Audi · 1980–1991

Audi Quattro

The Audi Quattro is a road and rally car, produced by the German automobile manufacturer Audi, part of the Volkswagen Group. It was first shown at the 1980 Geneva Motor Show on 3 March. Production continued until 1991.

Text from Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0).

Successor: Audi S2

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Background

The model name quattro is derived from the Italian word for "four" to convey the idea that power is delivered to four wheels. Audi has also used the name to refer to the quattro four-wheel-drive system, or any four-wheel-drive version of an Audi model. The original Quattro model is also commonly referred to as the Ur-Quattro - the "Ur-" (German for "primordial", "original", or "first of its kind") is an augmentative prefix. The idea of such a car came from the Audi engineer Jörg Bensinger. The Audi Quattro was the first rally car to take advantage of the then-recently changed rules that allowed the use of four-wheel drive in competition racing. It won consecutive competitions for the next two years. To commemorate the success of the original vehicle, all subsequent Audi production automobiles with this four-wheel-drive system were badged with the trademark quattro with a lower-case "q" letter. The Audi Quattro shared many parts and platform with the Coupé version of the Audi 80 (B2). The quattro was internally designated Typ 85, a production code it shared with the quattro versions of the Audi Coupé. Its characteristic flared wheel arches were styled by Martin Smith. The Audi Quattro also had independent front and rear suspension.

Production history

The idea for a high-performance four-wheel-drive car was proposed in 1977 by Audi's chassis engineer, Jörg Bensinger, after he found that the Volkswagen Iltis military vehicle outperformed other vehicles in tests involving snow. An Audi 80 variant was developed in co-operation with Walter Treser, Director of Pre-Development. European market. Audi introduced the original Quattro to European customers in late 1980, featuring Audi's quattro permanent four-wheel drive system, and the first to mate the front-engine, four-wheel-drive layout with a turbocharged engine. The original engine was the 2,144 cc (2.1 L), longitudinally-mounted inline-5-cylinder 10 valve SOHC, with a turbocharger and intercooler. It generated 147 kW (200 PS; 197 hp) and torque of 285 N⋅m (210 lbf⋅ft) at 3,500 rpm, propelling the Quattro from 0 to 100 km/h (62 mph) in 7.1 seconds, and on to a top speed of over 220 km/h (137 mph). The displacement of the engine was dropped slightly from 2144 cc to 2133 cc with a bore x stroke of 79.3 mm × 86.4 mm (3.1 in × 3.4 in) for the Rally car so that Audi could satisfy the 3-litre rallying class with a 1.4 times multiplication factor. Valvetrain was DOHC 4 valves per cylinder (20 valves in total) with an oil-cooled KKK K27 turbocharger at 1.03 bars (14.9 psi) and Air-to-Air - Längerer & Reich intercooler fed by Bosch LH-Jetronic fuel injection, generating 225 kW (306 PS; 302 hp) at 6,700 rpm and 350 N⋅m (258 lbf⋅ft) of torque at 3,700 rpm. The engine was eventually modified to a 2,226 cc (136 cu in) inline-5 with 10 valves, still generating 147 kW (200 PS; 197 hp), but with peak torque lower in the rev-range. In 1989, it was then changed to a 2,226 cc (136 cu in) inline-five 20-valve DOHC setup generating 162 kW (220 PS; 217 hp), now with a top speed of 230 km/h (

Press reviews

In May 1981, Autocar magazine road tested a left hand drive Quattro (registration number WBD 335W), one of the first magazines to do so since it was introduced. Beginning with a photograph in the magazine of a Quattro cornering hard on Pendine beach in South-west Wales, Autocar's Road Test Editor raved about the Quattro's "thrilling performance" being impressed with its traction and acceleration particularly on wet, greasy and slippery surfaces, noting that only the Porsche 911 could match its traction and acceleration in slippery conditions. After extensive driving across the mountain roads of Wales, the Road Test editor mentioned that while the 60/40 front/rear weight distribution can make the Quattro "tricky in extremis" under very hard cornering, the editor wrote that "When driven with respect, once you have learned its ways, the Quattro is nevertheless magnificent, particularly through a wet and deserted roundabout or series of open bends." The road test editor praised the interior's "comfortable refinement" and judged that its 1981 £14,500 price tag "is very good value for money considering its performance and the fact that its BMW, Porsche and Jaguar rivals cost £5000 more." (In summer 1981 both a Jaguar XJS V12 and BMW 6 Series Coupe on sale in the UK cost almost £20,000). Adding the caveat that in 1981 (and until summer 1983) the Quattro was only available in left hand drive in the UK, the Autocar Road Test concluded that the Quattro "is a vastly satisfying and enjoyable car to drive."

Audi quattro Spyder Concept (1991)

The Audi quattro Spyder was a mid-engine coupé equipped with a 2.8-litre V6 engine taken from the Audi 100. The engine was rated at 174 PS (128 kW; 172 hp) and 181 lb⋅ft (245 N⋅m) of torque. The car was a rolling test bed for a future mid-engine sports car and featured a 5-speed manual gearbox, a modified version for the quattro four-wheel-drive system, aluminium body panels with a tubular steel space frame, 1,100 kg (2,425 lb) kerb weight and a suspension system with trapezoidal links. All of the unique features depicted in the concept car would find their way in future Audi production vehicles. The car was production-ready and garnered a lot of acclaim from both the motoring press and prospective buyers but due to the economic downturn of the 1990s, Audi decided not to press ahead with the project as the demand would not outweigh the development costs for the model. The concept car was unveiled at the 1991 Frankfurt Motor Show.

