The Audi Sport Quattro S1 Should Have Been Electric

Jun. 30, 2021 1:08 PM ET by Sebastian Cenizo Reveal / 11 Comments

Not really, but this electric interpretation looks stunning.

These days, the closest you can get to buying an Audi Sport Quattro S1 brand new is to buy Europe's S1. Alternatively, you could buy a special edition of the Audi RS6 that is meant to channel some of that 1980s styling. Of course, nothing is quite like the original, but that hasn't stopped numerous companies from making retro-styled cars with modern underpinnings. One such company is e-Legend, a company that has previously created a modern EV based on the Peugeot 504 Coupe. Its latest project is called the EL1, and it's an EV with some serious attitude and a very blocky design that might look familiar.

It is an all-electric homage to Audi's Group B monster and is powered by three electric motors, with one at the front axle and two at the rear. Altogether, the setup produces an otherworldly 804 horsepower, with its power supply coming from a 90-kWh battery pack. This battery pack uses the same 800-volt tech as the Porsche Taycan and, according to Auto Motor Und Sport, and likely boasts the same battery modules as the Taycan too. If true, the EL1 should be capable of fast charging like its donor. As you can imagine, performance should be rather lively. e-Legend claims that the EL1 will do the 0-62 mph sprint in just 2.8 seconds and 0-124 in under ten seconds.

It's not just a one-trick pony either, offering various driving modes including Sport Plus. This is its most hardcore setting, and e-Legend says that in this mode you have enough juice to do two hard and fast laps of the Nurburgring. When you just want to go as far as possible, e-Legend claims a maximum range of 248 miles.

With Taycan tech and classic styling elements, it's not cheap though - just 30 are expected to be built with each carrying a cost of around $1.2 million. These should be ready sometime next year, but e-Legend isn't stopping there. The company is reported to be working on a modern Lancia Stratos HF Stradale EV. It's just a pity that neither EV can make the epic noises of their inspirational forebears.