No doubt there have been various publications with the history of the quattro / quattro system by Audi. This looks at it from a competitive slant.
I started to write this back in 1999; I've republished it here "warts and all" unmodified- so any errors remain, with the exception of "the latest version"..... and it's probably going to be "image intensive" so be advised if on a "slow" connection....

No doubt some of you will have read this story, or a version of it, in the national and/ or motoring press: there have also been "attempts" at half baked journalism on the TV, hoping that their Bavarian Car Manufacturing Sponsors will not notice 5 minutes of praise for their products, old or new.....
According to my reference material (listed later), the history of the quattro has two beginnings;- one which claims that the "father" of the system is Walter Treser, who at the time was one of Audi's senior project managers. He was later more known for initially running Audi Sport's operation in the early 80's, at the start of Audi's WRC contention, then moving on to start his own company- TRESER, their most radical product being the quattro Roadster, based on the UR quattro. The other story, however, claims that the "father" is Jörg Bensinger, and primarily, there is a lot more evidence and reference material to back this claim up. But, according to the Audi press release (from Audi UK), Walter Treser is credited for the first prototype, using the Audi 80 and Iltis running gear, back in March 1977. Jörg was responsible, back in the 70's, for giving PR statements to journalists, primarily explaining the pro's and con's of front & rear wheel drive cars. His conclusions set him thinking (personally) about the ramifications and advantages of four wheel drive.
Simple in theory, but in practice.......

A while later, the opportunity presented itself:- the VAG group had been responsible for the development and manufacture of the VW Iltis, and then the DKW Munga- both utilitarian vehicles developed primarily for military purposes. Four wheel drive was not a new idea at this point:- Jensen had been producing the Interceptor FF (Ferguson Formula) since 1966 (!), but these proved expensive and difficult to manufacture- they cost twice the price of an E- Type jaguar at the time, and after 320 examples had been built, production ceased in 1971. Surprisingly, this was 9 years before the release of the quattro to the public in March 1980, but even then is had a crude but effective form of ABS and Traction control..... (And it was British!)
Jörg approached Ferdinand Piech about the possibility of adapting the Iltis system for general road use:- such as in an Audi 100. At the time, he was not initially forthcoming, but a few days later he agreed, but not by utilising an Audi 100 "We must convince the public of the advantages of four wheel drive, and that we can do it at Audi. You know the customers see something technical coming from Mercedes, or Porsche, and they say OK, it must be better!" The first prototype was not "official", and did not have approval. An old Audi 80 saloon was utilised initially, and much secrecy surrounded the project- it didn't even have an internal code for development. Even the suppliers and the board knew nothing about it. Due to the amount and range of vehicles at their disposal, and that Mr. Piech wanted a high performance vehicle, the engineers eventually obliged him.

That first Audi 80 hybrid had the running gear from an Iltis mounted to its chassis- this crude prototype had a "rigid" system- permanent 4 wheel drive, with no centre differential. It was not the ideal situation for a passenger car- especially when turning. There was a possibility, in the early development stage, to adopt a system similar to that of Toyota and Subaru (both manufactured 4 wheel drive utility vehicles), whereby you could engage or disengage the rear drive, but this system was not favoured by the engineers:- why explain the advantages of four wheel drive if it was not permanently engaged? The VAG parts bin was duly raided, and several prototypes were made. How about the engine from the new turbo charged , 5 cylinder, 200 turbo, along with the suspension and transmission from the Audi 100, the basic floorpan and some running gear from the Audi 80 Saloon, and the body from the soon to be released Audi Coupé, which was based on the Audi 80. (And you all thought the UR quattro was a jigsaw puzzle!!) The gearbox was something special- a completely radical and new design approach was needed to do away with the bulky transfer boxes:- a hollow shaft was used to enable power to transmitted to the front and back (via a differential). A modified Iltis rear axle was used, and the front suspension was rotated through 180 degrees, and placed at the rear, minus the steering components. (Some of these were fixed to the body of the car, enabling a wide variety of adjustment to be given for castor and camber, among other things.) Several tests were conducted:- In January 1978, Dr. Schmidt, who was VW's sales director at the time, was given what can possibly be described as the ultimate demonstration. The location was the Turracher Höhe in Austria- Europe's steepest mountain pass, with gradients of upto 23% (1:44). The prototype was fitted with summer tyres, and no snowchains. The result? The car tore up the pass, with no problems. In April 1978, another trial was conducted- this time the venue was the Hockenheim ring, to evaluate its potential in competition form against, say, the average Porsche. The vehicle only had a power output of 160bhp, and the lap times were only marginally slower than those of vehicles with over 240bhp. In May, the go ahead for production was given by VW's head of development, Professor Fiala. Toni Schmucker, chairman of the VW Board, was given 3 vehicles to try on a steep, water logged lawn in the Summer of 1978. One was a front wheel drive Audi 80, the other was a rear wheeled car of another make, and one of the prototypes. Needless to say, he was duly impressed- the A1 prototype being the only vehicle to reach the top- and the project received an official blessing, which led to the quattro getting an official internal project code (EA 262) for further development, including the funds required.

