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Retro drive: Audi Quattro 20V. Image by Matt Vosper.

Retro drive: Audi Quattro 20V
We revisit Audi's legendary Quattro coupé to see if the magic continues.

   



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| Retro Drive | Warwickshire, England | Audi Quattro 20v |

Overall rating: 4 4 4 4 4

Groundbreaking in its day, Audi's rallying homologation sports grand tourer remains an exceptional car even after nearly 30 years.

Key Facts

Audi Quattro 20V (1989/90)
Pricing: £5,000- to £30,000
Engine: 2.2-litre turbocharged five-cylinder petrol
Transmission: four-wheel drive, five-speed manual
Body style: two-door coupé
Rivals: Lancia Delta Integrale, Mitsubishi Evo Tommi Makinen, Toyota Celica GT4
Combined economy: 28.5mpg
Top speed: 143mph
0-60mph: 5.9 seconds
Power: 223hp at 5,900rpm
Torque: 228Nm at 1,950rpm

In the Metal: 5 5 5 5 5

Few automotive shapes evoke their era so perfectly, the blister arched Quattro echoing the wide-shouldered, slim-hipped look that defined the 1980s. For all that decade's excess the Quattro's look has aged well, thanks to its fine proportions, neat details and lack of unnecessary adornment. There's nothing superfluous, the Quattro's entire existence being that of necessity (allowing Audi to take it rallying) that simplicity and focus of purpose making sure that even at nearly 30 years old the Quattro still looks fabulous today.

The interior betrays the Quattro's vintage more than the exterior. There's nothing wrong with the seats or the accommodation, while the slim pillared body means you get a view out unlike anything you'll drive today. It's the instruments that age it - in this late '89/'90 20V 'RR' model the dials are made up of an orange digital display that sit atop the dash in a rectangular housing. The dash design is a reminder of how interiors used to be, with obvious delineation between different clusters of controls, the centre console controls compartmentalised away from those immediately required for driving. It's all refreshingly simple, with every button's purpose obvious and easy to locate, which is something that's rarely true in modern cars.

Driving it: 4 4 4 4 4

The Quattro's 223hp might have been sizable back in the '80s, but it's now barely enough to join the ranks of hot hatches. They'd likely show the Quattro their tailpipes too, though not quite as quickly as you might anticipate. Despite its age the Quattro still feels quick, if not ferociously so, but it's still got the capacity to surprise. Officially it'll reach 60mph in 5.9 seconds from rest, which might be a touch optimistic, but even if you add a second or so to that it's not slow today, the brick-like front and laws of aerodynamics meaning its top speed is pegged at 143mph.

Given its age, the performance feels very contemporary indeed, the 2.2-litre turbocharged unit surprisingly free of lag, its mid-range muscle genuinely impressive. As an overtaking machine, on country roads the Quattro is still a hugely capable machine, its best work done before 5,000rpm arrives with an orange glow on that digital rev-counter. The driving position isn't perfect, with pedals seriously offset from the steering wheel, but the precision, weighting and feel on offer are other-worldly compared to contemporary cars. You feel a far greater role in the driving process too, an essential cog rather than the weak link in the set up, yet for all the Quattro's old-school charm, feel and interaction its performance and capability fall into the camp of the contemporary.

That makes it a genuinely useable modern classic. You could easily use a Quattro as your daily driver, though as ages increase and numbers get scarcer the best are increasingly being squirreled away in garages for occasional use. Push it hard and the Quattro's legendary engine position makes itself felt with mild understeer, but the steering is so clear in delivering messages about grip, and the rear easily moved by throttle applications that it's never really an issue. At legal speeds the Quattro feels largely neutral, while its ride comfort is excellent as well. The brakes too, with a switchable anti-lock system, feel up to the task of reining in your enthusiasm should you come over all Blomqvist on a favourite stretch of road.

What you get for your Money: 3 3 3 3 3

Back in the '80s the Quattro was at the richer end of the price spectrum, and while it's possible to buy one today for around £5,000, anticipate spending at least double that for a good one and double (or even triple) again for the best. That's still less than you might pay for an ordinary hatchback, and the Quattro's anything but ordinary.

Worth Noting

The Quattro was produced for 11 years between 1980 and 1991, Audi selling 11,452 of them. The earliest cars are left-hand drive only. A number of technical changes including a jump in capacity from the early 2.1- to 2.2 litres, a different head and engine management systems mean the Quattro is referred to as WR, MB and RR, the later RR being the 20V model driven here, the MB adding an increase in capacity over the WR (but retaining the 10V head) and adding a Torsen centre differential. The 20V cars had Bosh Motronic control and catalytic converters for emissions, their output being 223hp. The MB and RR variants are the most sought-after models, many of the best left-hand drive cars having been bought up and repatriated to Germany.

Summary

The Quattro was a landmark car that Audi has arguably never surpassed, using genuinely revolutionary engineering to allow it a glorious role in world rallying. That the road car remains so rapid, useable and enjoyable today only underlines how far ahead of the game it must have felt when it was originally introduced. An icon, and rightfully so.


Kyle Fortune - 20 Dec 2013



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1990 Audi Quattro 20v. Image by Matt Vosper.1990 Audi Quattro 20v. Image by Matt Vosper.1990 Audi Quattro 20v. Image by Matt Vosper.1990 Audi Quattro 20v. Image by Matt Vosper.1990 Audi Quattro 20v. Image by Matt Vosper.

1990 Audi Quattro 20v. Image by Matt Vosper.1990 Audi Quattro 20v. Image by Matt Vosper.1990 Audi Quattro 20v. Image by Matt Vosper.1990 Audi Quattro 20v. Image by Matt Vosper.1990 Audi Quattro 20v. Image by Matt Vosper.



1990 Audi Quattro 20v. Image by Matt Vosper.
 

1990 Audi Quattro 20v. Image by Matt Vosper.
 

1990 Audi Quattro 20v. Image by Matt Vosper.
 

1990 Audi Quattro 20v. Image by Matt Vosper.
 

1990 Audi Quattro 20v. Image by Matt Vosper.
 

1990 Audi Quattro 20v. Image by Matt Vosper.
 

1990 Audi Quattro 20v. Image by Matt Vosper.
 

1990 Audi Quattro 20v. Image by Matt Vosper.
 

 






 

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