Audi Sport Quattro S1. The DNA of all-wheel drive

Who. Ferdinand Piech, the CEO of Audi at the time, envisioned the first mass-produced all-wheel-drive vehicle. This innovation needed a stage to showcase its ground-breaking capabilities, and under Roland Gumpert's leadership, the racing department created one of the most revolutionary cars in the early 1980s. This vehicle introduced significant technical advancements to rally racing, marking the dawn of a new era.

The three evolutions of the short-wheelbase Audi Sport Quattro introduced in 1985 to improve the performance of the first A2 version.

When. Aside from the legendary Auto Union Grand Prix cars of the 1930s, Audi Sport's racing department's story began in 1978 with the development of the Quattro A2 for its World Rally Championship debut. The car made its grand debut at the 1981 Monte Carlo Rally after three years in development, transforming an Audi innovation into the legendary “Quattro”. Following World Championship victories in 1983 and 1984, the short-wheelbase evolution, the Audi Sport Quattro S1, was introduced. Its first race was on July 4, 1985, in preparation for the 1986 season, aiming to challenge the dominance of the new Peugeot 205 T16.

The Audi Sport Quattro did not have much luck in the World Championship, winning only at the 1985 Rallye di Sanremo with Walter Röhrl.

Why. The Audi Sport Quattro S1 was engineered to address the Quattro A2's structural shortcomings on winding courses, a result of its overly long wheelbase and poor weight distribution. Developed by the technicians in Ingolstadt to compete in the World Rally Championship's Group B, against rivals like the Peugeot 205 T16 and Lancia Delta S4, the Sport S1 pushed the limits of the permissive regulations to create a true four-wheeled monster.

The evolution of the Audi Sport Quattro also focused on aerodynamics with a specific package to increase downforce.

What. The Sport S1 represents the ultimate evolution of the Quattro model: the most evident modifications made in Ingolstadt to regain competitiveness involved aerodynamics to boost stability on high-speed tracks and improve traction out of corners. The bodywork was modified to increase downforce as speed rose, while the 2110cc turbocharged five-cylinder engine adopted an "anti-lag" system to prevent turbo lag. Leveraging Porsche's insights from the 956 and 962 Group C cars, Audi also trialled a dual-clutch automatic transmission, the PDK (Porsche Doppelkupplungsgetriebe), significantly reducing shift times. The clutch pedal was used only for stationary starts.

Advanced in technology, the Sport Quattro S1 attempted to break the dominance of the Peugeot 205 T16.

Where. In 1985 and 1986, the World Rally Championship was dominated by Peugeot with the 205 T16, leaving little for the competition. Audi's response, the Sport Quattro S1, only managed a solitary victory at the Sanremo Rally. Seeking redemption, Audi took the S1 to the renowned Pikes Peak hill climb in America. From 1985 to 1987, the S1 proved unbeatable, shattering all records with Michèle Mouton, Bobby Unser, and Walter Röhrl, the first driver to complete the climb in under 11 minutes.

Audi succeeded at Pikes Peak with the Audi Sport Quattro S1 from 1985 to 1987.