In the summer of 1979, a further test was conducted in the Sahara desert. The A1 prototype was now known as the A2. The test was to evaluate the mechanical components. Unfortunately a fire broke out, which was traced to a burst fuel line, while using a 286bhp competition engine, to test it to the limit. In September 1979, the flying Finn, Hannu Mikkola, test drove the latest Audi prototype. Power had increased in the five cylinder engine, partly due to the charge-air intercooler that was utilised, cooling the air temperatures by upto 50 degrees, and the power had topped 200bhp The date that hit motoring history was March, 1980, and the venue was the Geneva Auto Salon. Very few innovations ever developed for automobile production have had such as significant impact on the public and press alike. The quattro was launched,and Audi had firmly planted its footprint in the pages of automotive history. This was to be the first, mass produced, high performance permanent four wheel drive car. The ramifications of the system were probably not even realised by the engineers and marketing people at Audi. Even less so were those of the competition, as they were not aware of what plans Audi had for the system, and it would change the face of competition motorsport for all history.

By now, the road going quattro's were beginning to develop and evolve:- not just the high powered cars were fitted with the system, such as the UR quattro, and Audi 200. As could be seen in the various rally cars used, the Coupe, 80 and 90 were also fitted with the system. Usually with four wheel drive, in tight corners, the front wheels follow a larger radius than the rear wheels, there is a considerable wind-up between front and rear, leading to tyre squeal, and wear, and extra fuel consumption- this is why most manufacturers choose to disengage the rear drive. The first system design incorporated the interaxle differential integrated with the gearbox in an ingenious manner. The primary shaft is an extension of the crankshaft, which then drives the secondary ,or output shaft. This is made hollow, and drives the differential cage. The gears from this drive pinions on the inner part of the secondary shaft going to the front differential, and the propeller shaft going to the rear wheels. In a straight line, both shafts are rotating at the same speed, but when negotiating a corner, the internal shaft rotates faster, to prevent any wind-up between front and rear. This reduces the additional friction losses from internal components, such as bearings, etc., to a minimum. In order to divide the engine power between the four wheels, 3 differential gears are used: one between the front wheels, one between the rear wheels, and one between front and rear. The inter-axle is necessary, because the front and rear wheels- even those on the same side of the car- turn at different speeds in a corner. This assists with engine power distribution, and Audi chose a 50:50 split front/ rear- ideal for a longitudinally installed engine. In the rare case of one wheel on an axle loses traction completely, the centre differential was internally equipped with a mechanical lock that could be actuated by the driver. American engineer Vernon Gleasman had developed a mechanical limited slip differential- called Torsen (Torque Sensing), which was used in formula one in 1984/5. Audi engineers went on to develop the first, self-locking (or limited-slip) centre differential, employing the Torsen principle to prevent wheelspin on one side. This was the second generation of the quattro system. It was tested mercilessly by Audi Sport- to much success. The different generations of the quattro system are:

First Generation:
Turbocharged, intercooled 5 cylinder petrol engine, developing 200 bhp, with all 3 inter-axle differentials, with the centre and rear manually lockable by cable.
Second Generation:
For the 1983 model year, the operation of the differential locks changed from fully manual to pneumatic. Now the centre differential could be locked, or the centre and rear together, via a two-stage pull out knob. This was also fitted to the 80 quattro.
Third Generation:
The next development replaced the centre differential with a 'Torsen' unit, which locked when necessary without the driver's intervention. This was activated by mechanical, rather than electronic means. The rear differential remained manually lockable, but the lock disengages automatically above 25 km/h. This system was fitted to the quattro versions of the 80, 90, 100, 200 and Coupe from the 1988 Model Year.
Fourth Generation:
This was the current variation of the quattro system (when this article was initially written), introduced in 1995, in the A4. The manual lock for the rear differential is replaced with EDS, an electronic differential lock which operates automatically in the event of one of the wheels losing traction.

