How The Audi Quattro Became The Most Iconic Rally Car Of All Time

The Audi Quattro was the first four-wheel-drive rally car and had an undisputed advantage over other rally teams for years, per Snap Lab. In 1981, its year of debut, Audi won the rallies of Sweden and the U.K. with Hannu Mikkola behind the wheel. The car had a 2,144 cc inline 5-cylinder engine fitted with a turbocharger and an intercooler. With 200 horsepower, it could hit 0 to 62 mph in 7.1 seconds and had top speeds of more than 136 mph.

That same year Audi took the podium in Finland, but the Quattro was only getting started. A year later, in 1982, it won seven rallies and became the world champion with improvements that raised horsepower to 350. In 1983, the new A2 version joined the tracks, and with the A1 version, the brand took five WRC races. Hannu Mikkola became the world champion that year. 1984 followed and turned out to be the most successful year for Audi. Stig Blomqvist was crowned as the new world champion, and Audi also took second place. Its cars — the Audi Quattro A2 and the Audi Sport Quattro S1 — were the two best in the world. The second version of the Audi Sport Quattro followed with an intimidating 500 bhp.

The Quattro S2 also had an aggressive aerodynamic look with wings and spoilers in the front and rear of the car. It hit 0 to 62 mph in just 3.1 seconds. In 1987, Group B rally cars were banned and replaced by Group A cars, but no one could shake off the heritage of the Quattro: 23 WRC victories, two manufacturers, and two driver titles.