Factory-produced electric restomods have been having a moment over the past few years. From the Ford F-100 Eluminator to the Toyota AE86 BEV, battery-powered versions of iconic cars have inspired both awe and derision, depending on your perspective. Now Audi’s had a go, electrifying an NSU Prinz for several very good reasons.
Audi, as we know it in the modern era, incorporated in 1969 as Audi NSU Auto Union AG, after merging with NSU. While the NSU brand has been long dormant, the Neckarsulm plant where the Prinz was built is still used today to assemble Audi’s flagship A8 sedan, midsize A6 sedan, and A7 liftback. To celebrate the factory’s 150th anniversary, Audi has taken a late NSU Prinz 4L and gone mental.
If you don’t know what that is, it’s this little German car (which, incidentally, is for sale on Hemmings for $13,000):
Specifically, the marque handed a friendly little economy car to a team of 12 trainees and told them to go nuts. Consider it a capstone project of sorts, renewal of a careworn classic using all the tools in the shed. Yes, don’t worry, a pristine example wasn’t cut up to build this. As apprentice bodywork and vehicle construction mechanic Mizgar Doman Hassan said, “When we got the car, its body had several rust spots. These areas were the first thing we fixed.”
Once the rust was tended to, Audi’s trainees turned their attention to the powertrain. Around back, the standard 598 cc air-cooled two-cylinder engine has been ditched in favor of the 240 horsepower motor from a 2020 e-tron, while the battery pack comes from a Q7 plug-in hybrid. The entire chassis comes from an A1, albeit with modifications, effectively making this Prinz 4L a very unique body drop. In the end, the result is a box-flared winged terror of a small German car sporting a 700 percent power increase over stock.
Speaking of those box flares, they’re nifty 3D-printed parts that are very necessary to tuck modern tires underneath this bite-sized car, and they aren’t the only racing-style tweaks made to the exterior of this Prinz. The rear wing actually goes through the rear window to mount to the cage, while a deep chin spoiler is a hard throwback to ‘70s race cars. Lighting elements reminiscent of the hot NSU 1000 were also grafted onto standard Prinz sheetmetal, and the Suzuka Grey paint job is punctuated by splashes of Signal Yellow and pixel-like graphics.
On the inside of this Prinz, things are, erm, spartan. Mind you, it’s not like the original car was the paragon of luxury, but with this one-off, you get a yellow cage, seats, a steering wheel, and all the air inside the vehicle included as standard equipment. Still, that should keep this Prinz as light as possible for a converted EV, and everyone knows that more lightness equals more quickness.
Once all the modifications were done, this Prinz was granted a new moniker: The Audi EP4. It all adds up to a digital hot rod for the electrified age that Audi’s trainees can be proud of. Now, let’s see Audi put it on a track. Wouldn’t that be wicked?
(Photo credits: Audi)
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Is Audi launching the all-electric A9 anytime soon, that they have been talking about forever? A lot of reports on the internet say it will be equipped with a dual-electric motor setup producing nearly 637 hp. (source: mototechindia)
Let’s see Audi add AC and a FM radio, 3D print the entire body (in pieces if necessary to fit over the cage) and actually sell it for $28K to folks who want a small electric car that’s affordable and stylish. Heck, AFAIAC, it doesn’t even need a center screen… just put the range stuff in front of the driver w/the virtual instruments.
Wheels are too wide.
I love this! And it comes with free air inside!
I think that car design should eventually evolve like clothes design, where nothing is truly out of fashion. Want to have some 70’s flair on your daily driver? 3d print whatever model you want over a resilient cabin cell/chassis and be happy! As long as the design is certified safe somehow, mount a Beetle, k70, SP2, Brasília, Fridolin or even a Ford Escort if these corporations want to play nice.
Can’t wait for the production version to be a 2.5 row crossover with a gaping non-grille
That’s not a grille! That’s Audi’s groundbreaking new Front Art Gallery Multimedia Experience (TM)! For the low price of $79.99 a month OR included in your lease payment at a discount to $79.49, in place of a grille you now have a 72 inch 32k SCREEN that projects art work that captures the essence of The Audi Experience!
Everybody keeps asking what it would take for me to buy an EV. This, this is what it would take for me to buy an EV.
Performance, yes, but it would have none of the driving character of the original whatsoever.
I’ll take the original thanks!
Having owned and driven cars of that era, I’ll take the modern one lol
Well I’ve also owned and driven a car of that era and I’ll take both. The new one looks cool and with that much power in a small and light package it should be fun, but I’d also love to tool around town in the original version with its two cylinder engine which might not be as exciting as the electric motor but certainly has more character.
Talk about kissing a toad to reveal a handsome Prinz…
Those wheel flares are the arches formerly known as Prinz.
Take your danged star.
This does prove that the Prinz’ basic sheet metal would work perfectly fine as a new car, if they had the guts to build it. Not a fan of the exaggerated fender flares though, kind of spoils the lines, and not every car needs $400 per corner tires
Meh. Once you’ve seen one of these you’ve seen em all.
That’s how I feel about renderings of these, at least this one is real.