Variations:
With the introduction of the V8 in 1988, a new type was developed to provide an output shaft from the gearbox going forwards of the gearbox to the front axle. The centre differential is locked, when necessary, by a fully automatic multi-plate clutch. The rear axle is a 'Torsen' unit, again requiring no driver intervention in its operation. This was developed further for the introduction of the A8 in 1994, with the rear Torsen unit being replaced by EDS, which operates automatically below 40 km/h. These systems are fine for longitudinally mounted engines, but there is no room in the engine bay of the A3 and TT variants, which have their engines mounted transversely. The system employed here was developed by Haldex, and uses an electronically controlled hydraulic multi-plate clutch to distribute power between the front and rear wheels. Again, an electronic differential lock is used at the rear. (More later)

Other additions:
Left Hand drive versions of the UR quattro were available in the UK in the Spring of 1981 (160 imported into the UK), followed by right hand drive versions in December 1981. The front grill was vertical with 4 rectangular headlights. The European cars have bumpers which are more integrated with the front and rear valances. The front bumper contains the turn signals at the outer corners and the fog lights sit just inboard of these. Headlight washers are also integrated into the bumper. The rear bumper has reflectors inset in it. The car was fitted with 6Jx15 alloy wheels covered in 206/60VR15 Goodyear NCT rubber. The engine was a 2.1 litre Turbocharged & intercooled inline 5 cylinder engine with an iron block, an aluminium head with 2 valves per cylinder and computerised digital ignition.

In 1983, the Audi 80 quattro was released, developing 136 bhp from a 2.2 litre 5 cylinder engine. ABS was fitted as standard with modified gear ratios, electronic instruments, voice check, and a redesigned interior- including dashboard- on the UR quattro.

In Spring of 1984, the arches got the treatment, to cover the larger diameter tyres that were to be fitted to the increased wheel size and modified wheel housings. The suspension was lowered by 2cm, due to uprated springs and dampers, and the front was remodelled. The design of the UR quattro is attributed to one man- a Brit- Sheffield born Martin Smith. The standard wheel was changed to an 8JX15 size and the OEM tyres were now 215/50VR15 Pirelli P7s. The rear of the car now included black tinted rear tail lights and centre panel. A body colour rear spoiler was also fitted. A sloped front grill and sloped aero-style H1/H4 headlights were now standard.

In 1987, the type 89 (series 3) 90 quattro was introduced, with the 2.2 litre, 5 cylinder engine, developing 136bhp. All the body panels were galvanised.

In 1988, Audi introduced the Audi V8, with the 3.6 litre V8, developing 250 bhp. In 1988 the second major revision was carried out on the ur-quattro. The engine size was increased to 2226 cc and the compression ratio was upped to 8.6:1. A smaller KKK-K24 water-cooled turbocharger was fitted. The head now incorporates hydraulic lifters. The engine cooling was also improved. A knock sensor was now incorporated into the engine control system. Although this engine has the same output as the previous version, it was said to have better response and more low rpm torque. The engine still requires leaded super fuel and is available without a catalytic converter. The centre differential is now a Torsen unit which distributes front to rear torque automatically. The rear differential is still lockable at low speeds. The brakes were improved with the addition of 2-piston callipers at the front. Pirelli P700 tyres are now the standard tyre. The digital dash lighting was changed to an orange colour. A tilt/remove sunroof is included as standard equipment. Pearl white paint becomes available.

In 1989 the revised Audi Coupe was released, with a similar front end to that of the series 3 90. The 200 quattro was also revised. In late 1989 the final version of the ur-quattro started production. The engine was fitted with a 20 valve head, MH motronic engine control with pulsed injection and computerised wastegate management. The compression ratio was increased to 9.3:1. An exhaust system with 2 catalytic converters was used. Some of the UK cars have cast alloy front control(A) arms. The German cars still retain the steel control arms. The required fuel is now super unleaded. The interior uses the same style dash but now it is covered in grey leather. Seats get satin/leather upholstery with "quattro" written diagonally across them. The centre console also gets lengthened to surround emergency brake handle and continues on to the rear seat. A three spoke Audi Sport steering wheel is used.

