The pioneer of four-wheel drive technology, quattro® has been setting the standard since 1980. From the rally track to the open road, from winding lanes to rain soaked motorways, the history of quattro is a story of unparalleled achievement.
1980: The Audi Quattro premieres at the Geneva Motor Show. For the first time, a passenger car is available with permanent all-wheel drive.
1981: Audi wins three World Rally Championship rounds straight out of the blocks with the “original quattro”. Michèle Mouton causes a sensation at the San Remo Rally: She is the first and, to this date, the only woman to win a World Rally Championship round.
1982: Large-scale production starts for the Audi 80 quattro, while on the track Audi wins the manufacturers’ World Rally Championship.
1983: Hannu Mikkola becomes World Rally Champion in an Audi Quattro.
1984: Stig Blomqvist is the new World Rally Champion as Audi wins the manufacturers’ World Rally Championship once more.
1985: Michèle Mouton leaves the opposition trailing to win the Pikes Peak hillclimb in Colorado, USA, in an Audi Sport quattro.
1986: Audi introduces the Torsen differential. As the heart of the quattro driveline, it distributes engine power variably, continuously and permanently.
1987: At least one quattro model is available in each model line. Altogether, more than 20 versions are now available.
1988: The Audi A8, the world’s first large luxury car with permanent all-wheel drive, is introduced.
1989: An Audi Quattro 200 participates in the American Trans-Am Series for the first time. And wins.
1990: Hans-Joachim Stuck captures the German Touring Car Championship first time out.
1991: More than 200,000 Audi vehicles with quattro have now been produced worldwide.
1992: Almost one in every twelve Audi customers is now choosing to drive a car with the quattro system.
1993: The Audi 80 quattro dominates the French Touring Car Championships, winning ten races to clinch the Drivers’ and Constructors’ Championships.
1994: Audi introduces the EDL electronic differential lock. EDL permits individual wheels to brake if they start to spin: together with the system’s variable power distribution it ensures maximum traction.
1995: The Audi A6 2.5 TDI is the first car to combine quattro and TDI®.
1996: Audi quattro models enter the touring car championships in Germany, Italy, Great Britain, Belgium, Spain, Australia and South Africa. And win them all.
1997: quattro permanent all-wheel drive becomes available with the ESP Electronic Stability Programme (ESP). It’s a unique combination.
1998: The electro-hydraulic multi-plate clutch makes its debut in the Audi TT Coupé.
1999: With the launch of the Audi A3 quattro, permanent all-wheel drive is now available across all models in the Audi range.
2000: The Audi allroad quattro is exhibited at the Geneva Motor Show – a no-compromise allrounder with strong road performance and superiority off the road.
2001: One million customers have now chosen quattro, while quattro vehicles represent 30 percent of Audi’s total production.
2002: The Audi A6 quattro is voted four-wheel-drive car of the year by the readers and journalists of “Auto Bild alles allrad.”
2003: quattro continues to lead the way as Audi presents three pioneering studies for the future in Detroit, Geneva and Frankfurt.
2004: Two million vehicles featuring quattro all-wheel drive have now been built.
2005: The Audi RS 4 makes its debut at the 75th Geneva Motor Show. An advanced version of quattro now features asymmetric/dynamic distribution of torque for the first time.
2006: The Audi R8, unveiled at the Paris Motor Show, is based on the Le Mans quattro concept car. It is the zenith of over 70 years of motorsport innovation.
2007: Audi unveils the RS 6. With a 5.0l, V10, 580 PS engine, it’s the most powerful production car ever built. Only with quattro can the RS 6 put this kind of power down onto the road.
2008: Every Audi Q5, launching late 2008, comes with quattro, allowing it to cope with whatever conditions or terrain it finds itself in.
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