Remember the Audi 90 quattro IMSA GTO? Well, some Audi apprentices (14 of them, to be exact) want to make sure you don't forget with this, the GT50 concept. The car and its name celebrate half a century of Audi five-cylinder engines, a dynasty that began in 1976 with the arrival of the second-generation Audi 100. This was the first mass-production vehicle to use such an engine configuration, and nowadays, Audi is pretty much the only carmaker keeping it alive, albeit only in one car. That RS 3 is what underpins this extraordinary concept, with 394 horsepower going to all four wheels.
A Tribute to Racing
The styling pays homage to the aforementioned 90 quattro IMSA GTO and the 200 quattro Trans-Am, both of which helped cement Audi's name in American motorsports history after Group B was canceled over safety concerns. Like those cars, the shapes of the GT50 are basic. At the front, headlights are replaced by simple X-shaped LEDs housed in a flat front fascia. The lower half of that front end boasts an enormous air dam that is split in the middle. Further back, the smooth bodywork draws a straight line below the glasshouse, leading all the way to a large integrated ducktail spoiler, which sits above a similar fascia as the front. Again matching the front, the enormous diffuser is split in two.
Related: Audi RS 6 GTO concept paints its wagon in an homage to 90 Quattro IMSA GTO racer
In the middle of the car, a relatively small black rectangle leading from the extended side skirts appears to house a fuel filler. Spoke-less wheels complete the futuristic look, and only a small GT50 badge on either front fender identifies the concept. Single-stalk mirror arms sit outside the black glasshouse, and inside, we can make out safety netting by the driver's window and a roll cage.
Concept is Not Real, but Something Special is Coming
Although this stunning concept looks good enough to hit the road, pedestrian safety laws mean its sharp edges would likely be criminalized. Moreover, building such bespoke bodywork in large volumes would be costly, but don't worry if the regular RS 3 doesn't seem special enough - a new track-biased special edition (which Autocar says may be a further evolution of the Performance Edition) is expected to arrive next year with more power than the Mercedes-AMG A45 and, presumably, the M2 CS's Nürburgring record in its sights. Expect a limited production run, an astronomical price, and aggressive bodwork. Will that be the end of the five-cylinder? With Europe apparently backtracking on combustion bans, it's too soon to be sure, but if it is, this GT50 concept is a fine way to pay tribute.
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