In 1990, the S2 was released- the official successor to the Ur quattro. This developed 220bhp from the Turbocharged, 2.2litre, 5 cylinder engine. The Audi V8 "long" was introduced, with the 4.2 litre V8 engine, developing 280 bhp. Finally on March 1, 1991 at 1:00 pm the last ur-quattro rolls off the assembly line. The end of an era. The final engine was a twenty valve unit, still retaining 2226cc. Figures quote 2,709 examples being officially imported into the UK, out of over 11,560 made. All were hand-built, which attributes some of the cost that was involved.

In 1991, Audi unveiled the quattro Spyder concept car, and the Audi S4 (based on the 100, with the similar engine as the S2) was released. This developed 230bhp from 2.2 litres.

In 1992, the Audi Avus concept car was unveiled, with a 6 litre, W12 engine, developing 509bhp. The 4.2 litre V8 was released.

In 1993, Audi released the S2 Avant, with a different engine, and a new six speed gearbox. The limited edition, Porsche tuned, much desired family estate, the RS2 was released. (315 bhp from 2.2 litres) Only 182 made it officially to the UK. The list continues- the latest development of the "real" quattro system is the S4 based (A4) twin turbo, 2.7 litres V6, RS4. This has been developed solely by Audi, and will kick over 380 bhp. Other notable vehicles include the S3 quattro, based on the A3, but utilising the Haldex system. This develops 220bhp from its 1.8 litre Turbocharged 20 valve unit, and the soon to be released All Road quattro, which differs in the fact that it has a selectable ratio box.
And so back to the competition history.....

