Audi Sport: the past, present and future
We reflect on Audi Sport's achievements and how it's continuously innovated to secure victory on and off the track
Our look back at Audi Sport’s legacy has unearthed some true gems, reminded us of some forgotten heroes, and shed new light on some of the key performance and motorsport cars of the past four decades. From the moment the unmistakable warble of the 10v engine signalled the birth of the quattro, we’ve been thrilled by a series of cars that not only defined the era they were born into, but even created all-new market segments.
It’s difficult to imagine just how exciting the launch of the original quattro was back in 1980, and it must have been impossible for those present at the time to recognise just how transformative it would go on to become. A true trailblazer, its record of achievement in the World Rally Championship speaks for itself.
Not only was the car different, so was Audi’s approach to the sport: it brought a new level of professionalism, and in Michele Mouton, gave an opportunity to a female driver in a male-dominated sport who would richly reward Audi by so nearly taking the 1982 drivers’ championship. When the competition heated up, Audi responded with ever more outlandish rally cars that stuck to the spirit of road car-based competition but embraced new technology in terms of horsepower, aerodynamics and transmissions. The S-Tronic gearbox, so ubiquitous today, was forged in the fire of Group B rally competition.
Nevertheless, Audi Sport weren’t satisfied. Having accomplished all its objectives in rallying, and put quattro on the map, it then looked to build further, showcasing its own technology and four-wheel drive in areas where it was least expected: the IMSA tracks of America, and the rough and tumble of the German Touring Car Championship (DTM). In both cases, a car with four-wheel drive was unexpected - certainly one that achieved race wins - as was a large V8 against the four-cylinder opposition in the DTM… Towards the end of the decade it achieved the same domination in Class 2 Touring Cars, particularly in the BTCC, where the quattro A4 steamrollered the opposition in 1996.
The road car product matured quickly, too. The original quattro was significantly updated, and then in 1984 came the ultimate homologation special: the Sport Quattro. With its 306bhp, four-wheel drive, and lightweight, shorter body, it was quite possibly the very quickest point-to-point car on sale in the world at the time.
Into the 90s, and Audi could no longer rely on the original quattro - it had done its job, but like the competition cars, it was time to try something new, and to expand the reach of the cars. The car that really achieved this was the RS2, which shocked the automotive world by creating a new niche of car: the super-estate. With its supercar-rivalling performance, mixed with genuine practicality, Audi Sport created a legend, and one with a direct lineage to this day. From that first car, Audi’s fast estates have blossomed, with RS4 and RS6 models dominating the marketplace.
One great example is the 2006 B7 RS4, a landmark in itself as it marked the first time the compact performance estate from Audi was entirely developed in-house. Its stunning, high-revving V8, connected to a slick six-speed manual transmission, and sublime mix of ride and handling, makes it as appealing today as it was in-period. That unique recipe continues today in the latest B9 RS4, offering 444bhp and quattro in a practical body with the style and performance of a sports car; it’s a true multi-role vehicle.
In the new millennium, Audi Sport’s ambitions on the track turned to sports car racing, and in particular Le Mans. Once again, it would go on to achieve complete domination, in doing so furthering the advancement of technologies such as direct fuel injection, diesel engines, lightweight materials and laser headlights. It was an era when motor racing truly did improve the breed in terms of road cars. And what road cars they were: ground-breaking vehicles like the A2 and A8, at two ends of the spectrum in the car market, but both lighter thanks to the use of aluminium structures. The TT, a compact coupe that inspired an entire market segment, and of course, the R8 supercar, a logical development given Audi’s mastery of Le Mans. The R8 merged supercar looks and performance with usability like no car before it, and eventually Audi would even offer a pure rear-wheel drive variant alongside its beloved quattro models.
As the motoring landscape changed, Audi has once again been at the forefront of technology. It had raced with diesel power at Le Mans, and then with the diesel-hybrid R18 quattro E-Tron, so it was a logical step to enter Formula E, the FIA’s pure EV monoposto championship. With numerous race wins between 2014 and 2021, the brand was also the 2016-2017 champion with Lucas Di Grassi at the wheel. Following that success, Audi entered the sport of rally raids, striving for a win in the Dakar Rally with its RS Q E-Tron. The first victory came in 2022 on the Abu Dhabi event, before Carlos Sainz (snr) took victory on the 2024 Dakar Rally itself.
As we stand at a unique point in the history of the motor car - a crossroads in how our vehicles receive their required energy - Audi has embraced electric power not just for everyday transportation, but for the driving enthusiast, too. If the past shows anything, it’s that Audi Sport creates winners, both on and off the track.
