RE: Audi Quattro

[dinkel]

It was the most powerfull rally gun ever, was it?

www.sentex.net/~fdekat/pics/quatro.jpg

http://rallye.stars.free.fr/autos/audi/album/rohrl%20sanremo85.jpg

www.racewinkel.nl/media/walter-rohrl-signed-audi-quattro-photo.jpg

http://charcell.free.fr/planet3/rallye/audi1984_2.jpg

www.svrtuning.it/images/Audi%20Quattro%20Rally%208.jpg

etc. etc. etc.

[agent006]

dinkel said:

It was the most powerfull rally gun ever, was it?

Last generation and the pikes peak car had nigh on 1000bhp.

http://homepage.mac.com/dcorfield/PhotoAlbum3.html

[Andrew Noakes]

Mr E said:

Audi thingy said: During testing, Audi also found another benefit: tyres generate less rolling resistance when driven gently than when rolling freely, more than enough to offset the additional frictional losses in the four-wheel-drive transmission. Prototypes delivered higher maximum speeds when driven by all four wheels than when the rear driveshafts were removed. Really? Someone want to explain that to me?

Tests in America showed that the rolling resistance of a tyre varies with the amount of tractive effort it has to transmit, but it's not a linear relationship - the tyre needs to be driven to achieve minimum rolling resistance. Something to do with hysteresis, I imagine.

What Audi achieved, really by accident, was to get closer to the minimum rolling resistance by splitting the drive torque between all four wheels rather than just two.

[Ahonen]

Zad said:

The wheels are too small, the long heavy engine is stuck out way in front of the front axle, it drinks like Johnny Vegas, understeers like anything, only does 134mph and the parts are stupidly expensive. Anyone got a pristine late 10v model in black with leather going for, ooh, about 5 quid? No? Looks like I'll have to stop with my XR4x4 then. Mike

I've not driven any older ones, but I know the Torsen diff version doesn't understeer at all - the steering is one of its great points.

I wouldn't want bigger wheels - they're fine as they are.

[Fat Audi 80]

phlap said:

Oh stop it! Im gettimg withdrawl symptoms. I ran a 'proper' Ur Quattro for 4 years and loved it. At 140,000 miles it still was still going strong and I sold it for 500 quid less than Id paid for it. Im going to jump to the defence of the S2 . These are much maligned BUT, having spent several years with both feel in a position to comment. The Ur is better to drive, has better handling and is a true classic. Dont dismiss the S2 though. The later 230bhp cars have a better engine, performance and interior than the Ur and are easier to live with. They are also much cheaper to buy in the first place. Not an icon but a very underated car. Nice article and good to know the old Audis still have fans

And when chipped provide huge torque from low down all the way through the rev range which makes decent power and huge smiles. I love my S2 and defy anyone to try one and not be impressed!!



Cheers,

Steve

[DeltaFox]

S2 is a great car. I just like the Ur better..

[UKQuattroTM]

A note to you Andrew. Audi made it quite clear in writing to all us staff in UK Head Office that with the intro of the Audi 80 90 + Coupe quattro models that these models had small q, the original Quattro had to have a large Q in any communication. The original Sales brochure also had the capital Q. There is a difference in model names. The Quattro is a model in its own right. The confusion at the time was that the Quattro had the name on the car in decals in lower case q. Hence the 80+90+Coupe became known as the small q quattros and the original was the large Q quattro's when in discussion on the phone or face to face. The press ran off with the designation Ur Quattro after a factory press launch some time later. Marketing and factory again informed us internally that they wanted the big Q and small q difference to be used and not the Ur Quattro 'press version'in any communication. kind regards. Nigel M, UK Audi 200T and Quattro Technical Manager at that time....

[viscous circles]

Wow. Some serious thread resurrection going on here!

UKQuattroTM said:

Audi made it quite clear in writing to all us staff in UK Head Office that with the intro of the Audi 80 90 + Coupe quattro models that these models had small q, the original Quattro had to have a large Q in any communication. The original Sales brochure also had the capital Q. There is a difference in model names. The Quattro is a model in its own right.

