Thanks to the electrification of the automotive industry, brands over the globe are reviving iconic cars in their modern-day electric avatars. While not all of them get success in wooing the hardcore auto enthusiasts, the E-Legend EL1 certainly grabbed our attention. The EL1 is a reinterpretation of the 80s rally icon of the defunct Group B, the Audi Quattro S1 rally car. The electric vehicle inspired by the legendary Quattro rally car is made by German EV startup E-Legend and will be limited to just 30 handmade units. E-Legend has priced each EL1 at 890,000 euros (approximately $1.05 million) and has already started accepting pre-orders for the electric coupe.
The resemblance of the E-Legend EL1 with the original Quattro is really uncanny. It has those instantly recognizable muscular haunches, chunky wheel arches, a compact wheelbase, and even the trio intakes in the hood mimic the Audi’s. The sharply angled rear portion of the roofline evokes the second-gen Audi Coupe.
The LED light strips on the front with DRLs and the rectangle end-to-end light design on the back gives it a modern touch without meddling much with the original Quattro inspired design. The EL1 has a carbon fibre construction and weighs something like a Mustang at 1,680kg (3,704 pounds). The whole frame sits on 19-inch front and 20-inch rear wheels. Its sporty stance is complemented with a three-way adjustable suspension, a custom spoiler and a performance brake package. Other features include traction control, ABS, ESP and an optional lift system.
Unlike the original Quattro’s 5-cylinder powertrain under the hood, the E-Legend’s EL1 is powered by a battery-electric setup. This new power source is claimed to deliver 805 hp and a top speed of 255km/hr. It can reportedly do a 0-100 kmph sprint in just 2.8 seconds, while it takes around 10 seconds to hit the 200 kmph mark.
The EL1 has a three electric motors setup, likely split one at the front and two at the rear to form an all-wheel-drive system. These electric motors draw power from a 90-kilowatt-hour battery. With normal driving, E-Legend has an estimated driving range of around 400km, while in its power-hungry Sport Plus mode it will be able to complete two rounds of the Nürburgring Nordschleife. EL1 has a high-speed charging system capable of charging at 150 kilowatts.
The cabin of the EL1 is very minimalistic yet futuristic in design. E-Legend has even replaced the side mirrors with cameras (And we thought Tesla cars’ designs were outrageous). While this should help improve the aerodynamics, the technology isn’t allowed in every region just yet. E-Legend hasn’t revealed much about the interior features yet, but it is said to offer a rearview camera, air-conditioning and other multimedia connectivity features on the final version of EL1.
E-Legend is a small German start-up founded by Marcus Holzinger, a former Volkswagen designer, who also happens to be the son of the designer who designed the original model, the Audi Quattro S1. Holzinger personally designed the EL1, as the automobile designer claims to have been a motorsport fan since childhood. He feels particularly connected to the Sport Quattro because his father worked on its design at the company’s current headquarters in Ingolstadt.
E-Legend itself is based in Beilngries, which is just a short drive away from Audi’s headquarters. It plans to follow up the EL1 with two further rally-inspired models in the future as EL2 and EL3 models, both with the same production run of 30. The German EV startup has plans for a public premiere of the EL1 in autumn at the IAA 2021 in Munich, with an aim for a functioning prototype to be running by early 2022.
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