Stunning 800bhp EV – 2022 E-Legend EL1 - Audi Quattro inspired concept
It’s the car Audi won’t give us – a 21st century reboot of the iconic Quattro. Fortunately, start-up E-Legend has obliged…
The spirit of the Quattro: reborn for the electric age
The big reads Birth of an E-Legend An electric start-up goes where Audi fears to tread, with a sensational Quattro-inspired coupe promising supercar performance
QUATTRO REBORN! AUDI’S ICON RETURNS
As a Stunning 800bhp EV – 2022 E-Legend EL1 — Audi Quattro inspired concept
It was one of those rare moments you tend not to forget in a hurry. The cover flew off the mint green EL1 show car and wild applause roared through the HOTE studio in Beilngries, east of Ingolstadt, goosebumps raging through the audience like a Mexican wave. A mixed bunch of aficionados, industry insiders and supplier reps delivered a standing ovation to a small bald man of hard-to-guess age, who strolled onto the stage in the universal all-black T-shirt-and-jeans designer uniform, bowing deeply as he thanked the gathered throng for their applause.
UNLIKE THE BIG PLAYERS, E-LEGEND CAN REDUCE THE GESTATION CYCLE OF A NEW MODEL TO A TIMEWARP 24 MONTHS
The man in the spotlight is Marcus Holzinger, a lifelong speed junkie, performance car addict and gifted designer. His father made his name in clay modelling and prototype building in the ’70s, and Marcus picked up the Quattro obsession before he’d even left school.
‘Dad owned an early Ur-Quattro, and one of my first creative jobs was helping to shape the Sport Quattro. After an apprenticeship with Audi design, I completed my training at VW in California and Wolfsburg. From the start, I knew I wanted to build my own dream car. It took a little longer than expected – these things do – but now there is nothing stopping us making this vision a reality.’
Without the pandemic the E-Legend EL1 may not have existed. The virus confined thousands to home-office working, axed projects at a worrying rate, and took jobs away from suppliers, contractors and service providers. From one month to the next, HOTE design had to increase downtime, lay people off and wait even longer than usual to get paid. The crisis almost broke his father, but the young Holzinger used his spare time to update his countless drawings, fabricate early scale models, scribble down a rough business plan, and check out whether his allies were still keen on making this offbeat project happen. The most significant link between the drawing board and the first prototype was the friendship between the Holzingers and Günther Riedl, CEO and senior brain power of specialists Roding Automobiles.
BENEATH THE BODY IS AN ELECTRIC TRIPLE-MOTOR, ALL-WHEEL-DRIVE ROLLING CHASSIS WITH 805 BHP
When Roding presented a battery-powered roadster in 2017, Marcus Holzinger was still a devoted fan of the internal combustion engine. But inside, the industry consultant knew the future was electric. As a result, within a couple of months the DNA of his dream car shifted from high-octane grunt through a plug-in hybrid compromise to clean-air, cable-fed EV power. The final zero-emission concept is fully compatible with the philosophy of Team Roding, who had just completed a matching all-wheel-drive (essential for any Quattro reboot) rolling chassis.
The proportions were not yet perfect, the packaging still required adjustments, and the exact specifications of the batteries changed faster than the weather. But at the end of the day, Roding found the required dimensional and structural flexibilities while Holzinger carried out the changes needed to make his body design fit the tub. In addition, he came up with a cabin that could be extensively personalised, and both partners agreed on a number of architectural hardpoints to be revisited when the time was ripe for additional products.
Early on, the biggest worry for the new kids on the Quattro block was a possible veto from Audi, who could have easily thrown a spanner in the works. But Ingolstadt wasn’t interested in taking a step back in time, so the new enterprise started raising funds in the middle of last year.
Do Holzinger and Riedl fear stiff competition from similar concepts like the Everrati 911? And why not re-fit an original Quattro with e-power? ‘We are not in a position to rewrite history, and we don’t simply put a modern drivetrain into a copycat body,’ says Holzinger. ‘Our approach is best described as high-tech retro-futurism. Take the EL1, which is not a sleek rehash of the Sport Quattro but the creative evolution of a legendary Quattro reborn! shape, fused with a state-of-the-art chassis (the car will use a carbonfibre structure) and driveline. The underpinnings are so advanced that we intend to use them in our next two or three cars, and they’ll be huge fun to drive – the goal is to transfer the analogue primal instincts of emotional driving into the modern world.’