Thanks for sharing this. I always thought that it was quattro with a small 'q' from the outset.

UKQuattroTM said:

The press ran off with the designation Ur Quattro after a factory press launch some time later. Marketing and factory again informed us internally that they wanted the big Q and small q difference to be used and not the Ur Quattro 'press version'in any communication. kind regards. Nigel M, UK Audi 200T and Quattro Technical Manager at that time....

So, therefore, the press version prevailed? Most quattro enthusiasts I know cringe at the site of the capital 'q'!

[Yertis]

UKQuattroTM said:

A note to you Andrew. Audi made it quite clear in writing to all us staff in UK Head Office that with the intro of the Audi 80 90 + Coupe quattro models that these models had small q, the original Quattro had to have a large Q in any communication. The original Sales brochure also had the capital Q. There is a difference in model names. The Quattro is a model in its own right. The confusion at the time was that the Quattro had the name on the car in decals in lower case q. Hence the 80+90+Coupe became known as the small q quattros and the original was the large Q quattro's when in discussion on the phone or face to face. The press ran off with the designation Ur Quattro after a factory press launch some time later. Marketing and factory again informed us internally that they wanted the big Q and small q difference to be used and not the Ur Quattro 'press version'in any communication. kind regards. Nigel M, UK Audi 200T and Quattro Technical Manager at that time....

Good post, straight from the horses mouth.

Nigel, if you're still at Audi, can you get hold of the relevant person and shake him until he agrees to make some new exhaust manifolds for those of us brave/stupid enough to try to run a WR engined Quattro?

I'm not buying a new Audi until they do.

[soxboy]

Yes, and WR cylinder heads too. (plus headlamps, wings, etc.)

In fact, please Audi take a leaf out of BMW and Mercedes books and set up a dedicated department for these older vehicles. Mine has been off the road for 6+ months due to lack of parts availability.

[Sarbs]

Audi 4*4's you say? What about my pair?
Old and New, Love them both.
Pearl white 1987 10v Quattro Turbo now done 89,000 my dads from new, R8 2007 500 miles.

[istoo]

UKQuattroTM said:

A note to you Andrew. Audi made it quite clear in writing to all us staff in UK Head Office that with the intro of the Audi 80 90 + Coupe quattro models that these models had small q, the original Quattro had to have a large Q in any communication. The original Sales brochure also had the capital Q. There is a difference in model names. The Quattro is a model in its own right. The confusion at the time was that the Quattro had the name on the car in decals in lower case q. Hence the 80+90+Coupe became known as the small q quattros and the original was the large Q quattro's when in discussion on the phone or face to face. The press ran off with the designation Ur Quattro after a factory press launch some time later. Marketing and factory again informed us internally that they wanted the big Q and small q difference to be used and not the Ur Quattro 'press version'in any communication. kind regards. Nigel M, UK Audi 200T and Quattro Technical Manager at that time....

noted, i have a B4 coupe quattro, did notice that but now know there is an answer. good work batman.

re: the UR have always loved them for the pure design revolution, doing something that new and doing it that well. Value but i could only really lust after a dialynx which is out of my justifiable price range, although the tallega 200's not known so much this side of the atlantic were equally as impressive. Plus i agree having had old and new Q's (q's) the b3/B4 shape i find easier to live with every day for what i do but it isn't an out and out sports car. going back further i think the 100s is visually stunning.

[andy97]

soxboy said:

Yes, and WR cylinder heads too. (plus headlamps, wings, etc.)

In fact, please Audi take a leaf out of BMW and Mercedes books and set up a dedicated department for these older vehicles. Mine has been off the road for 6+ months due to lack of parts availability.

We'd all echo that comment - Audi have the cheek to bask in the quattro glory to this day (see Audi TV channel) & yet do not support loyal quattro owners and marque enthusiasts.