Quattro
Unveiled at the Geneva Motor Show in March 1980, the Audi Quattro was a sports coupé based on the Audi Coupé B2 and equipped with permanent all-wheel drive. Its turbocharged, intercooled five-cylinder gasoline engine produced 200 hp, an impressive figure for the period. Audi set the model apart with flared wheel arches, bulkier bumpers, distinctive side sills, and a larger rear spoiler. The car also served as a showcase for quattro technology, which Audi later introduced across a much wider range of vehicles. Production of the original Quattro continued until 1991, with Audi reporting 11,452 cars built. For the 1980 model year, the ScanRacer catalogue lists one configuration: the Base version.
Variants by year
1980
Model summary
Data from the ScanRacer library, organized to compare versions quickly.
Model introduction
Unveiled at the Geneva Motor Show in March 1980, the Audi Quattro was a sports coupé based on the Audi Coupé B2 and equipped with permanent all-wheel drive. Its turbocharged, intercooled five-cylinder gasoline engine produced 200 hp, an impressive figure for the period. Audi set the model apart with flared wheel arches, bulkier bumpers, distinctive side sills, and a larger rear spoiler. The car also served as a showcase for quattro technology, which Audi later introduced across a much wider range of vehicles. Production of the original Quattro continued until 1991, with Audi reporting 11,452 cars built. For the 1980 model year, the ScanRacer catalogue lists one configuration: the Base version.
History
The Quattro story began with Audi’s testing of the Volkswagen Iltis, an all-wheel-drive military vehicle, during the winter of 1976. Engineers observed that the Iltis maintained better traction on snow and ice than front-wheel-drive cars. That finding encouraged Audi to develop a lightweight all-wheel-drive system suitable for a production automobile. The project eventually became a sports coupé based on the Audi Coupé B2. Audi revealed the car to the public on March 3, 1980, at the Geneva Motor Show. The Quattro combined a turbocharged five-cylinder engine, permanent all-wheel drive, and a heavily revised coupé body. Its launch coincided with Audi’s move into international rallying. After appearing as a timed but unclassified course car at Portugal’s Algarve Rally in November 1980, the Quattro won the Jänner Rally in Austria in January 1981. Audi went on to secure the World Rally Championship manufacturers’ title in 1982, followed by the drivers’ and manufacturers’ championships in 1984. Production of the road-going model ended in 1991.
Generations
The 1980 Quattro belongs to Audi’s B2 family, also identified as Typ 85 in Audi documentation. It is not a separate generation in the modern sense of a completely new platform replacing an earlier one; rather, it is the first production form of the Quattro lineage. Its body was derived from the Audi Coupé B2, which was related to the Audi 80, while the drivetrain and chassis were adapted for a performance-oriented all-wheel-drive car. Within the original model’s production run, the main changes concerned exterior details, engine management, equipment, and the center differential. Audi states that a self-locking Torsen center differential replaced the first manually lockable system in 1986. Later examples of the original Quattro should therefore not be treated as identical to the 1980 model year. The Sport Quattro, introduced to meet rally homologation requirements, was a far more specialized derivative rather than a simple Base trim. In the ScanRacer context supplied here, only the 1980 model year is represented.
Key differences
The Quattro differs from a regular Audi Coupé B2 first through its permanent all-wheel-drive system and turbocharged, intercooled five-cylinder engine. Its body received flared wheel arches, larger bumpers, dedicated side sills, and a more substantial rear spoiler. These features were not merely cosmetic add-ons: they accompanied a different mechanical layout and created the model’s distinctive appearance. The vehicle name should also be separated from the technology name. In Audi usage, “quattro” identifies the all-wheel-drive system, while Audi Quattro refers here to the sports coupé launched in 1980. Rally cars, the A1 and A2 evolutions, and the Sport Quattro were developed for competition or homologation purposes and should not automatically be identified as the 1980 road-going Base version.
Photo recognition
To identify a 1980 Quattro, begin with the B2 coupé shape and look for the model-specific bodywork: clearly flared wheel arches, dedicated side sills, larger bumpers, and a prominent rear spoiler. A quattro badge alone is not sufficient, because Audi later used the name on many other all-wheel-drive models. The drivetrain provides another important clue. The original model uses a longitudinally mounted five-cylinder gasoline engine with a turbocharger and intercooler. Rally cars may have much wider bodywork, additional aerodynamic parts, or competition graphics, but they should not be confused with a standard road car. Reliable identification also requires checking the model year, mechanical specifications, and vehicle documentation, since modifications and restorations can combine parts from several production periods.
Important versions
The key version for the 1980 model year is the launch road car, combining a 200-hp turbocharged five-cylinder engine, permanent all-wheel drive, and the Quattro coupé’s distinctive bodywork. The A1 and A2 competition evolutions later developed the car’s potential in the World Rally Championship. The Sport Quattro, introduced in 1984, was a much rarer homologation derivative with bodywork and engineering adapted to Group B regulations. These competition-focused cars are historically connected to the Quattro, but they should not be merged with the 1980 road-going Base version without documentary evidence.
References
- Audi quattro: From the Ur-quattro to the e-tron SAudi
- Audi quattro (B2), model year 1980Audi MediaCenter
- 40 years, 40 figures, 40 images: Audi quattro technologyAudi
- https://www.audi.com/en/innovation/product-innovation/quattro/audi.com
- https://www.audiworld.com/articles/vorsprung-durch-technik-25-years-of-audi-quattro/audiworld.com
- https://www.audi.com/en/press-releases/40-years-40-figures-40-images-fascinating-facts-and-tales-about-audis-quattro-technology-13285/downloadaudi.com
- https://www.hemmings.com/stories/1982-86-audi-quattro/hemmings.com
Technical specifications
Structured data available for versions linked to this model.
| Version | Power | Torque | Top speed | Drivetrain | Fuel |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Base | 147 KW @ 5900 RPM200 HP @ 5900 RPM197 BHP @ 5900 RPM | 199 lb-ft @ 3000 RPM270 Nm @ 3000 RPM | 138 mph (222 km/h) | All Wheel Drive / 5-Speed manual | Gasoline |
Frequently asked questions
- What years was the Audi Quattro produced?
- ScanRacer's referenced versions cover 1980.
- How many Audi Quattro examples are documented on ScanRacer?
- 1 published scan from 1 member, with the latest photo added in June 2026.
- What is the power output of the Audi Quattro?
- The sourced technical data lists 147 KW @ 5900 RPM200 HP @ 5900 RPM197 BHP @ 5900 RPM.