The five-cylinder engines from Audi have achieved cult status – partly due to their successful deployment in motorsport and also on account of their reliability and economy. They have played a vital role in defining Vorsprung durch Technik and to this day provide an emotional driving experience with their characteristic sound.
1976: first five-cylinder gasoline engine in the automotive industry:
In August 1976, Audi introduces the second-generation Audi 100 (C2) in Luxembourg. For the first time, power is provided by a five-cylinder gasoline engine in a model from the brand with the four rings. The fuel-injected engine with a displacement of 2,144 cc develops 110 kW (136 hp) at 5,700 revolutions per minute. The maximum torque of 185 newton meters (136.45 lb-ft) is available at 4,200 rpm. The market launch of the Audi 100 (C2) follows in March 1977. From September 1979, the five-cylinder engine is also available in the Audi 200; from August 1982, it is fitted in the successor to the C2, the Audi 100 C3.
The first five-cylinder gasoline engine powered the Audi 100 (C2) in 1976. The model, known internally as Type 43, was to be positioned higher than its predecessor in the market. The four-cylinder engines at the time were not suitable for this plan according to the developers. At the beginning of the 1970s, Audi engineers consequently discussed the possibility of introducing five and six-cylinder inline engines. The latter were ruled out due to the installation space required and unfavorable weight distribution. So those responsible opted for the five-cylinder inline engine, based on the new EA 827 engine concept. This four-cylinder inline engine was used throughout the VW Group in the 1970s – in the Audi 80 and Audi 100, for instance. The derived 2.1-liter five-cylinder engine produced 100 kW (136 hp). A modern injection system increased efficiency and power development. Delivery of the Audi 100 5E began in March 1977.
1978: first five-cylinder diesel:
In 1978, Audi presents its first diesel model for the Audi 100 (C2). The five-cylinder naturally aspirated engine with a displacement of two liters develops 51 kW (70 hp) and 123 newton meters (90.72 lb-ft) of torque. It also powers the next-generation C3, propelling both the sedans and the Avant versions. From 1984, there is a turbocharged engine with an output of 64 kW (87 hp) and 172 newton meters (126.86 lb-ft) of torque.
As early as 1978, Audi presented the first diesel version: a naturally aspirated diesel with a displacement of two liters and producing 51 kW (70 hp). One year later, the first turbocharged five-cylinder gasoline engine made its debut – another pioneering feat from Audi. With an output of 125 kW (170 hp) and 265 newton meters (195.45 lb-ft) of torque, it powered the new top model, the Audi 200 5T.
1980: five-cylinder gasoline engine with turbocharger and intercooler:
In 1980 at the Geneva Motor Show, Audi unveils the Audi quattro (B2), known as the “Ur-quattro” from the mid-1990s. It uses the powerplant from the Audi 200 5T (C2), but features an intercooler. As a result, the turbocharged engine achieves a higher output of 147 kW (200 hp) at 5,500 revolutions per minute and 285 newton meters (210.21 lb-ft) of torque at 3,500 rpm. The body of the Audi quattro is based on the Audi Coupe (B2), which in turn is based on the Audi 80. Flared fenders, bulkier bumpers and sills as well as a larger rear spoiler distinguish the Audi quattro from the Coupe.
The five-cylinder gasoline engine in the 1980 Audi “Ur-quattro” had even more to offer. With turbocharging, an intercooler and permanent four-wheel drive, it constituted a powerful technical package for the racetrack and the road. Initially, it delivered 147 kW (200 hp). In 1983, the Finn Hannu Mikkola won the drivers’ title in the World Rally Championship in this car. In the same year, Audi introduced the wide-track Sport quattro, which was 24 centimeters (9.45 inches) shorter. It was powered by a newly developed four-valve five-cylinder unit made of aluminum with an output of 225 kW (306 hp). It made the Sport quattro the most powerful car built to date by a German company for use on public roads. The model formed the basis for a new Group B rally car, with the four-valve powerplant delivering 331 kW (450 hp) from the very start. It was used for the first time in the penultimate race of 1984, the Ivory Coast rally. The other eleven rounds of the season were contested by the Swede Stig Blomqvist in the Group B Audi quattro A2 producing 265 kW (360 hp). In the end, he won the drivers’ title and Audi took the manufacturers’ title.
1987: world record at Pikes Peak with the Audi Sport quattro S1 (E2):
In 1987, Walter Röhrl wins the legendary Pikes Peak Hill Climb (USA) in the Audi Sport quattro S1 (E2), setting a new record. In 10 minutes and 47.85 seconds he conquers the almost 20-kilometer-long (12.43 mi) course with 156 bends and a difference in altitude of 1,439 meters (4721.13 ft). The 2.1-liter five-cylinder engine in the Audi Sport quattro S1 (E2) delivers 440 kW (598 hp) at 8,000 revolutions per minute and produces 590 newton meters (435.16 lb-ft) of torque at 5,500 rpm.
