Audi enjoys a worldwide reputation for turning out ingeniously engineered vehicles that are heavily laced with pure performance overtones. The Quattro elevates the German firm's basic success formula to previously unattained heights. Looking rather like a Coupe that's been put through an intensive body-building regimen, the Quattro was designed to serve as Audi's technological showcase for the'80s. It succeeds brilliantly in that role. More important, it ranks as one of the finest all-weather GT machines on the market today.
Conventional automotive superlatives simply don't do justice to Audi's ultracar. The Quattro can run 0-60 mph in less than 8 secs and sail through most corners at twice the suggested max without half trying. And it tops it all off by being able to make the very best out of the worst possible road conditions. Did we mention that it also carries an EPA rating of 18 city/28 highway?
As with most Ingolstadt endeavors, the quintessential Quattro incorporates a generous helping of standard Audi features and off-the-shelf hardware. The real secret of the car's preeminence can be traced to the combination of a powerful 2.1-liter turbocharged engine and an ultra-efficient full-time 4-wheel-drive system.
The Q-ship saga began in 1977 under the direction of Ferdinand Piech, head of Audi's R&D wing. Piech's credentials include being the grandson of Ferdinand Porsche and serving as Porsche's chief technical advisor during the development of the all-conquering 917s. His goals for the Quattro were a trifle less intense, but equally noble: collect Audi's finest design minds and turn them loose to create the kind of car they would prefer to drive. The result is everything one could reasonably expect, and a whole lot more.
The limited-production Quattro is built on a separate line manned by 38 of Audi's most capable assembly workers. Of the 2000 cars slated for production this year, 500 are destined for America. Even though we must make do with a decidedly tamer version--horsepower for this side of the Atlantic has been cut 20%--the U.S.-spec Quattro can still hold its own against an overwhelming percentage of today's frontline exotics.
The Quattro tips the scales at 2838 lb, making it 331 lb heavier than the Coupe. Both cars share a 99.5-in. wheelbase, but the Quattro's track is about 1 in. wider logging in with 56.0 in. front and 57.4 in. rear. While the Coupe contributes a number of high-visibility components, including the steel unibody, hood, deck, doors, glass, and many interior pieces, the Quattro has more in common mechanically with the 5000 Turbo than any other Audi model.
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