The advent of 3D printing has already done quite a bit to disrupt and revolutionize the process of production for countless industries. Entire items can simply be printed by using the proper materials, which can range from something as simple as chocolate to something as complex as glass and metal.

Audi has not failed to notice the opportunities that 3D printing bring to the automotive world, and in a test to see what they were capable of, the German marque created a 1:2 scale replica of one of their most iconic cars. As a press release issued today shows, they created an exact model of the 1936 “Silver Arrow” Auto Union Typ C, their grand prix sports car emblazoned with the number “5.”

The use of 3D printing to create metal components is one of Audi’s primary focuses for development of technologies, and creating this replica is a test of their abilities thus far. It’s not the first car to be created using a 3D printer – a man in Australia created an Aston Martin replica in 2013, while American Jim Kor released his 3D-printed Urbee 2 car design that same year. 3D printers have even been used to create items from carbon fiber; February 2014 saw the release of the Mark One 3D printer, the world’s first to use carbon fiber.

To see what the full version looks like, check out the actual size of the 1936 Auto Union Typ C in the video below, shared to YouTube by F1KillerQueen in July 2013. Hopefully, we’ll be seeing Audi implement more 3D printed components in their future models, but in the meantime, find your own car with four rings from our exclusive listings.

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(via Audi, YouTube)

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