Carfection Drives the Iconic Audi Ur Quattro: Video
The performance of Audi’s Ur Quattro isn’t quite on par with modern vehicles, but it’s still a blast.
It’s no exaggeration to say that the Audi Ur Quattro is a legendary vehicle. In the cutthroat world of rally racing, this machine was a monster, and its battles with arch-rival Lancia remain some of the most exciting moments in an always-exciting sport. This year, the revolutionary all-wheel-drive system is celebrating its 40th anniversary, and to mark the milestone, our friends over at Carfection took a 2.2 liter, 20-valve Ur Quattro for a spin.
There’s a little history about the development of Quattro, and how the inspiration came from a VW military vehicle, which is likely familiar territory for fans of the Four Rings. That said, there are lots of interesting observations in the video, including a mention of how you can not only manually lock the rear differential, but you can also turn off the anti-lock brakes. Back in 1987, that might not have sounded like a big deal. But over three decades later? It seems wild.
While the all-wheel drive system is also a tremendous part of the car’s success on the road and on the track, presenter Henry Catchpole also makes sure to mention the importance of the turbocharged straight-five engine.
Even today, to fans of traditional domestic iron, having an odd number of cylinders still sounds, well, a little odd. But as Catchpole points out, adding the extra pot makes for a profoundly smoother motor, and highlights why fuel injection was key to the development of five-cylinder gas engines. He also reveals a bit of trivia about what Quattro was originally supposed to be called, which I’ve teased in one of the images above.
One of the things I love about the cabin of this car, and the cabins of this era, in particular, is how refreshingly simple they are. For everything they add from a convenience and connectively standpoint, I think that the ubiquitous screens of today’s vehicles really do detract from the aesthetics.
Obviously, there’s no large central screen at play here, but there is a digital dash, which I’m a bit torn on. Because while I happen to like the orange hue and cool font, the traditionalist in me would appreciate a set of analog clocks, and honestly, I feel like they’re less likely to fail than a setup like this.
Watch the video below for a fun take on an icon, and if you’ve ever gotten the opportunity to drive one of these babies, hit me up and let me know what you think. Was this a never-meet-your-heroes type situation? Or was it everything you dreamed it would be? I’d love to hear your stories about driving this or other classic Audis!
Photos: YouTube