In 1979, the FIA opened up rallying to four wheel drive cars- and it was not Audi that had filed the request! This, obviously, was to work in their favour...
In the Autumn of 1980, a small team from Audi were in the Algarve, along with the "Flying Finn", Hannu Mikkola, testing a competition quattro in anger. Prototypes by this time had already achieved over 300bhp. Along with further development work, and determination, the silverware started to collect at Ingolstadt for the motorsport collection.
In 1981, the quattro took the rally world by storm. Its first competition was the Jänner rally in Austria, followed by Audi's entrance into the WRC. The first event was not totally successful- Mouton retired due to dirt in the fuel, and Hannu Mikkola's car went off. This was not the shape of the future, though. For round two, Mikkola ensured that Audi's system would make the world sit up and take notice, coming in first in the Swedish rally- nearly two minutes ahead of their nearest rival. For the Portuguese (round 3), Michelle Mouton brought the quattro home in 4th place, Mikkola had gone off, and did not finish. Audi did not enter the Safari rally (round 4), but returned for the rally of Corsica (round 5), only for both Mikkola and Mouton to retire with engine problems. Things were not much better for the team at the Acropolis (round 6), with Mikkola retiring, and Mouton being disqualified. Audi didn't enter round 7 (Argentina) or round 8 (Brazil), but returned for the 1000 Lakes rally. (Round 9). Mikkola came home third, and the quattro of Wittman stopped after an accident. By round 10 (San Remo), Michelle Mouton was back, and she left the (mainly) male dominated world of rallying in awe- she was the first female driver in history to win a world championship rally. Team mate Mikkola arrived in fourth place, and a third works entry, driven by Cinotto, went off. Audi missed the Ivory Coast rally (round 11), but entered into the RAC (round 12) with two cars: Mikkola took the honours, arriving first, but Mouton didn't make the finish.
For 1981,Hannu Mikkola was third in the drivers championship, and Audi came fifth in the manufacturers title, with 63 points. (How time flies- remember the car manufacturer Talbot?- they were first!)
In 1982, round one was the rally of Monte Carlo. Mikkola came home second, but the other two works entries of Mouton and Cinotto didn't finish. By round two, for the rally of Sweden, Stig Blomqvist added another first for the Audi team, with Michelle Mouton following up in fifth place. This time round, though, Mikkola did not finish. His spell of bad luck continued for the rally of Portugal (round 3)- Mikkola again failed to finish, but Michelle Mouton brought the silverware home for Audi, coming first, with the quattro of Wittmann coming home in third. Audi again did not enter the Safari rally (round 4), and failed to finish in Corsica (round 5). By round 6, Mouton was back in first position for the Acropolis rally, but Mikkola retired with gearbox problems, Wittmann with steering problems, and Cinotto with the electrics. Both works entries failed to finish for round 10 (New Zealand), but Mouton scored another win for Audi in Brazil (round 8). Mikkola again retired on this event. For round 9, the 1000 Lakes, an Audi 1st and 2nd was achieved, thanks to Mikkola and Blomqvist. Third? Wasn't Mouton! The works entries for the San Remo increased:- Blomqvist and Mikkola came home 1-2, with Mouton in 4th, and Cinotto in 6th. Both Wittmann and Demuth both failed to finish. For the Ivory Coast (round 11), only 1 works entry- that of Mouton, who failed to finish. Round 12 was the final round, and this year it was the RAC. Mikkola came home in first, Mouton came home in second, and Demuth came home in fifth. Mouton came second in the drivers championship (97 points) behind Röhrl (109 points), but Audi took the manufacturers title.
For 1983 was a successful season for Hannu Mikkola, who fulfilled his wish to become World Rally Champion. In round one (Monte Carlo), he came home 4th, after Stig Blomqvist. Mouton retired. For Sweden (Round 2), Mikkola came home 1st, Blomqvist came home second in an 80 quattro, Lampi came home third, and Mouton came home 4th:- 1,2,3,4 Audi! For the third round, Portugal, Audi came home 1,2, thanks to Mikkola and Mouton- Blomqvist retired due to differential problems. Audi entered the Safari (round 4), coming home 2nd (Mikkola) and 3rd (Mouton). Preston retired. Both Mikkola (retired) and Mouton (fire) failed to finish round 5 (Corsica), AND round 6 (Acropolis), although Blomqvist managed 3rd. None of the 3 works entries finished the New Zealand rally (round 7), although the team was back on form for round 8, in Argentina. Audi claimed five of the top six places: Mikkola (1), Blomqvist (2), Mouton (3) and Mehta (4), with Wurz coming home sixth in an 80 quattro. For round 9 (1000 Lakes), Mikkola and Blomqvist continued on fine form, coming home 1,2, with Eklund coming home in 4th. Neither of the 2 works entries completed round 10, San Remo, and the single works entry for round 11, Ivory Coast, came home 2nd, at the wheel was Mikkola. Four of the five works entries completed the RAC (round 12), with Blomqvist taking 1st, Mikkola 2nd, Lampi 4, and Buffum 6. The none- finisher? Mouton. Drivers champion was Mikkola, with Blomqvist in 4th and Mouton in 5. Audi came second in the manufacturers championship, just two points adrift of Lancia.
1984 was the year when Audi upped the pace with the launch of the Sport quattro. Audi came home 1 (Röhrl) ,2 (Blomqvist) ,3 (Mikkola) for round 1, the Monte Carlo rally. The form continued for round 2 in Sweden, with Audi taking 1 (Blomqvist) ,2 (Mouton), 3 (Eklund). Round 3 (Portugal) was not so fruitful. Mikkola came home first, with Röhrl taking 6th, and Blomqvist failing to finish. Of the 3 works entries for the Safari rally (round 8), only Mikkola finished- in 3rd. Both Mouton and Blomqvist failed to finish. The Sport quattro made its debut for round 5, Corsica, but failed to finish with Röhrl at the wheel. Blomqvist came home in 5th place. Still there were problems with the Sport quattro by round 6 (Acropolis). Blomqvist came home 1st, followed by Mikkola in 2nd, and Buffum in 5th. The Sport quattro's of Röhrl and Mouton both failed to finish due to problems. Standard quattro's were entered by the team for round 7 (New Zealand), with Blomqvist taking 1st, and Mikkola taking third. Röhrl retired with engine problems. Things were better for the rally of Argentina (round 8), with Audi coming home 1 (Blomqvist), 2 (Mikkola) and 3 (Recalde). The Sport quattro entered the competition again for round 9- the 1000 Lakes, only to not finish again. Blomqvist earned Audi some points by coming home in 4th, with Eklund in 6th, but both Mikkola and Mouton failed to finish in their Sport quattro's. Two standard quattro's were entered for the San Remo rally (round 10), but neither Blomqvist nor Röhrl finished. The Sport quattro finally made its mark in round 11- the Ivory Coast. With Blomqvist at the wheel, the Sport quattro finished 12 minutes ahead of Mikkola, who was in a standard quattro, although they did gain penalties. Only Sport quattro's were entered for the RAC, round 12, coming home in 2nd (Mikkola) and 4th (Mouton)- helping Audi to claim the manufacturers championship, with Blomqvist taking the drivers championship. Mikkola was second, Röhrl was 11th, and Mouton was 12th in the drivers championship.

