For 50 years, Audi’s inline five-cylinder engine has been one of the brand’s defining characteristics. It’s an unconventional choice in an industry that’s moved past such quirky configurations, but Audi has held firm. To commemorate this half-century milestone, the brand’s apprentices at Neckarsulm built the GT50 Concept, a racing tribute that channels the raw energy of Audi’s most dominant American motorsport era.
Reviving Racing Glory
This is a direct nod to the Audi 90 quattro IMSA GTO and the Audi 200 quattro Trans-Am cars that tore up American circuits in the late ’80s and early ’90s. Those machines weren’t only fast but controversial. When the 200 quattro swept the 1988 Trans-Am season with Hurley Haywood behind the wheel, the all-wheel-drive advantage was so pronounced that rivals successfully lobbied to ban quattro from the series entirely for 1989. Undeterred, Audi shifted to IMSA’s GTO class with the 90 quattro, winning seven of the 13 races it entered and solidifying the brand’s reputation on American soil.
The GT50 captures that period’s aesthetic perfectly. Built from an RS3 donor, it ditches the rounded modern silhouette for blocky, three-box proportions, aided by grafting an Audi 80 roof onto the chassis to achieve that squared-off stance. Wide fenders, molded fiberglass panels, side exhausts, and massive turbofan wheels complete the throwback look. There’s even a custom-fabricated roll cage visible through the stripped interior.
Those turbofan wheels are a direct reference to the IMSA and Trans-Am racers’ signature look. The wide fenders accommodate proper track stance, while the rear spoiler and aero-driven surfaces suggest this thing could actually handle itself on a circuit.
Built By The Next Generation
Fourteen apprentices from various departments at Audi’s Neckarsulm training center spent six months creating this one-off, handling everything from the fiberglass bodywork (which they noted was among the most challenging aspects) to the roll cage fabrication. It’s part of an annual tradition where trainees create outlandish concepts tied to significant brand anniversaries. Previous efforts include the RS6 GTO concept (which later influenced the production RS6 GT), an electrified A2, and even a 236-hp NSU Prinz rework.
The GT50 fits this lineage well. Under those dramatic body panels sits the RS3’s 2.5-liter turbocharged five-cylinder producing 394hp — the same engine that’s kept Audi’s five-pot flame alive while competitors like Volvo, Ford, and even Volkswagen moved on. It’s worth noting that Audi’s sister brand Cupra recently stuffed this engine into the Formentor crossover, and rumors suggest VW might slot it into the Golf R, hinting that this configuration still has life left in it.
Spec Sheet
Base: Audi RS3
Engine: 2.5L turbocharged inline-five
Power: 394 hp
Drivetrain: Quattro all-wheel drive
Construction: Molded fiberglass body panels, custom roll cage, Audi 80 roof
Build Team: 14 Audi apprentices at Neckarsulm
Inspiration: Audi 90 IMSA GTO, Audi 200 Trans-Am
Pricing & Availability
The GT50 Concept is a one-off creation built to celebrate Audi’s five-cylinder anniversary. There are no production plans, though the enthusiast response has been strong enough that Audi is rumored to be considering an even more track-focused RS3 special edition for 2026.
Recap
Audi GT50 Concept
Audi’s apprentices built this wild GT50 Concept to celebrate 50 years of the brand’s five-cylinder engine, and it’s basically a modern RS3 dressed up like those legendary IMSA and Trans-Am racers from the late ’80s. It’s a one-off tribute that proves the five-pot still has serious street cred, even if there are no production plans.
