2013 Frankfurt: Audi stuns with half-super-car/half-crossover Nanuk

Story and photos by John LeBlanc FRANKFURT - It’s rare these days to arrive at an auto show and be surprised, with automakers using the Internet to “leak” information well before the actual media days. But the Audi Nanuk Concept — a supercar/crossover — caught many in the industry off guard. Not surprising was the Nanuk’s power source, a mid-mounted 5.0-litre 10-cylinder diesel engine making 544 horsepower, sending power to all four wheels. The Nanuk was designed by Audi-owned Ital Design-Guigiaro, and is essentially a reskin of the Guigiaro-penned Lamborghini Parcour from earlier this year. Audi’s other unveilings were less controversial. The Audi Sport Quattro Concept is the follow-up to the 2010 Quattro show car, both inspired by the 1980 Ur-Quattro. This time, instead of a 408-hp five-cylinder gas engine, the new Sport Quattro Concept gets a 700-hp twin-turbo eight-cylinder. If it does make it into production (Audi isn’t saying yes yet), expect the Sport Quattro to cost more than the existing Audi R8. Finally, Audi added another member to its popular A3 compact family. The new A3 Cabriolet 2+2 convertible joins the existing hatchback and sedan models. Having never been sold in Canada, Audi is not saying if the new open top A3 will come to our shores.

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