Finally, a sports car that can run the Dalton Highway.
The Audi nanuk quattro concept is named after the Inuit word for “polar bear” and with good reason.
The jacked-up, aluminum and carbon fiber mid-engine coupe is powered by a diesel V10 that sends 544 horsepower and 737 lb-ft of torque to all four tires, aiming to make it fast on the street and as unstoppable as a low-slung supercar can be off-road.
There, its four-wheel steering system promises to make it as nimble as a mountain goat, while its razor sharp, aerodynamic bodywork should help deliver fuel economy in excess of 30 mpg on pavement.
But while it appears to have some serious wintertime chops, despite its Arctic moniker, Audi’s press imagery uses the deserts of Dubai as backdrop, indicating its more likely customer base.
Then again, if those Canadian shale fields keep producing, and the stars of Ice Road Truckers renew their contracts for big bucks, maybe Audi can sell a few of these up north if it puts it into production.