taxes, options, and the donor vehicle if you choose that route. Each build takes about three years; the first deliveries are expected in late 2027. Commissioning is open now.
The Audacious IV won’t satisfy purists who want the five-cylinder intact. For everyone else who wants the Quattro’s attitude with modern mechanical integrity, a screaming V8, and a manual gearbox that still feels like it belongs there, this is the most coherent answer yet.
