The history of 4WD is shorter than might be imagined. The Audi Quattro produced in’80 was the second automobile to have 4WD. The first vehicle was the Jensen FF. The Jensen was made in’66, but it was considered less than perfect due to the weight of the transmission.
Prior to’80 cars did not come equipped with four wheel drive. It was felt that only sport utility vehicles that went off road were the only vehicles that needed it. When Audi introduced this equipment into their rally car though, it changed things forever.
Normally four wheel drive makes the vehicle quite heavy. When you have a rally car you want to keep the vehicle lighter, so with this in mind Audi came up with a simple, less weighty version. They incorporated two driveshafts, so that both the front and rear wheels had power. To do this they put in a smaller differential at the gearbox in the front of the car.
The Quattro was turbocharged with 200bhp; this enabled the vehicle to go from 0 to 60 in a mere 7.1 seconds. The speed of the Audi was-7mph, which helped it perform as a rally car. One of the great advantages of the four wheel drive Audi is that it can hug the road. The extra traction proved to be an excellent addition when the pavement is wet from rain or snow. The world was very impressed with the Quattro both on the road and at the rally track.
For the’80 Rally rules changed. It was this modification which allowed the Quattro to enter even with the 4WD. Other car manufacturers were of the impression that the Audi would not do well. These thoughts were based on the heaviness of the 4WD system. The manufacturers were in for a surprise when it was learned what Audi did in order to make the vehicle lighter. The rally car was on the top at world rallies for six years. There were numerous series of the car, ending with the Audi Sport Quattro S1.
The S1 series car was perhaps the most impressive. It had front spoilers making it unlike any other vehicle in appearance. This was added to by the 590 horsepower of the 2.1 litre engine. The engine also had five cylinders. The point of such a design was for the win.
There was little doubt that the noise of the turbo and the vehicle model enlivened the rally scene.
The name Quattro is still used today despite the end of the road car in’91. In German Ur means original, which applies to the Audi Quattro. It is a much esteemed car to own.
The Quattro certainly has serious road presence and looked great on the night rally stages with its bright car lights blazing away. To improve your own vehicle’s night time visibility you can fit Xenon Car Bulbs. There is a wide range of products to choose from including Headlight Bulbs, so you can make every night drive a really exciting one.
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