Just in case you missed our subheadline above, this is indeed a replica of the legendary Audi Sport Quattro. Only 214 original cars were built back in the day, and not all were designed for street use. One doesn't simply buy an old Sport Quattro for the purposes of creating a monster AWD tire slayer, so Ken Block did the next best thing. He bought a replica.
In this instance, it's a replica from LCE Performance, built in much the same way as the original Sport Quattro was – using the front half of an old Audi 80 sedan and the rear of the classic Quattro. You may have seen this car before, wearing a red paint job and going by the name Turbomonster. In Block's care, the red has been swapped for white but it's still very much a boosted beast.
The OG Sport Quattro came with a turbocharged 2.1-liter inline-five engine good for 302 horsepower. This car features a Frankenstein 2.5-liter mill sourced from an Audi A6 TDI, using the bottom end from a Volkswagen diesel bus. The top end uses a modified 20-valve cylinder head from the Audi S2, and with some prolific turbocharger boost, it makes around 730 hp to the tires. Of course it's all-wheel drive, and a six-speed gearbox manages the power.
Block actually unveiled the delectable Audi last year, but the video featured here is his first real outing in the car. Judging by his smile after some quick blasts on the track at Willow Springs, we'd say he's not really missing the Hoonicorn Mustang. There are more smiles as the testing session moves to "the balcony," where figure eights, donuts, and some proper tire-killing activities are the order of the day. It's not all fun and games though, as an apparent problem with the front differential made itself known. That didn't stop Block from fogging the entire area with tire smoke, however.
We don't know exactly what's in store for the Sport Quattro replica, but we're fairly certain we will see it again. Block mentioned it being the first in a new series of cars he intends to have fun with, swapping his signature black finishes for white. We know Block is returning to his Gymkhana antics with a purpose-built electric Audi called the S1 Hoonitron. Perhaps this white knight will make a noisy five-cylinder entrance before the quiet donuts begin.
Gallery: Audi S1 E-tron Quattro Hoonitron With Original
Get more on Block's bonkers electric S1 Hoonitron in the Rambling About Cars podcast, available below.
