Recently, Audi celebrated the 40th anniversary of the original Quattro on Twitter with a collaboration with another of my favourite brands; Lego.

To celebrate the event, they sent Lego Speed Champion models of the rally version of the Quattro to motoring writers with a challenge: time your build from opening the box to finished model.

I may have harassed them a bit until they sent me my kit, but the chance to get behind the wheel of an original Quattro from Audi’s heritage Fleet was too much of a temptation! They sent me the kit, I set the fastest time and my prize was duly delivered for a long weekend of four-wheel drive fun.

The car was from 1990, so a mere 30 years old… and coincidentally almost the same age as my first car – a 1991 Ford Escort. This car was a little more powerful than my (t)rusty old Escort though, and there’s no way my Escort is now worth just shy of £50k.

First impressions when it was reversed off the delivery truck was that the pearlescent paint was stunning in the sunshine – it doesn’t photograph well, so the photo doesn’t do it justice. But it was great, and that massive boot just oozed ‘performance coupe’.

So what was it like to drive, considering this was a car that originally had 220bhp and a 0-60 time of under six seconds? It was probably still going to be quick. The sound of the turbocharger was immense – whining as it spooled up the power and delivering it to all four wheels. It was clear that this was an iconic car from history.

An impressive level of electronics

But is it practical in today’s world? It boasts an impressive level of electronics, given its pedigree – an all-digital dashboard and speedo was positively futuristic in the 90s, and while basic, the trip computer functioned much as you’d expect from a more modern machine.

The steering was brilliant – precise around the bends, which isn’t surprising given it was designed for rallying, and the power and gearbox have stood the test of time as well. The brakes, however, are clearly dated. They worked fine, but took a little bit of acclimatisation.

So if you’re in the market for a practical and appreciating classic – and have a spare £50k to throw at what would have to be your second car – the Quattro will give you a lot of fun while remaining pretty firmly planted on the road.

It’s not as quick as a modern hot hatch, and a fair few of those 220 horses under the bonnet have probably long since fled the stable, but it still has enough to draw smiles from people outside the pub as you drive past, turbo screaming.

My kids loved it, my wife hated it. Me? I was firmly in the first camp! It’s a legend and will remain so for quite some time.