Remember the Audi Quattro concept—the potent lightweight sports car concept that VW and Audi were ready to build, if they could only figure out the best way to do it? Well, according to the latest rumors, the right way now includes jacking it up to off-road proportions and turning it into an SUV. Hooray؟*

According to CAR, Audi decided the quattro—as it was seen at the 2010 Paris Motor Show—doesn’t quite have a place in the sports car world. However, they also decided the car could do exceedingly well as a two-door performance-oriented luxury SUV, along the lines of the Range Rover Evoque. Think of something with a design blending the Quattro and Audi’s new Crosslane concept, and you’ll have the basic look of it.

Considering Audi’s history and the Quattro concept’s powertrain, a turbocharged and highly boosted inline-four or inline-five is almost guaranteed. It’ll be connected to all four wheels, likely through a dual-clutch transmission. If it’s to live up to the Quattro’s sporting pretensions, expect the new crossover to make well over 300 horsepower, possibly as much as 380 horses. (Though we wouldn’t be surprised to see a less-powerful volume model.) A 380 horsepower lightweight high-performance off-roader? Okay, that sounds pretty cool. [via CAR]

*This is an irony mark.