The best modern Audis ever made

From the tail-end of 1964 to Christmas 2004 were Audi’s glory days.

The emergence of an unpromising relaunch that became a byword for German technical breakthroughs, stringent quality, safety-backed show and design elegance.

Arguably the German marque represents the epitome of the internal-combustion motor epoch. Audi’s back-catalogue bulges with brilliance but we deliberation these are the prime of its greatest-ever 40 years:

Audi Super 90 (1966)

After ownership of Auto Union switched from Mercedes-Benz to Volkswagen successful 1964, the days of the smoky aged DKW scope were numbered. The front-wheel thrust DKW F102 exemplary was redesigned with four-stroke (instead of two-stroke) engines and a dilatory haul upmarket began with a rebrand arsenic Audi – a sanction past spot connected a car successful 1939. The Super 90 was the champion of the F103 series, with a 1.8-litre twin-choke carb motor giving 89bhp truthful that it could deed  100mph.

Audi 100 (1968)

The archetypal all-Audi Audi successful 1968, carrying implicit immoderate of the aged drivetrain (with caller strut beforehand suspension), but successful a handsome caller enforcement saloon body. The roomy and comfy compartment and the exacting physique prime were impressive, and Audi began to prime disconnected buyers who mightiness different person chosen a Rover 2000 oregon Citroen DS. Fuel-injection for the largest 1.9-litre motor arrived successful 1975.

Audi 100 Coupé S (1969)

Media verdicts astatine the clip that this four-seater fastback had thing of the baby-Aston Martin to it indispensable person been euphony to Audi’s ears. Under the bonnet was a 115bhp, fuel-injected engine, portion vented disc brakes hid down wider wheels. This bully looker with a spacious cockpit would besides stay rather rare, with conscionable implicit 30,000 examples sold successful 7 years.

Audi 50 (1974)

The small 50 of 1974 tin rightly assertion to beryllium the archetypal ‘premium’ supermini with transverse-mounted four-cylinder 1.1- oregon 1.3-litre engines, front-wheel drive, hatchback, folding rear spot and Audi allure. Volkswagen’s mentation of the precise aforesaid car, the Polo, followed its motorboat by lone a fewer weeks, and by ’78 the tiny Audi 50 was softly discontinued.

Audi 80 GTE (1975)

The Audi 80 received a large reception arsenic a high-quality tiny saloon successful 1972, bringing it the accolade of European Car Of The Year erstwhile it was highly praised by judges for its quality, roadholding, comfortableness and safety. Exciting, though, it was not… until a 1.6-litre motor with Bosch K-Jetronic substance injection was installed for the vivid, 110bhp GTE lad racer of 1975. This aforesaid motor recovered different large location successful the archetypal Volkswagen Golf GTi.

Audi 100 Avant (1976)

Audi modified its recently-unveiled flagship saloon exemplary with a fastback tailgate arsenic a semi-estate to spell head-to-head with large European sellers similar the Renault 20, Rover 2300/2600 and non-hatchback Citroen CX. Like its 100 saloon counterpart, the biggest powerfulness portion was unsocial astatine the time: a five-cylinder that came successful 2.2-litre petrol oregon 2.0 diesel versions. Refinement was ever a beardown suit.

Audi 200 Turbo (1979)

A somewhat forgotten car these days, present is Audi’s archetypal effort astatine a super-saloon, with a turbocharged variation of its inline five-cylinder motor that could propel it to 139mph and 0-60mph successful 7.5sec. The dressed-up 100 bodywork looked beauteous slick but 170bhp of hair-trigger powerfulness done the beforehand wheels did person its limitations… The Audi 200 was named Audi 5000 successful North America.

Audi Quattro (1980)

A genuinely game-changing show car. The Quattro agreed four-wheel thrust with a turbocharged motor for a car whose show and roadholding were arsenic sensational arsenic each other. Once anti-lock brakes were added successful 1981, the Quattro’s winning look was implicit (and its Audi 80 Coupé roots were astir unrecognisable) and the rally victories came heavy and fast.

Audi Pininfarina Quartz (1981)

Pininfarina’s 1981 amusement car is the lone publically revealed collaboration betwixt the German shaper and the Italian plan house. The ground was the then-new Quattro and the pb diagnostic were the headlights, overmuch smaller than mean acknowledgment to their caller elliptical-lenses provided by Carello. It was afloat functional, and aboriginal timed astatine 136mph by Swiss mag Automobil Revue.

Audi 100 (1982)

The car satellite got to recognize what made a ample car genuinely aerodynamic with this awesome saloon. Its co-efficient of resistance (Cd) of 0.30, much wind-cheating than astir supercars, was proudly stated connected its broadside windows successful decals. The caller 100 exemplified the ‘Vorsprung Durch technik’ slogan that appeared successful Audi selling astatine the aforesaid time, and its slippery signifier endowed it with class-leading substance economy.

Audi Sport Quattro (1984)

This short-chassis variant of the Quattro was intended to contention Group B rallying successful 1984, but aft that bid was axed for its dangerously precocious speeds, the Sport recovered a caller relation arsenic a relentless hillclimb machine, storming up Pike’s Peak successful the USA. A tiny fig of roadworthy cars were sold for homologation with a special, all-alloy 302bhp engine, and contiguous they’re highly collectable.

Audi 80 (1986)

This third-generation of Audi 80, creaseless and sober, occupied an envied spot successful the marketplace betwixt Mercedes’ senior-citizen 190E and BMW’s youthful 3 Series, and was hugely palmy arsenic a result. The closely-related 90 spin-off catered for show drivers with five-cylinder engines and turbochargers, and some models could beryllium had with four-wheel drive.

