Frankfurt 2013: Audi Nanuk Concept
Audi caught eyeballs at the Frankfurt Auto Show 2013 with the surprise introduction of the Nanuk Concept. The audacious two-seater supercar has off-road abilities and features a newly developed mid-mounted V10 twin-turbo diesel engine.
It's actually quite similar in concept to the Guigiaro Parcour Concept that was shown off earlier this year at the Geneva motor show. That is because it was designed by the same Italian company, Italdesign Guigiaro. But while the all-wheel drive Parcour was powered by an engine sourced from the Lamborghini Gallardo the Nanuk uses the monster V10 diesel. Power stands at 544PS while max torque is a frightful 1000Nm at just 1500rpm.
Audi says that the purpose of building the Nanuk Concept was to build a car that was not only a beast on the racetrack, but also on the rougher terrain. For that purpose, the Concept features automated air suspension which can judge what height the car needs to be at by taking cues from the sat-nav system, four-wheel steering to make for more nimble handling, and 22-inch wheels with higher-than-usual profile tyres for coping with the rough.
A strengthened 7-speed S tronic gearbox sends that thrust to all four wheels. This behemoth weighs 1900kg but the sheer brute force of the motor means it can hit 100kmph from a standstill in just 3,8 seconds and go on to a top speed of 305kmph. It features clever four-wheel steering similar to what you'd find in the latest Porsche 911 Turbo/Turbo S and GT3.
The rear wheels turn slightly in the opposite direction to the fronts at slow speeds and turn in the same direction as the speeds increase. This improves agility while being remarkably fuel efficient at  12.8kmpl. To sum it up the Nanuk can handle the worst of roads, is blisteringly fast and is powered by a fuel we love. The ultimate supercar for India? It might just be if Audi decides to make something based on it.