It was unconventional to say the least. The Quattro Sport had a very short wheelbase, an all aluminum 300 bhp engine, and a body made of aluminum re enforced fiberglass and Kevlar. What really stood out though was the Audi’s self devised system to send the power to all four wheels.
The Quattro changed the way we think about four wheel drives. Before 1980, four wheel drive systems had foundered through high cost, weight and lousy road behavior. Everybody thought that if you bolted a four-wheel drive system onto a performance coupe, it would have ugly handling, transmission whines and an insatiable appetite for fuel.
Audi’s engineers proved that the accepted wisdom was cockeyed and by 1982 they were World Champions.
Four wheel drive cars are now part of most large carmaker’s model ranges and along with developments like air bags and ABS systems, they have played their bit towards safer driving. A maverick such as the Quattro must be labeled as a technical trailblazer.