Audi 200 Avant (1989)

For a ample property car, this was arsenic astir awesome arsenic you could get successful the precocious 1980s, successful terms arsenic overmuch arsenic successful tech. The eventual incarnation mixed the sleek five-door assemblage with a 200bhp turbo five-cylinder driving each 4 wheels via the quattro system. A super-plush interior and play must-haves similar an in-car CD subordinate completed the desirable package.

Audi Cabriolet (1991)

The method fireworks present were reserved for the electrically-operated roof, which folded distant beautifully to permission an elegantly gorgeous-looking illustration perfect for posing. Launched successful 1991 with a humble 133bhp, the four-seater Cabriolet received a immense representation boost erstwhile Diana, Princess of Wales acquired 1 successful 1994, and for a fewer abbreviated months it became 1 of the astir photographed cars connected the planet.

Audi V8 (1991)

Here was Audi’s archetypal stab astatine an eventual saloon to instrumentality its conflict to Mercedes-Benz and Jaguar. The bosom of the 1991 car was an aluminium V8 powerplant, Audi’s first, with a 3.6-litre capableness initially and 4.2 later, and it was besides the marque’s archetypal car to hitch an automatic transmission to the modular quattro 4x4 system. The usage of a modified 100 bodyshell didn’t impress, adjacent though determination was a stretch-limo mentation called the Lang.

Audi RS2 (1994)

Porsche some co-developed and assembled this cult car for its relative Audi, which astatine the clip was looking for a show fillip to its image. It was based connected the 80 Avant but equipped with a 311bhp five-cylinder turbo engine, six-speed manual gearbox, four-wheel thrust and Porsche’s ain braking and suspension systems. It was shatteringly quick, with 0-62mph successful 4.8sec, and with 2200 built ever sought-after.

Audi A8 (1994)

Audi’s 2nd effort astatine a luxury saloon successful 1994 was an awesome machine, carrying implicit the V8 engines and adjacent adding a W12 successful a shortlived, late-life über-limo. The car’s immense ocular heft was illusory due to the fact that underneath was a ground-breaking and lightweight, all-aluminium monocoque called the Audi Space Frame. Massive depreciation came aboriginal to supply an atrocious batch of secondhand car for the money…

Audi A3 (1996)

Without question 1 of the champion compact cars of the 1990s, and a hugely important measurement for Audi arsenic it introduced a Golf-sized three- and five-door hatchback to its line-up for the archetypal time. It conscionable couldn’t physique them accelerated capable and the A3 and the accelerated S3 mentation won astir cosmopolitan praise successful each respect – we astatine Autocar rated it the very champion car successful its class.

Audi TT (1998)

There was nary uncertainty the archetypal 1998 TT was a speedy car acknowledgment to its 1.8-litre 180bhp turbo motor giving 0-60 acceleration successful 6.1sec. Yet this 1998 two-plus 2 provided a batch to respect conscionable lasting inactive with its smooth, Bauhaus-inspired retro-futurism and slinky debased roofline. There was thing other rather similar it, contempt the information that it was mostly an A3 inside. Later models included a precise appealing two-seater unfastened roadster.

Audi Steppenwolf (2000)

Audi’s 1990s conception cars made tantalising show pieces, but this is astir apt the astir important and prescient 1 of the era, a compact crossover that heralded the starring plan inclination of the 20th century. It had 3 doors, a removeable carbonfibre hardtop, and a 3.2-litre V6 engine, and though you could ne'er really bargain 1 its power did yet provender into the accumulation Q3. Still looks large today…

Audi A2 (1999)

Audi returned to the metropolis car successful 1999 with the A2, a clever instrumentality connected thrift with its all-aluminium construction, superb aerodynamic ratio and constrictive tyres. The three-cylinder diesel exemplary could instrumentality an unthinkable 90mpg-plus, and the car came without an opening bonnet, conscionable a work hatch for fluids and dipstick. Fascinating, clever, but expensive for its size.

Audi Allroad Quattro (2000)

This was Audi’s semi-off-roader introduced successful 2000, equipped with an aerial suspension strategy to rise oregon little its thrust tallness depending connected the terrain, and a low-range mode successful the four-wheel thrust system. A beefed-up floorpan, bigger wheels and robust integrative cladding were each added to the A6 Avant structure. It had each the 4x4 quality that astir buyers would ever need.

Audi RS 6 (2002)

This hot-rod packed a twin-turbo 4.2-litre V8 successful an A6 package, and made its debut successful 2002 arsenic either a saloon oregon Avant estate. Cosworth lent an experienced manus to Audi’s quattro GmbH to technologist this continent-shrinker. Drawing connected its 444bhp and 428lb ft of torque, it was ultra-rapid and precise flexible, though the lone enactment was a five-speed ZF Tiptronic auto.

Audi Le Mans Quattro (2003)

It seemed excessively bully to beryllium existent but wrong 3 years of this 2003 mid-engined amusement car being revealed it was going connected merchantability and Audi was successful the supercar concern with the sensational R8. Albeit with immoderate assistance from glamorous subsidiary Lamborghini, which supplied the moving cogwheel from its Gallardo, and yet adjacent its V10 motor arsenic an alternate to Audi’s ain V8.

Audi Q7 V12 (2004)

Appalling oregon magnificent, depending connected your view; Audi’s immense SUV was readied for buyers by 2004 and rapidly became a large and profitable seller, twinned with the Porsche Cayenne. Still, 7 seats made it astir apt the astir commodious Audi ever, and this archetypal mentation deed a caller engineering highest with the offering of the world’s lone accumulation V12 diesel engine… though astir came with V6 oregon V8 power. A big, precise big, deed successful the USA.