1985 was the last full year that Audi officially contested the WRC title. The competition was catching up fast, with the likes of the Peugeot 205 T16- and the pressure was on for the Sport quattro. For round one (San Remo), Röhrl came second in a Sport quattro, followed by Blomqvist in fourth. The T16's came home 1,3,5.... For Sweden (round 2), the Sport quattro came home 2nd with Blomqvist and 4th with Mikkola. Eklund came home 5th in a standard works quattro, and Petterson came home 6th in an Audi 80 quattro. Röhrl retired his Sport quattro with engine problems. For round 3 (Portugal), the Audi's finished together- but not at the top. Röhrl (Sport quattro) came home in 3rd, Blomqvist (Sport quattro) came home in 4th, and Grissmann came home in 5th in a standard works quattro. Both Sport quattro's failed to finish the Safari Rally (round 4) with either Mikkola or Blomqvist at the wheel. The single works entry, a Sport quattro, driven by Röhrl also failed to finish round 5 (Corsica), but Blomqvist did bring a Sport quattro home in second place for the Acropolis (Round 6). For the New Zealand rally (round 7), Audi scored a 3rd (Röhrl- Sport quattro), 4th (Blomqvist- Sport quattro) and 5th (Stewart- Audi quattro). Things were not so good in Argentina (round 8), where Wiedner came home in 2nd in a quattro, and Blomqvist retired in the Sport quattro. Mikkola was back for round 9 (1000 Lakes), but failed to finish in the evolution Sport quattro- the Sport quattro S1. Blomqvist came home in 2nd, in a Sport quattro, and Eklund came home in 6th in an Audi quattro. (3 evolutions of the same car!) The S1 proved to be dominant in round 10, at the hands of Röhrl in San Remo. The single Sport quattro of Mouton failed to finish in round 11 (Ivory Coast), and all 3 evolution's were again entered for round 12, the RAC. Eklund came home in 4th, in a works quattro, but Röhrl retired in the Sport quattro S1, and Mikkola in the Sport quattro. Blomqvist claimed second in the drivers title, with Röhrl third. Audi came second in the manufacturers championship. The WRC was not the only thing contested this year, though. Audi took honours in the HongKong~ Beijing rally, with Mikkola coming home first in a works quattro, followed by Dawson in 4th, again in a works quattro.
Michelle Mouton took a Sport quattro to America, to take the challenge of the 4302 metre high Pikes Peak. The time? A record 11.25.39 mins! (A Bi-motor VW Golf GTI took over a minute longer!)
1986 changed the face of rallying- particularly from a spectators point of view, and in the eyes of the competitors, from a safety aspect. Audi pulled out of international rallying following a fatal accident in Portugal. This was to be the end of Group B rallying. Before this, Audi had managed 3rd (Mikkola) and 4th (Röhrl) in Sport quattro S1's in Monte Carlo (round 1); Eriksson drove a 90 quattro to 3rd place and Petersson a Coupé quattro in 4th place on the second round in Sweden. As mentioned earlier, Audi and the top drivers withdrew from the World Rally Championship due to the accident involving Joaquim Santos and his Ford RS200 during round 3 in Portugal. Audi entered the HongKong ~ Beijing rally, with Blomqvist coming 1st in a works quattro. Bobby Unser took up the Pike Peak challenge for Audi, is a specially modified Sport quattro S1, beating Michelle Mouton's previous time- 11.09.22 mins.
In 1987, Audi entered 200 quattro's into 3 World Rally Championship stages: Monte Carlo (Röhrl- 3rd), Safari (Mikkola 1st, Röhrl 2nd), the Olympus (Röhrl- retired), and the 1000 Lakes (Mikkola- retired). Although not an official works entry, a Coupe quattro was entered in the RAC, which came sixth. The driver? - Llewellin. Walter Röhrl took up the Pikes Peak challenge for Audi, with the specially prepared Sport quattro S1, smashing previous times: 10.47.85 mins. This was the last year that Audi entered any official works entries to rallying on a global scale.