Audi quattro concept (2010)

At the Paris Motor Show in 2010, Audi presented the quattro concept on the occasion of the 30th anniversary of the original Audi Quattro and the Audi quattro four-wheel-drive system. Based on the RS5, it features a modified 2.5 L five-cylinder TFSI engine shared with the TT and a 6-speed manual transmission from the S4. The engine was claimed to generate a maximum power output of 408 PS (300 kW; 402 hp) and 480 N⋅m (354 lb⋅ft) of torque. The revolutionary design features depicted on the concept car would eventually make their way on future Audi models. The concept utilised aluminium and carbon fibre construction which helped to achieve a total dry weight of 1,300 kg (2,866 lb). Weight saving was kept in consideration even throughout the interior and the seats also weighed 18 kg (40 lb) each besides having adjustment motors. The dashboard featured an LCD console displaying vital information about the car and buttons arranged in a vertical way on the binnacle harked back to the original Audi Quattro. The wheelbase was shortened by 152 mm (6 in) and the roof line was shortened by 30 mm (1.2 in) as compared to the RS5. The Quattro four-wheel-drive system used in the concept was a rear-biased design utilising a two-stage differential distributing power front and aft through planetary gears. The concept utilised carbon-ceramic braking system for improved stopping power. The car had a claimed 0–97 km/h (0–60 mph) acceleration time of 3.8 seconds. It was reported that Audi was considering a limited production model (200–500 cars) based on the quattro concept. However, the idea of production was scrapped in favour of expanding the company's crossover range.

Audi Sport quattro concept (2013)

The Audi Sport quattro concept was unveiled at the 2013 Frankfurt Motor Show (IAA) to commemorate the 30th anniversary of the original Audi Sport quattro. The show car features angular flat C-pillars, as well as rectangular double headlights featuring Audi's Matrix LED technology, a spoiler at the lower edge of the rear window, rectangular tail lights, 21-inch wheels, carbon fibre-ceramic brake discs, bucket seats with integrated head restraints, multifunction sport steering wheel, two driving modes (race and setup) in virtual 3D displays, Audi MMI control unit, and air conditioning. The doors and fenders were made of aluminum, while the roof, hood, and the rear hatch were made of carbon fiber-reinforced polymer. The front suspension features five control arms per wheel while the rear has track-controlled trapezoidal link. Power is from a 4.0 TFSI V8 engine rated at 560 PS (412 kW; 552 hp) and 700 N⋅m (516 lb⋅ft), along with a disc-shaped electric motor rated at 150 PS (110 kW; 148 hp) and 400 N⋅m (295 lb⋅ft) (for combined a power output of 700 PS (515 kW; 690 hp) and 800 N⋅m (590 lb⋅ft)), mated to an eight-speed tiptronic transmission. A liquid-cooled 14.1 kWh lithium-ion battery is located at the rear, and the range is claimed up to 50 km (31 mi) on electric power alone. At the 2014 Geneva Motor Show, Audi presented the new 2014 Audi TT Quattro Sport Concept. It was powered by a 2.0 L four-cylinder TFSI engine generating a maximum power output of 420 PS (309 kW; 414 hp) and 331 N⋅m (244 lb⋅ft) of torque. The concept featured Audi's Quattro AWD system and an S Tronic dual-clutch transmission.

Sections adapted from Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0); text is shortened. Read the full article for the complete history and citations.

Specifications

name

Audi Quattro B2 (85)

Manufacturer

Audi AG

aka

Ur-Quattro

Production

1980–1991, 11,452 produced

Assembly

Germany: Ingolstadt

Designer

Jörg Bensinger, Walter Treser, Ferdinand Piëch, Franz Tengler (transmission), Martin Smith (exterior styling)

Class

Mid-size car, rally car

Body style

2-door coupé

Platform

Volkswagen B2

Related

Audi 80 (B2), Audi Coupé (B2)

Layout

longitudinal front engine, all-wheel drive

Engine

2.1 L SOHC 10v I5 (turbo) (1980–1987), 2.2 L SOHC 10v I5 (turbo) (1987–1989), 2.2 L DOHC 20v I5 (turbo) (1989–1991)

Transmission

5-speed manual

Wheelbase

2524 mm

Length

4404 mm

Width

1722 mm

Height

1346 mm

Kerb weight

1290 –

sp

uk

Predecessor

Audi 100 Coupé S

Successor

Audi S2

Specification summary from Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0). Measured facts from Wikidata (CC0). Check the linked sources for citations.

More photos

Sources

• Wikidata — https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q679103CC0 1.0 · retrieved 2026-10-01
• Wikipedia — https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Audi_QuattroCC BY-SA 4.0 · Text © Wikipedia contributors; revision 1377542264 · retrieved 2026-10-01
• Wikimedia Commons — https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Audi_Quattro_vl_black.jpgCC BY-SA 3.0 · Photo: see file page · retrieved 2026-10-01
• Car Model Index — https://models.autoculturesociety.com/Compiled record. Sources that do not permit reuse are not copied; this index is credited instead.

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