The Audi quattro revolution

We've experienced one of these "WOW" moments you only get a couple of times in a petrolhead's life. And it was very special indeed. When our friends from FabCars in Geneva told us they had an Audi quattro we could drive and review, we nearly fainted. You see, the Audi quattro is a car that redefined the sports car segment in the 80's, and proved to be one of the best race cars of its era. We were ready to find out if the quattro really deserves this icon title.

But first, a bit of history. By the end of the 70's, Audi executives realized the added value that a 4x4 system could bring to their road cars. Ferdinand Piëch, who was back then Audi's head of R&D, agreed to develop this solution as long as he could work on a high-performance road car. BAAAM! It happened, and in 1980, at the Geneva Motor Show, Audi showcased their first ever four-wheel drive car, the quattro.

But there were a lot of uncertainties. Would it sell? Did people really need a four-wheel drive sports car? But Piëch was adamant, and stated that the quattro was a revolution. And, he might have been right. The original quattro was a monster equipped with a turbocharged 2.1-litres 5-cylinder engine that made 200 horsepower. Nearly as much as a Porsche 911 SC from the same year. It had independent suspensions, a 5-speed gearbox, and of course that infamous quattro system.

The quattro seemed like the perfect rally car, so Audi founded Audi Sport to go racing. Quickly, the quattro became very successful, and even allowed Michèle Mouton to be the first female driver to ever win a WRC race. Eventually, Audi won their first manufacturer's championship title in 1982. The next year, Group B, a new category with barely any regulations started. Audi dominated the competition and won again in 1983 and 1984. Obviously, the sales of the road-going quattro exceeded all expectations, and it was time for Audi to build their own homologation special. In 1985, Audi released the limited edition Sport quattro S1. With 0ver 300 horsepower, 224 units built, and a selling price four times more expensive than a "base" quattro, it is no wonder that they now sell for more than half-a-million dollars. After the WRC stopped Group B because of too many accidents, Audi concentrated on other events like the Pikes Peak where they broke records and destroyed the competition.

By 1987, the quattro evolved and started getting ABS, bigger wheels, and an upgraded engine that now made 220 horsepower. Enough to take it from 0-60 in only 6.0 seconds. It was also equipped with an automatically locking Torsten differential. Apart from that, the car did not change much, and that's a rather good thing because we love the looks of this car. Audi just modified the grille, headlamps, badges, and added new digital gages. That's the car that we were in front of. So, now we're getting to the fundamental question: How is it to drive?

The car in this review is 1990 quattro finished in a beautiful original metallic dark grey colour. Everything is there from the iconic shape of the exterior, to the 80's eccentricity of the interior. You get inside and everything is where it's supposed to be (Yes, it's still a German car). You can feel that it is well-built because there are no squeaks, or other loose knobs or panels. When you start the car, you immediately hear the typical growling noise of Audi's 5-cylinder engine. A tradition that has been pursued with the modern RS3. You get going and you immediately feel like you're in a rally car. There's this typical lag and kick that you get from the turbo that spices up the driving experience. I felt that the car was very manoeuvrable, comfortable, easy to drive, but also quick. People who don't know the car expect it to be just another old and slow Audi. But, in fact, it hides a proper sports car that will make you smile.

Unfortunately, Audi never released another quattro after 1991. But the legacy still lives on in the R8 supercar that is equipped with, you guessed it, a quattro system. Audi built approximately 12'000 units of their quattro, but finding one in a top-notch condition like this one has become very difficult. Audi has been so influential that many sports car manufacturers like Porsche or Lamborghini followed and developed their own 4x4 solutions. Today, the quattro has become highly collectible cars, and prices have risen significantly in recent years. And this is all justified, because the quattro is a very special car that redefined the sports car segment and paved the way for the four-wheel drive system.

So, what do you think, do we need a modern-day quattro?

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P.S. Y​ou may have noticed that I wrote quattro in lowercase without the capital "Q". That's because it's written that way in the back of the car.

I would like to express my deepest gratitude to FabCars, situated in Bernex, Switzerland, for giving me the opportunity to review and shoot this car. It is currently on sale here.