Wednesday, March 27

Audi Quattro, one of the best Audi cars in history



What is, for us, the best Audi in history? The Audi Quattro is the answer, as it is an icon of the street and a true legend in the competition.

Audi is a manufacturer with a lot of weight in the automotive world that, throughout all its years of activity, has left a huge number of models to remember. Therefore, choose the best audi ever seems very complicated, although for us that title belongs to the Audi Quattro.

Although we will go into detail below, one of the main arguments to defend this choice is that, as the German brand is an icon both on and off the track, the Quattro It was a model that marked the differences in both places, which places it in a privileged position.

Before delving into the chosen one, make a series of honorable mentions to “devices” as incredible as the Audi R8, the Audi RS2 Avant as a foretaste of the successful RS family, sports cars like the Audi TT, misunderstood ahead of their time like the Audi A2 etc.

The importance of the Quattro for Audi and for the industry

In the middle of 2022 we are completely used to vehicles having all-wheel drive. Moreover, it is common to “complain” that many SUVs are all appearance and then do not offer this alternative to be able to leave the asphalt with real guarantees. However, not long ago things were very different.

Audi presented its creation at the Geneva Motor Show in 1980, after three years of intense testing, giving rise to the first series-production sports car with four-wheel drive. This marked a before and after, something that was evident on the street but, above all, in the world of competition.

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The Audi Quattro for street

The origin of this legend lies in an Audi project in which the firm sought to create a sports car based on the Audi 80to which they wanted to implant the powerful engine of Audi 200. The icing on the cake was incorporating into the equation the all-wheel drive system of the volkswagen iltiswhich had been in testing for the last few years.

Although the invention had to be fixed at the engineering level, the company soon came to a solution that allowed the Quattro to have three differentials and that the volume of the system did not occupy much more than that of a front-wheel drive.

Its image caused a great initial impact, but what ended up dazzling the public was its performance: 2.1 turbo five-cylinder block with 200 hp and traction combined to accelerate from 0 to 100 km/h in 7.1 seconds and reach the 220 km/h top.

The base was impeccable and throughout its life it received improvements that optimized the concept (new differentials, ABS, the version Audi Sport Quattro with 306 CV…) until it ceased to be manufactured in 1991.

The Audi Quattro competition

However, the legacy of the Audi Quattro on the street is practically an anecdote when compared to the weight it had in the world of competition, specifically in the World Rally Championship, where everything changed.

It did not have an easy start in the premiere season, in ’81, with breakdowns, and disqualifications; but he already showed his potential by getting victories, a third place finish in the championship and a fifth in the constructors. The 82 would finish tuning, getting the constructors’ title and preparing the ground for what was to come.

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In 1983 he won his first drivers’ championship with Hannu Mikola, who would go on to finish second only to teammate Blomqvist, at the wheel of an Audi Sport quattro. Since then, no non-AWD entrant has managed to win the title.

Shortly after, the wild Sport quattro S1 would make an appearance, with impressive aesthetics and no less than 476 CV to move only 1,090 kilos. His exploits include taking on Pikes Peak with none other than another legend behind the wheel: Walter Rohrl.

This article was published in Autobild by Mario Herráez.

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