Audi Quattro (Gr.4)
Audi had for a longer period wanted to participate in the World Rally Championship, and when FIA approved the use of fourwheeldrive in it’s big division, the group 4, it all started for the rallye Quattro – a stiffened up, tuned and enhanced rallye version of its road-going sibling.
The initial rallye builds of the street Quattro were made by Audi Sport themselves, with strong basis of the mechanical layout as the roadcar including the very same 10V engine configuration, now rated at around 320 hp. Experiences from the Group 2 front-wheel driven 80s led the way for chassis reinforcements.
It was to be showcased in 1980 by Mikkola running 0-car at the Algarve rallye, and later trialed by Franz Wittmann in the 1981 Jänner rallye. Mikkola made 30 min lead over the officially competing cars, and Wittmann finished with a 20 min gap to second place – both really putting a Quattro-sting to the rally scene.
Audi was set to officially introduce the Quattro for the 1981 Monte Carlo 1981, and the Group 4 Quattro had it’s last race in the 1982 RAC, making it the rally Quattro with the longest service of them all at Audi Sport.
Engine: inline 5, cast-iron block, alu-head, 10V, special steel-conrods.
Capacity: 2144 cc by bore 79.5 mm x 86.4 mm stroke
Compression-ratio: 6.3:1
Power: 320 hp / 6500 rpms
Torque: 412 Nm / 3250 rpms
Engines fitted with KKK K27 turbochargers that put out 1.5~1.6 BAR, and featured a Pierburg motorsport injection system, boosting the works engine to around 320 hp and 420 Nm of torque.
Base configuration of that engine much of the same as the road car, but changes seen to ported and polished head, bigger valves, a tubular exhaust manifold, and a rearrangement of alternator and intercooler – meaning the introduction of the works solution to reverse the inlet to allow an induction pipe coming across from the very front behind the grille.
Drive train was a similar ‘016’ 5-speed gearbox, locked center-differential and 75% lockable rear-differential, and Fichtel & Sachs clutch. McPherson struts including Boge rallye dampers. 2524 mm wheelbase and 1465 mm width in front, and 1502 mm at rear. Depending on gearing, topspeed between 173 km/h and 253 km/h. 0 – 100 km/h between 4.9 and 5.2 sec.
Brakes front and rear were the 280 mm, hydraulic handbrake. Fuchs 5-spoked 6″ or 7″ wide wheels for rough roads, or 10″ for asphalt racing – all 15″ diameter and primarily fitted with Kleber tires.
During the 1981 season, noticeable changes would be the wheel arch extensions, the extended “nose” grille, and the introduction of an elevated rear spoiler allowing more room for bigger oil coolers beneath it.
Length/height/width is 4404/1733/1344 mm, weight between 1190 and 1240 kg, FIA rules states minimum 1005 kg. The Group 4 Quattro was succeeded by the Quattro A1.