Audi Sport Quattro concept gains electric boost (pictures)

Audi will show off the Sport Quattro concept during the 2013 Frankfurt auto show. Audi provided advanced details and photographs, writing that the concept would use a plug-in hybrid drivetrain composed of a twin-turbocharged 4-liter V-8 and a 110-kilowatt electric motor integrated into its eight-speed automatic transmission.

Bearing the Quattro name, of course this concept uses the newest version of Audi's all-wheel-drive system, including a sport differential at the rear that automatically vectors torque to the wheel that needs it most.

With its plug-in hybrid drivetrain, Audi estimates the car will get 94 mpg, under electric power we assume, and hit 62 mph in 3.7 seconds.

The cabin design gives some suggestion of where Audi might be heading with its production cars. An LCD instrument cluster gives the driver configurable, relevant information for the current type of driving, while a head-up display shows vital driving information projected on the windshield. The steering wheel includes Sport and EV mode buttons.

This center console photo shows the shifter for the eight-speed automatic transmission, along with a diminished design for Audi's traditional MMI controller. Although the dial at the base of the console is larger than in current cars, there appear to be fewer buttons.