Next year it was time to try something new...
The focus was on a different form of motorsport, and sights were clearly set on America, where Audi wanted to improve their image. The challenge was the US Trans AM series, and the car was a modified 200 quattro. This was, and is, a hotly contested series, and is full of American muscle cars. Bearing in mind that this was the first time that Audi had seriously attempted a full-on racing series, the stakes were high.
Round 1 was at Long Beach, and the winner was Paul Gentilozzi, in an Oldsmobile Cutlass. Second place went to American driver Hurley Haywood, in his 200 quattro:- fellow driver Hans-Joachim Stuck had an accident in lap 16, but this was a pretty good start to the series, first time out. Round 2 at Dallas, was a marathon 105 laps:- 168,980Km. Hurley Haywood brought the Audi home in first place, and again the second car crashed out- this time during lap 70, with Walter Röhrl in the driving seat. Both cars finished round 3, Sears Point, with Walter Röhrl coming home in 5th, and Hurley Haywood behind him in 6th. Hurley was back on form for round 4 in Detroit, coming home in first place. Hans-Joachim Stuck was not so lucky:- front suspension problems meant a retirement on lap 27. Round 5, Niagara Falls, and Walter Röhrl romps home in first place. Things were not so good for Hurley Haywood, who eventually managed to finish in 13th place- 4 laps behind the leader. Both cars again finished round 6 in Cleveland:- Hans-Joachim Stuck brought his Audi home in first place, with Hurley Haywood not far behind in 4th place. It was a classic 1-2 for round 7, Brainerd. Hans-Joachim Stuck came home in first, with Hurley Haywood close behind in second. By now, the yanks were taking the Audi team seriously:- this was no 10 buck outfit from the outback. A repeat performance for Audi in round 8, Meadowlands. The same finish as round seven, with the same drivers. By round 9 though, (Lime Rock) the competition was on the pace- first place being taken by a Ford- Audi came home with a 4th place for Hurley Haywood, and a 5th place for Walter Röhrl. For Mid-Ohio (round 10), Hans-Joachim Stuck returned to form, taking the pole for Audi, with Hurley Haywood collecting more points by arriving home in 3rd. Elkhart Lake (round 11) saw yet another podium finish for Hans-Joachim Stuck:- 2nd place, with Hurley Haywood arriving in 4th. Things were not so good for round 12 at Mosport Park:- Walter Röhrl came home in 4th, but Hurley Haywood did not finish, due to engine problems on lap 30. The final round (13) was at St. Petersburg, and Walter Röhrl brought the 200 quattro home first place:- Hans-Joachim Stuck retired with engine problems on lap 21, and Hurley Haywood retired with turbocharger problems on lap 59. In all, Audi had gone to America, to play the big boys at their own game, and kicked butt! This also proved that the quattro system was not just for the icy climates. Hurley Haywood won the drivers championship (152 points) and Stuck was in sixth place (99 points). The Manufacturers title, of course, went to Audi (92 points) with Chevrolet in second place, some 29 points adrift.
But what of 1989? Audi had taken the rally world by storm, and won, and now the American TransAm series title was gracing the silverware cupboard. America was still the venue, but the car was different. So different in fact, that it only resembled the roofline of the actual car that rolled off the production line. The basis of the car was a monocoque chassis, and was the highest powered competition car that they had ever produced. The race series was the highly rated IMSA GTO series, and the basis for the car was the series 3 (type 89) 90 quattro. Power was officially quoted at 720 bhp, although sources since have stated that the engine could manage over 1,000 bhp for "a few laps"! The power was achieved by using a turbo charged, 20 valve 5 cylinder lump, with just 2,190cc. All eyes were on the Audi team for the series, considering their previous years win in the TransAm series. There was no works entry for the Audi team in round 1 (Daytona 24 Hours), and things did not go well in round 2 (Miami):- Hurley Haywood had an accident on lap 11, and Hans-Joachim Stuck had gearbox problems on lap 19. There was no Team entry for round 3- the Sebring 12 Hours, but come round 4 at Summit Point, the drivers and team were on form. Hans-Joachim Stuck took 1st place on the podium, with Hurley Haywood close behind in second. Hans-Joachim Stuck repeated this for round 5 (Mid-Ohio), coming home 1st, but Hurley Haywood finished 1 lap adrift, in 5th place. Mosport Park (round 6) was a real endurance race:- 126 laps, 498.582km. The teams required 2 drivers per car:- Audi did not fare well, with Hurley Haywood & Goodyear managing 9th position:- the car of Stuck & Röhrl retired on lap 20, due to problems with the steering. Elkhart Lake, round 7, was another endurance race:- 72 laps, 470,808km. The car of Haywood/ Goodyear fared better than the previous round, coming home in 2nd place. Again, Stuck/ Röhrl didn't get far, having only covered 18 laps before being involved in an accident. Role reversal for round 8 (Portland). Hans-Joachim Stuck came home in 2nd place, but Hurley Haywood was forced to retire on lap 34, due to gearbox problems. The quattro's were back on form for round 9, Topeka. Hans-Joachim Stuck came home in first place, with Hurley Haywood in 2nd- another Audi 1-2. Round 10 (San Antonio) saw the quattro's lose some of their advantage:- Hans-Joachim Stuck arrived at the finish line in 2nd, and Hurley Haywood in 4th. Sears Point (Round 11) saw the Audi's come home 1-2: Hans-Joachim Stuck 1st, and Hurley Haywood 2nd. Audi also managed a classic 1-2 finish again for round 12 at Watkins Glen:- this 92 lap, 501,860km endurance race was a real test:- Stuck/ Röhrl came home in pole position, with Hurley Haywood (alone?) coming home in 2nd. Round 13 saw another Audi in first place:- at the hands of Hans-Joachim Stuck, with Hurley Haywood behind in 3rd. Another Audi 1-2 was on the cards for round 14, at Laguna Seca. Hans-Joachim Stuck arrived first, with Hurley Haywood close behind in 2nd. The final round was at Del Mar. Both Audi's failed to finish:- Hans-Joachim Stuck retired on lap 25, due a timing belt failure (ouch!), and the same fate happened to Hurley Haywood on lap 24. Audi failed to win the manufacturers title, and Stuck missed the drivers title, due to not entering the first 2 (endurance) rounds. Stuck came third in the manufacturers title, and Audi second in the manufacturers title.

