Audi has debut the Quattro concept car at the Paris Motor Show in conjunction to celebrate its famous all-wheel-drive system’s 30^th anniversary. The concept is inspired from the original 1980 Audi Ur-Quattro, and also shares some design cues from the current RS5. The Quattro concept features a shortened wheelbase, lower roofline, and a sub-3,000 pound curb weight, as the original also weighted in under 3,000 pounds.

Audi has ditched the RS5’s V8 engine and dual-clutch transmission in favour of a turbocharged inline five-cylinder engine and six-speed manual gearbox. This is because the original Ur-Quattro also featured a turbocharged five-cylinder engine paired with a five-speed manual stick.

Power output for the Quattro concept is rated at 408 horsepower and 354 pound-feet of torque. All that energy is put to the ground through Audi’s famous Quattro torque-vectoring all-wheel-drive system, which in this case is setup with a 40:60 rear-biased torque split. The weight savings mixed with the power output create a vehicle with a power-weight ratio on par with that of the Audi R8 5.2 FSI.

Since this IS a modern Audi, it features stylish exterior features and a wonderful cabin space. The seats are leather-lined Sparco units that weight in at just 40 pounds apiece. The Quattro concept also makes use of the Audi MMI infotainment system. In this application, MMI includes a slew of screens useful for rally racing like classically-styled round gauges and a page for pace notes. On the outside, the Quattro concept boasts the signature Audi LED treatment, but this time it’s in the form of headlamps that adjust their direction both vertically and horizontally, as well as being able to open fully or close to a slit.

This is an exciting concept that pays homage to a true motoring classic. If Audi doesn’t find a way to put a version of this into production, we’re sure that four-ring fan boys around the world will storm Ingolstadt.