UK-based firm Retropower is known for project builds of the restomod variety, that basically taking a classic car and bestowing it with modern performance, technology, luxuries and usually paired with a tailoring to the owner’s preferences. It’s a bespoke style build in the vein of Singer, a Porsche specialist known world round and who the likes of BringATrailer have compared with Retropower when describing the latter’s work.
That’s all worth mentioning when you consider this picture. The green ur quattro you see here appears to be a computer generated rendering, and clearly it’s an augmented take on the original “ur” quattro. Posted with the photo to Facebook this week, Retropower stated:
“One of our current projects to keep an eye on! Watch this space. Expect 20 valves, boost, 4×4 and carbon fibre”
So, we headed on over to Retropower’s website and learned a bit more. We found the project’s page there, and learned a bit more. Having tried their hand before at construction of a Sport quattro replica, their team is now headed down the road of the car you see here, dubbed Project Q600.
Some of the details revealed describe some really fascinating plans. For starters, they’ll be using carbon fiber liberally, likely replacing most of the bodywork including panels, doors and roof. Under the hood, an 07K 5-cylinder is planned. That’s the non-FSI iron block version of the Volkswagen Group’s modern 5-pot. For Americans, that’s the one that came out of the Mk5 Golf, an engine that’s been enjoying a robust following thanks to its affordability and power gains when paired with forced induction. And of course there’s the noise.
The car will also get an 01E 6-speed gearbox, and it’ll retain the OE quattro differentials fitted with optimized ratios.
Inside, the Retropower team promises an upgraded cockpit that pays tribute to the original with some notable upgrades like a Motec digital dashboard.
The long wheelbase will be retained, so this won’t be another Sport quattro tribute. Rather, it aims to pay homage to the original quattro specifically.
That’s all we know for now. But, we gave Retropower a follow on Facebook in order to stay abreast of the developments. Also make sure to check ou their website (linked above) for more angles in 3-D rendered video as well as shots of the original donor car that arrived in their shop last month. We’d suggest you do the same, though we’ll make sure to post more as we learn it.
