British Firm Reveals Reborn Audi Quattro with 10,000 RPM V8

A British firm has unveiled the Audacious Automotive IV, a wild new supercar tribute to the Audi Quattro that features a 10,000rpm V8 engine and a claimed top speed of 200mph.

Starting at over £350,000, the restomod combines the underpinnings of a B7-generation Audi RS4 built between 2006 and 2008 with the iconic look of the short-wheelbase Quattro.

Buyers can choose to use an original Quattro shell—though pristine donor cars are avoided to give tired vehicles a new lease on life—or opt for carbonfibre bodywork which requires no donor and is expected to account for roughly 80% of production.

Founder Mac Zaglewski explained that the V8-powered RS4 was chosen to balance modern refinement with analogue engagement, while ruling out the current RS3 because its platform lacked the necessary rigidity, suspension quality, and manual gearbox compatibility, alongside its front-biased Haldex differential compared to the RS4’s rear-biased Torsen setup.

Four engine specifications are available, all paired with the RS4’s original six-speed manual gearbox: an entry-level supercharged 4.2-litre V8 making 600bhp, a Stage Two package with strengthened internals, cooling, and fuelling delivering 750bhp, and a most ambitious naturally aspirated or supercharged iteration that screams to 10,000rpm.

Weight targets are set at 1400-1450kg for models built using Quattro shells, dropping to 1200kg for carbonfibre versions.

Drawing styling inspiration from the Group B rally Quattro and the IMSA GTO racing version of the 90, the car wears custom Audacious badges rather than Audi emblems.

Inside, the digital kit from the RS4 is stripped out in favour of an entirely new brutalist dashboard, instruments, and switchgear, though the electronic ‘wingback’ seats are retained.

Audacious offers deep personalization across exterior paint, interior upholstery, suspension tuning, and mechanical specs.

A limited run of 50 examples will be hand-built at Audacious’s Edinburgh base, with the first customer delivery slated for late next year.

The complete timeline from initial commission to hitting the road takes about three years, and the base £350,000 price excludes VAT, donor car costs, transport, registration, and bespoke options.