The Avus quattro's engine was supposed to be a 6.0 L 60-valve 12-cylinder engine producing 509 PS (374 kW; 502 hp), capable of accelerating the car from 0 to 60 mph (97 km/h) in about 3 seconds and a top speed of 259 mph (417 km/h). The exact car shown at the Tokyo Motor Show, however, had a dummy made of carefully painted wood and plastic for an engine because at the time, such a powertrain was still in development; Audi-made W12 engines were not available to buyers until Audi presented its flagship A8 a few years later.
The Avus quattro is now on display at Audi's museum in Ingolstadt, Germany.