816-HP Audi Sport Quattro Hommage Concept Revealed, Runs on Batteries

And you've probably figured out why I used the word "partially." Because I know how emotionally difficult the transition from petrol power to electric power will be for most of us petrolheads. I mean, you'd still drive a Ferrari F50 if it ran on batteries, right? You'd still love to go sideways in an RX-7, even though there was no internal combustion engine under the hood. And I know what you're going to say: "It just isn't the same without the high-pitched exhaust note, the fumes, or the flames."

Change brings opportunity

And you're right. We will lose part of the joy that came along with driving cars powered by fossil fuels. But if you've ever paid attention in physics class, you would know one thing. Nothing in this world is lost, but everything is transformed. And as we lose the exhaust note, the flames, and in certain cases the smell of high-octane mixed with premix, we are going to win on other levels.

So, am I somewhat disappointed that the E-Legend EL1 won't have an inline-5 powerplant with anti-lag on it? Yes. But at the same time, I'm excited at the thought that you won't have to wait for the power to come on. You won't get threats from your neighbors because you like to do a bit of midnight cruising. And you might just be playing a small role in protecting the environment at the same time.

But let's get back to the E-Legend EL1. With this being an hommage to the legendary Audi Sport Quattro, its design is heavily influenced by the '80s machine, but there's a clear 2021 vibe to it. ELegend AG calls their new EL1 "a supercar with the license to inhale curves." According to their official statement, the correct way to build cars is to have "form following function, while function interacting with form should touch the heart of the driver."

Your intellect may be confused, but your emotions will never lie to you

And that kind of approach is bound to appeal to a large majority of petrolheads around the world. We all know that electric vehicles aren't renowned for being lightweight, and you look at a Porsche Taycan Turbo S, which tips the scales at 5,224 lbs (2,370 kg). Even the Rimac Nevera isn't very light, at 4,740 lbs (2,150 kg). But ELegend wanted their car to be nimble, so it's based on a super-light carbon monocoque. That means that the maximum weight of this thing should be around 3,703 lbs (1,680 kg).

That's not going to be as light as road-going Sport Quattro, but there is a huge gap in horsepower also to account for here because the old Quattro was rated for about 300 horsepower while the EL1 comes with a staggering 816! And before you start complaining about range issues, the German builder mentioned that this car would be capable of going up to 248 miles (400 km) on a single charge, thanks to its 90 kWh battery.

With all that in mind, the EL1 might just go from 0 to 62 mph (100 kph) in 2.8 seconds, which is just about what you would expect out of a Ferrari 488 GTB, for instance. Another interesting claim might hint towards a future lap record attempt. We say that because ELegends have specified that their new vehicle could run two record-attempting laps of the Nürburgring Nordschleife on a single charge. Should this have the capability to quick-charge, you could very well go the track, put in a few laps in SportPlus mode, and then drive back home at the end of the day.

Innovation is the ability to see change as an opportunity, not a threat

While the 158-mph (255-kph) top speed doesn't seem too impressive for 2021, and we've got Bugattis and Koenigseggs rolling around on public roads, there is one other interesting tidbit of information about the car's acceleration capabilities. It can go from a standstill to 124 mph (200 kph) in under 10 seconds. A brand-new 2021 Audi RS6 with a modern twin-turbo V8 under the hood needs a little over 11 seconds to achieve the same performance.

And for those of you out there that are fortunate enough to make it on the end-customer list, you don't even have to put up with the spartan-like interior of sports cars that came out in the '80s. And that's because the EL1 was designed with a series of creature comforts to accommodate even the most demanding people. Bluetooth, navigation, and HVAC functionalities come as standard, and to top it all of, there's more room for your luggage than ever before, as this car has a trunk and a frunk as well.

And now that our appetite has been opened up, it's time to go into the less pleasant details for this electric sports car. The production will be limited to only 30 units. So I imagine that by the time word gets out about this car, it will probably be sold out already. But that's not the only tricky part because the selling price is set at around $1.19 million.

To put things in perspective, one of the most well-taken care of 1985 Sport Quattros currently on sale in Germany will set you back just a touch under $600,000. There's even a Rallye replica rated at about 650 horsepower for sale for $320,000. But I'm not here to tell you what you should with your money; I'm just weighing in the options.

But if money is not an issue, and you don't succeed in getting one of 30 EL1s, rest assured because ELegends isn't about to stop here. They're already planning to revive two more icons based on the same approach, and both of those models will be limited to 30 units each as well. And some of you might like the idea of an electrified Lancia Stratos HF Stradale even better.