Just in case you missed our subtitle above, this is indeed replica from the legendary Audi Sport Quattro. Only 214 original cars were made during that time, and not all of them were designed for road use. Someone didn’t just buy an old Sport Quattro for the purpose of making an AWD monster tire killer, so Ken Block did the next best thing. He bought a replica.
In this case, it’s a replica of the LCE Performance, built in the same way as the original Sport Quattro – using the front of the old Audi 80 sedan and the rear of the classic Quattro. You’ve probably seen this car before, wearing red paint and bearing the name turbomonster. In Block’s care, red has been swapped for white but is still a boosted beast.
The OG Sport Quattro comes with a 2.1 liter inline-five turbocharged engine that produces 302 horsepower. The car has a 2.5 liter Frankenstein engine sourced from the Audi A6 TDI, using the lower end of a Volkswagen diesel bus. The top end uses a modified 20-valve cylinder head from the Audi S2, and with some prolific turbocharger boost, puts about 730 hp to the tires. Of course it’s all-wheel drive, and a six-speed gearbox regulates power.
Block actually launched the delicious Audi last year, but the video featured here is his first real outing in a car. Judging by his smile after a few quick blasts on the track at Willow Springs, we’d say he doesn’t really miss the Hoonicorn Mustang. There were more smiles as the testing session moved onto the “balcony,” where figure eights, donuts, and some proper tire-busting activities were the order of the day. This is not all fun and games, because obvious problems with the front differential are known. However, that didn’t stop Block from covering the entire area with tire smoke.
We don’t know exactly what’s in store for the Sport Quattro replica, but we’re pretty sure we’ll see it again. Block mentioned that it was the first in a new car series he wanted to play with, swapping his trademark black for white. We know Block returned to his Gymkhana antics with a custom-built electric Audi called the S1 Hoonitron. Perhaps this white knight will make a noisy five-cylinder entrance before the quiet donut begins.
Get more about Block’s electric S1 Hoonitron at Chatting About Cars podcast, available below.
