RACING TO THE ROAD

THE BEGINNINGS OF AUDI’S FAST RS CARS.

- TUHIN GUHA

It may be a coincidence that we decided to jog our memory of Audi’s RS(RennSport) cars just as the Ur-quattro turns 40. But it is quite a pertinent one. The quattro, in its road-going form, wasn’t as quick or as focused as the RS badged cars that followed. But the motorsport-derived technology, and its practical everyday implementation that the original quattro espoused, have gone on to define Audi’s performance sub-brand.

Intended to be limited-run homologation special that qualified Audi to compete in the World Rally Championship, the quattro went on to be a massive success both on and offthe track. This was helped in no part by the car’s dominance in of the famed Group B category in the early 1980s, winning in 1983 and 1984. Three wins and a lap record at Pikes Peak sealed the car’s legacy as one of Audi’s greatest for good.

The namesake AWD system that the quattro pioneered helped it win, but more impactfully, it changed performance cars for good. The hollow shaft that the quattro AWD employed meant that such cars could be much lighter and sit lower to the ground. There was no need for a heavy transfer case or a second prop shaft anymore, to send power to both front and rear differentials. Many other carmakers have developed their versions of this tech since, but they’ve become a defining feature of Audi’s RS models.

Another defining feature of these cars has been their engines. Bespoke units, derived from either motorsport projects or developed entirely from the ground up, are defining RS car traits. The quattro had a part to play to here too. Its 2.5-litre, five-cylinder was the first of its kind ever made and has gone on to become an Audi trademark of sorts.