The original Audi Quattro was a five-cylinder, turbocharged rally-bred hooligan that changed the face of performance motoring. It had four-wheel drive, enormous attitude and enough Group B heritage to make grown men weak at the knees. So, naturally, someone has decided it needs a V8.

Enter the Audacious Automotive IV, a gloriously ambitious reimagining of the short-wheelbase Quattro. It borrows the unmistakable silhouette of the original rally icon but underneath sits the mechanical heart of a B7-generation Audi RS4. And that means a rather splendid 4.2-litre V8.

The entry-level version gets supercharged to produce 600 bhp. If that’s not quite enough to rearrange your internal organs, Stage Two turns the wick up to 750 bhp.

Even more bonkers is a planned high-revving version targeting 10,000 rpm, potentially with naturally aspirated power. Good heavens.

Drive goes to all four wheels through the RS4’s six-speed manual gearbox. No paddles, no computer-generated theatre, just a proper gearstick and enough horsepower to make your insurance company spontaneously combust.

The bodywork channels the Group B legend, while the cabin receives a thoroughly modern makeover with analogue-style instruments.

Buyers can choose an original Quattro shell or carbon-fibre construction, the latter targeting a remarkably low 1,200 kg.

Just 50 examples will be built in Edinburgh, with prices starting at £350,000 before VAT and other costs.

Is it madness? Almost certainly. Is it expensive? Absolutely. But a lightweight, 750 bhp, manual V8 Quattro tribute sounds like precisely the sort of madness the car world needs.