Slideshow: FWD Coupe Type 81 Becomes Turbo 1,061WHP Monster

The Quattro Revolution

The Audi Quattro was introduced in 1980 as a high-performance two-door coupe that would utilize Audi's "quattro" permanent all-wheel-drive system and put their inline-5 cylinder engine on the map. The Quattro was built to take advantage of the new regulations in World Rally that allowed for the use of four-wheel drive, thus Audi would go on to dominate the rally motorsport scene through the mid-1980's. Their streetcar was equally as potent with its evolving turbocharged & intercooled straight-5 that would provide 200-217 horsepower and 210 ft-lbs of torque in stock form, but could easily be pumped-up for more power. The Audi Quattro was a force to be reckoned with in the 1980's but believe it or not, the car featured here is not a Quattro model at all. Instead, it is the more economical Audi Coupé that was front-wheel drive and lacked all of the performance goodies...

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Crafting The Coupe

While the Type 81 had a similar shape to the hot-rod Quattro model, it lacked the fender flares and turbocharged engine, and was, therefore, less of a performance-oriented car. It still managed to sell 175,000 units over an 8 year period. But having a lowly Type 81 Coupé did not hamper Kai Roger Bakken's plan of having the ultimate track weapon as he had a vision of what the little Coupé would become. Bakken and his KRB Trading team (known as one of the best Audi tuners in all of Norway) would break down the car completely and build it up into an entirely different animal using the knowledge gained from their previous Quattro racer.  

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Breaking It Down

Once the car was disassembled, Kai began by building a custom tube chassis that would not only be lighter than the original, but also provide torsional rigidity and allow for the engine to be placed further back in the car. The Coupés tended to be a bit nose heavy, so Bakken moved the engine a massive 31.5" rearward from its original position to sit behind the front axle. In doing so, a perfect 50/50 weight distribution was achieved.

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Gimme 5!

And about that engine, it is a heavily modified 2.5L 20-valve inline-5 that puts down an astounding 1061 horsepower to all four wheels when tuned to the max! Nothing in this motor has been left untouched as it features a whole slew of KRB components including oversized billet main caps, forged connecting rods, a custom cylinder head with custom camshafts and valves, bespoke intake and exhaust manifolds, and a KRB/Petersen dry-sump lubrication setup. The turbocharger is an oil-less ball bearing Comp CT43-7279 that can be mounted any which way you like because it uses high-temperature grease for lubrication. An Autronic SM4 ECU controls the 2,200cc fuel injectors fitted to the Nuke fuel rail, among other things, to run between 700-850 horsepower and 740 lb-ft of torque on race days.

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Taming The Beast

Development of the drivetrain, suspension, and brake system were all well thought out in order to cope with the massive power on hand. As mentioned, the car has undergone an all-wheel drive conversion thanks to a number of components from Sellholm engineering. A custom Sellholm MPG sequential gearbox with an integrated center differential sends power to upgraded Sellholm front and rear differentials with strengthened axle shafts. The Audi uses Sellholm double adjustable struts on the front-end while a double wishbone system with custom KRB uprights and A-arms tie down the rear. Body roll is controlled by adjustable Sellholm knife anti-roll bars whereas XYZ takes care of the braking with 8-piston front calipers clamping down on 380mm floating rotors while 6-pistons rears pinch on 356mm discs.

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Absolute Airflow

Bakken used the Quattro S1 Pike's Peak car (as driven by the likes of Walter Rohrl) as inspiration for the exterior body of his car. The design came from an S1 replica body kit made of fiberglass, but Bakken and his boys shaped and shifted the aero around to their liking before producing the pieces in lightweight carbon fiber. The super-wide fenders measure 6.5 feet across and house a set of 18x10" Zito ZL789 wheels fitted with Michelin 27/65-18 racing slicks. Cooling was as much of a factor as aerodynamics, which is evident by the huge side pods that channel air directly to the rear-mounted radiators. The rear wing setup seems to constantly undergo changes for the right aero balance. Bakkan has run as many as 6 wing blades at once but found that so much rear downforce actually caused the front wheels to lift off the ground when traveling 150+ mph thus he has dialed it back to 2. 

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Gatebil Gladiator

The interior of the beast is a standard race affair with all unnecessary amenities being tossed aside. A set of Sparco ADV racing seats with Sparco 5-point harnesses secure the driver and any passenger looking to get tossed around the racetrack for the day. A Tilton pedal box, Racepak ICQ3 dash logger, and a Sparco steering wheel are the only other notable items in the cabin aside from the custom transmission tunnel with a lengthy shift lever sticking out of it. Overall, Kai Bakken's KRB Audi looks like an 80's spaceship that rockets around the track at lightning speeds. This car is an absolute riot that draws crowds each time it takes to the track at Gatebil events in Norway. The old sayings of "form follows function" and "speed is king" describe this awesome Audi to a tee.

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