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11/02/20
Technology

Facts and Figures: 40 Years of Audi quattro

40 years, 40 figures, 40 images: fascinating facts and tales about Audi’s quattro technology

40 years of Audi quattro

The track record

  • Almost 11 million Audi cars with quattro drive systems produced since 1980
  • Track record up to September 30, 2020: 499,379 Audi quattro produced worldwide
  • quattro technology installed as standard in every S and RS model; currently 32 such models on the market in Germany

The mechanical quattro technologies

A wide-ranging array of technologies:

  • quattro permanent all-wheel drive and quattro with ultra technology for models with longitudinal front-mounted engines, plus sport differential for many top models
  • quattro with different versions of the multi-plate clutch for models with transverse engines and the R8 sports car

Electric all-wheel drive and electric torque vectoring

  • Electric all-wheel drive in the Audi e-tron and e-tron Sportback provided by two separately controlled electric motors
  • Audi e-tron S and e-tron S Sportback have thee electric motors, each with two electric motors on the rear axle for electric torque vectoring

The technical milestones

1980 to 1999

  • Original quattro in 1980 and Sport quattro in 1984 with manually locking center differential
  • 1986: First self-locking center differential
  • 1999: TT and A3 with electronically controlled hydraulic multi-plate clutch

2000 to 2020

  • 2005: First self-locking center differential with asymmetric, dynamic power distribution (40:60)
  • 2007: Audi R8 with viscous multi-plate clutch
  • 2008: Sport differential for the rear axle
  • 2016: quattro with ultra technology
  • 2019/2020: Audi e-tron with electric all-wheel drive and Audi e-tron S with electric torque vectoring

quattro in motorsports

1980s

  • Four titles in the World Rally Championship from 1982 to 1984; three victories in the Pikes Peak hill climb from 1985 to 1987; then major success in the Trans-Am and IMSA GTO series in the USA

1990s

  • Drivers’ championships in the DTM in 1990 and 1991; seven titles in the Super Touring category in a single season in 1996

2010s

  • Three Le Mans victories and four WEC titles for the Audi R18 e-tron quattro


All terms in blue in the text are explained in detail in the technology lexicon at www.audi-mediacenter.com/en/technology-lexicon.

© 2023 by AUDI AG. All rights reserved.

The indicated consumption and emissions values were determined according to the legally specified measuring methods. The WLTP test cycle completely replaced the NEDC on January 1, 2022, which means that no NEDC figures are available for vehicles with new type approvals from after this date.

The figures do not refer to a single, specific vehicle and are not part of the offering but are instead provided solely to allow comparisons of the different vehicle types. Additional equipment and accessories (add-on parts, different tire formats, etc.) may change relevant vehicle parameters, such as weight, rolling resistance and aerodynamics, and, in conjunction with weather and traffic conditions and individual driving style, may affect fuel consumption, electrical power consumption, CO2 emissions and the performance figures for the vehicle.

Due to the more realistic test conditions, the consumption and CO2 emission values measured are in many cases higher than the values measured according to the NEDC. This may result in corresponding changes in vehicle taxation since September 1, 2018. Additional information about the differences between WLTP and NEDC is available at www.audi.de/wltp

Further information on official fuel consumption figures and the official specific CO2 emissions of new passenger cars can be found in the “Guide on the fuel economy, CO2 emissions and power consumption of all new passenger car models”, which is available free of charge at all sales dealerships and from DAT Deutsche Automobil Treuhand GmbH, Hellmuth-Hirth-Str. 1, 73760 Ostfildern, Germany (www.dat.de).

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