Audi Quattro: The Car That Made All-Wheel Drive Mandatory
Before this car, all-wheel drive was seen as heavy, unnecessary technology for a road-going performance car. Afterward, rivals had no choice but to follow.
Illustration for editorial purposes
A Technology Demonstration That Rewrote the Rulebook
Occasionally a single model proves a technical argument so convincingly that the entire industry has to respond. This car's rally dominance did exactly that for all-wheel drive.
Generations at a Glance
| Version | Years | Engine | Gearbox | Body | 0–60mph | Top Speed | Price New (UK) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Quattro (WR, 10-valve) | 1980–1987 | 2.1L turbocharged five-cylinder, 200bhp | 5-speed manual, permanent AWD | Coupe (3-door hatchback) | 6.5–7.1s | 138mph | £14,500 (1981, launch) |
| Quattro 20V (later) | 1989–1991 | 2.2L turbocharged five-cylinder (20-valve), 220bhp | 5-speed manual, permanent AWD | Coupe (3-door hatchback) | sub-6.0s | approx. 143mph | £32,995 (end of production run) |
| Sport Quattro | 1984–1986 | 2.1L turbocharged five-cylinder (20-valve), 306bhp | 5-speed manual, permanent AWD | Coupe (shortened, 3-door) | 4.8s | not reliably documented | not reliably documented |
Permanent All-Wheel Drive, Applied to Performance for the First Time
Introduced in 1980, it applied permanent all-wheel drive, previously seen mainly in off-road and military vehicles, to a genuine high-performance road and rally car for the first time. Its turbocharged five-cylinder engine, paired with that all-wheel-drive system, gave it a genuinely novel combination of traction and power that rivals struggled to match on loose or slippery surfaces.
A Five-Cylinder Note That Became Instantly Recognisable
Its distinctive five-cylinder engine note became one of its most memorable characteristics, instantly recognisable at rally stages throughout the 1980s. The all-wheel-drive system's genuine traction advantage on loose and wet surfaces proved so dominant in competition that rival manufacturers were forced to develop their own all-wheel-drive rally programmes within just a few years.
How Group B Domination Forced Every Rival to Follow
Its dominant performance in the World Rally Championship's Group B era permanently changed competition car design, with virtually every serious rally manufacturer adopting all-wheel drive within a few short years of the Quattro's debut. Its influence extended well beyond motorsport, directly leading Audi to develop all-wheel-drive technology across much of its subsequent road car range under the same "quattro" name.
How Much Does an Audi Quattro Cost Today?
Well-preserved original examples, particularly those with genuine rally history or desirable early specification, command strong prices among collectors specifically drawn to the car's genuine technical significance and motorsport dominance.
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Sources: Audi Tradition archives, Wikipedia.