18 Sep 00
What is it?
It's a design study, which "visualises the technological potential of the Audi brand". It bridges "the gap between past and present, between tradition and vision". Well, so says Audi. And it is also the highlight of the Audi pavillion at Autostadt, the new VW Group theme park-cum-exhibition centre at Wolfsburg.
That grille reminds me of something... That's a deliberate allusion to the famous Auto Union racers of the Thirties. And like them, it could be powered by a 16-cylinder, mid-mounted engine, but this time around, the monster powerplant could be teamed up with Audi's quattro four-wheel drive system.
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That's another retro cue. Bernd Rosemeyer was one of the successful, nay legendary, drivers in the Auto Union team in the Thirties.
So it's another retro pastiche, then. Yawn...
No, look a bit closer. Get past that grille, and it's a big, beefy brother to the TT. Look at those swooping curves and low, aerodynamic roofline, the purposeful stance and futuristic finish in brushed aluminium. Check out the xenon headlamps, which can be concealed behind flush-fitting sliding metal panels, the angular, sculpted air intakes, the huge drilled brake discs... the lack of rear-view mirrors, with rearward vision monitored by tiny cameras and projected onto screens in the cabin... the six-speed gearbox... not details you'd find on a Thirties racer. It's all modern, and represents the very latest in Vorsprung durch Technik.
Is it all stripped-out in the cabin, racing style?
Oh yes, but in a precision-moulded, ergonomically perfect sort of way. The cockpit is trimmed in leather, carbon-fibre, quilted Nomex (a fire-resistant fabric) and that brushed aluminium (an Audi trademark) again, and there are adjustable racing pedals too for the ideal driving position and feel from that bucket seat. The best bit, however, is the rear window - not for admiring the scenery, but for its view of the massive engine situated right behind you.
It's all pretty awesome, but is it just corporate muscle-flexing?
The Project Rosemeyer concept is on display at Autostadt, the VW Group's 'theme park' in Wolfsburg. There's definitely a bit of showing off going on - this car is the centrepiece of the Audi pavilion in this autophile's Disneyland - but it's not all pose. With VW already on track with the Bentley Hunaudieres and Bugatti Chiron, uber-sports cars are right on the agenda. Especially with Mercedes making the SLR, and BMW the Z8.
So will I be able to buy one?
Well, a certain 16-cylinder engine has already broken cover in the Hunaudieres and Chiron - those cylinders arranged in a 'W' format, around an 8.0-litre block. 623 bhp is claimed. Word is also that the Project could share its platform with the aforementioned models in typical VW Group style, bringing down production costs dramatically. So it's possible... if you have the means, that is.