Even after Audi withdrew from rallying in 1986 there were other racing highlights: in 1987, Walter Röhrl won the Pikes Peak Hill Climb (USA) in the Audi Sport quattro S1 (E2). The racing car developed 440 kW (598 hp). And the IMSA GTO excelled on the US touring car scene in 1989, delivering 530 kW (720 hp) – from little more than two liters of displacement.
1989: first five-cylinder turbocharged direct-injection diesel engine in a production car:
Audi presents another milestone in the automotive history in 1989 at the International Motor Show in Frankfurt am Main: the Audi 100 TDI. The first fivecylinder turbocharged diesel with direct injection for a production car produces 88 kW (120 hp) from a displacement of 2.5 liters and delivers 265 newton meters (195.45 lb-ft) of torque to the crankshaft. It is used in the C3 and in the C4 – from 1994 with an output of 103 kW (140 hp) and 290 newton meters (213.89 lb-ft) of torque.
Audi presented another milestone in automotive history at the International Motor Show in Frankfurt am Main in 1989: the Audi 100 TDI. It was the first production car with a five-cylinder direct-injection turbocharged diesel engine and fully electronic control. The powerplant generated 88 kW (120 hp) from a displacement of 2.5 liters. Audi continued to refine its range of five-cylinder gasoline engines. In 1994, the Audi RS 2 with an output of 232 kW (315 hp) came on to the market. As an Avant with the power of a sports car, it established a new automotive class.
1994 saw the five-cylinder units bow out of the B segment, when the Audi A4 (B5) was introduced. They were gradually replaced in the mid-1990s by the new V6 engines. The last five-cylinder engines, the 2.5 TDI in the Audi A6 and the 2.3 Turbo in the Audi S6, were phased out in 1997.
2009: 2.5 TFSI with gasoline direct injection, turbocharger and intercooler:
30 years after the first five-cylinder turbocharged gasoline engine was presented, Audi once again introduces a model with a five-cylinder gasoline engine and turbocharger at the Geneva Motor Show: the TT RS. The powerplant delivers 250 kW (340 hp) at 6,500 revolutions per minute from 2,480 cc and 450 newton meters (331.90 lb-ft) at 5,300 rpm. From 2011, this engine is also used in the RS 3 Sportback and from 2014 in the updated RS Q3. In the 2012 TT RS plus, the engine produces 265 kW (360 hp) at 6,700 revolutions per minute and develops 465 newton meters (342.97 lb-ft) of torque at 5,400 rpm.
Then in 2009 there was a big comeback – with turbocharging and gasoline direct injection in the Audi TT RS. The transverse-mounted engine developed by quattro GmbH produced 250 kW (340 hp) from a displacement of 2.5 liters. It also offered outstanding performance in the RS 3 Sportback and in the RS Q3. The TT RS plus, which Audi presented in 2012, mustered up an impressive 265 kW (360 hp). Today, the 2.5 TFSI in the Audi TT RS produces 294 kW (400 hp). An international jury of motoring journalists has voted the five-cylinder powerplant “Engine of the Year” seven times in a row since 2010.
Those who would like to see the first Audi with a five-cylinder engine can currently do so at the Audi Forum in Neckarsulm. The classic car exhibition entitled “From zero to 100” features numerous exhibits, which Audi uses to look back at the eventful history of its successful model. One of the first five-cylinder TDI units from a 1989 Audi 100 is also on display. The exhibition runs until November 6, 2016.
1983: five-cylinder gasoline engine with four-valve technology, turbocharger and intercooler:
In September 1983, Audi presents the Audi Sport quattro (B2) at the International Motor Show in Frankfurt am Main. It is powered by a 2.1-liter highperformance engine with four-valve technology that produces 225 kW (306 hp) at 6,700 revolutions per minute. The maximum torque of 350 newton meters (258.15 lb-ft) is available at 3,700 rpm. Delivery commences in May 1984. The Audi Sport quattro (B2) is a special series limited to 214 vehicles, produced to meet homologation requirements for rallying. The rules stipulate that displacement must be limited to a maximum of 2,133 cc.
1994: first five-cylinder RS engine:
In 1994, the most powerful five-cylinder production engine built by Audi to date goes into action in the Audi Avant RS 2 (B4). With turbocharging, fuel injection and standard-fit emissions control, it produces 232 kW (315 hp) at 6,500 revolutions per minute from a displacement of 2,226 cc and delivers 410 newton meters (302.40 lb-ft) of torque at 3,000 rpm.