But first E-Legend must get the EL1 off the ground. Despite the strong visual appeal, selling 30 units may not be a breeze for the no-name newcomer – especially in view of the steep €890,000 (plus taxes) asking price. ‘We are very close to establishing a limited company named E-Legend,’ says Manuel Egginger, the man in charge of finances and strategy, who runs a Porsche centre in his spare time. ‘The six founder members own 50 per cent of the firm through common stock, and we are looking for investors. The initial investment should be amortised by 2024.’
From 2025, the stakeholders should actually start earning money, even though reserves are set to grow. With the EL1 getting attention and spreading the word, Holzinger and friends have already turned some of their attention to two more production runs, again limited to 30 vehicles each. Marcus is tight-lipped when asked to reveal details about the next batch of dream cars but, after a couple of drinks, he casually mentions the Ford RS200, Lancia Stratos, S4, Fulvia HF and 037, as well the Renault 5 Turbo as possible candidates. It’s golden-era rallying all over again, but in coachbuilt carbonfibre and with monstrous electric performance.
Although the place is bristling with enthusiasm and excitement, underlying scepticism pops up here and there. Is the car too expensive?
Can a nameless brand succeed in an increasingly crowded niche? Are the performance numbers sufficiently impressive? How about maintenance? Günther Riedl has the answers. ‘E-Legend is not a tech company nor a components supplier but a coachbuilder. Which is why we buy parts whenever we can, and we also standardise and simplify wherever possible. This applies not only to items like the camera-based mirrors, touchscreens or concealed door handles, but also to high-tech parts such as the awesome Phi-Power motors (top-drawer axial-flux e-motors), which come straight from Formula E, or the brutally efficient batteries, with their 248-mile range – enough, indeed, for two laps of the Nürburgring at full chat.
‘Is the price justified? Well, the efficiency of our cooling system is second to none, the software will surprise a few people, the featherweight carbonfibre monocoque is world-class, and the design speaks for itself. Plus, your EL1 will be unique, a one-off – this is coachbuilding, remember.’
While a single e-motor takes care of the front wheels, the rear wheels are driven by a dual-motor unit with integrated differential. The combined 24/7 power output is just north of 700bhp. Hit the boost button to treat yourself to another wodge of power, lifting the total to a healthy 805bhp, for a full 30 seconds. Powered by a relatively small 90kWh energy pack, the powertrain can accelerate the two-seater 0-62mph in 2.8sec and 0-124mph in 9.0sec. Top speed is restricted to 160mph. The architecture is 800-volt, like the Porsche Taycan, and the charge power is at this point restricted to 150kW. Thanks to the homologation rules open to low-volume manufacturers, the EL1 can be type-approved in just about every country. To comply with safety legislation, airbags, ABS, stability control and selected assistance systems are all standard.
For obvious reasons, E-Legend wants to keep its own assembly infrastructure to a bare minimum. Complete rolling chassis will be sourced from Roding, where the staff has grown to 360 skilled workers. The Holzingers are currently converting the old single-storey office building where it all began into a tight yet modern and efficient bodyshop. In this pragmatic cubicle, bespoke exterior panels are to be added while the interior is trimmed to the customer’s unique specification.
E-Legend is also planning an ultra-fast parts-supply chain. Only in the case of a major accident or a complete battery exchange will the car need to return to Roding. Similar procedures are standard with Bugatti, for instance. A direct distribution scheme will ensure an instant personal connection between future owners and the creators of his or her car. Unlike the big players, start-ups like E-Legend can reduce the gestation cycle of a new model from four or five years to a timewarp 24 months. The software that combines design and engineering was written in just 30 days, the complete development process lasted just six months, and the first and only prototype will be ready to roll 12 months from now.
Says Egginger: ‘We don’t see ourselves as a classic start-up, which aspires to make lots of money fast only to be sold at a profit a couple of years later. We’re here to stay – and that’s a promise.’
Five-spoke rims are so right. Electronics will keep them from spinning madly. Under the skin, the work-in-progress chassis is a very neat carbon monocoque.
EARLY ON, THE BIGGEST WORRY FOR THE NEW KIDS ON THE QUATTRO BLOCK WAS A POSSIBLE VETO FROM AUDI
Short wheelbase and tri-motor power promise an electrifying drive. Camera-feed mirrors make an appearance. Frontal aspect is pure Sport Quattro, complete with bonnet venting.