Audi has come up with a special treat for this year’s Worthersee festival goers. Based on the docile Audi TT they have made the Ultra Quattro Concept, a lightweight, performance-minded coupe that puts many big sports cars of the day to shame with its sheer speed and acceleration.
The main purpose of this concept though is though showcase how can get rid of excess weight in a car. Granted, you end up with a pretty spartan cabin,, but by accepting that compromise, they have managed to shed 300 kg or 600 lbs off the weight of the Audi TT.
The car now weighs 1,111 kg, which is why despite its modest output of 310PS and 400Nm of torque, the four-wheel-drive car can accelerate from 0 to 100 km/h in 4.2 seconds and reach 270 km/h or 170 mph.
The Ultra TT;s weight saving diet begins with an advanced body shell and continues with the structure and optimised detachable body parts. Needless to say, carbon fiber plays a major role here, as it is used in the rear end, the center tunnel, the B-pillars and the roof.
The front brakes with their ceramic discs and aluminium fixed calipers also make a contribution, and so do the aluminum wheels. Meanwhile the car gets Fibreglass-reinforced polymer (FRP) springs instead of steel ones, and a lithium-ion battery which is significantly lighter than the standard unit.
Inside the cabin the standard front seats are also replaced by fibreglass-reinforced polymer (FRP) bucket seats from the R8 GT which help to reduce the all-up weight by a further 22 kilograms. Audi engineers managed to keep the necessary equipment here, including air conditioning, electric window controls and an electromechanical parking brake.