For 1990, it was decided to try something nearer to home: the German manufacturer entered the Audi V8 into the German Touring Car Championship- the Worlds most attractive touring car series. For rounds 1/2 at Zolder, Hans-Joachim Stuck brought the V8 home in 14th position, but by heat 2, he was in third position. Rounds 3/4 were held at Hockenheim. Stuck came home in 6th for heat 1, but for heat 2, he was up on the podium in 2nd place. Lady luck was not on his side for round 5&6 at Nurburgring, after being involved in an accident on the first lap. Heat 2 saw him finish in 16th position- 2 laps adrift. Stuck and the V8 were on form for rounds 7/8 at Avus:- managing pole finish in both heats. Luck was against him again for rounds 9/10 at Mainz-Finthen- Stuck came home in 15th position, a lap adrift of the leaders, and in 20th position for heat 2- 4 laps adrift. At Wunstorf (rounds 11/12) Stuck put the pace back into the race, landing first place in heat 1 and 2- again. Rounds 13/14 were held at the Nurburgring again, and Stuck retired in heat 1 with suspension problems on lap 4, and finished 11th in heat 2. (He was 39 seconds behind the winner- a close race!) A second car was employed for rounds 15/16 at Norisring:- Audi 1-2 at the hands of Stuck (1st) and Röhrl (2nd) for heat 1, and 3rd (Stuck) and 5th (Röhrl) for heat 2. At Diepholz, rounds 17/18, Röhrl came home in 9th position, Stuck in 14th for heat 1, and only Stuck finished in heat 2, in 8th place. Röhrl retired on lap 14 with drive shaft problems. Back to the Nurburgring again for rounds 19/20, with Röhrl arriving home in 8th place, and Stuck in 11th for heat 1, but Röhrl put the pressure on for heat 2, arriving in pole position, although Stuck didn't fare so well, arriving in 10th place. The final rounds (21/22) were held at the Hockenheim circuit, and a third car was entered. The Audi V8's reigned supreme, with a classic 1-2-3 finish. (Stuck, Jelinski, Röhrl) for heat 1, and again, in the same order for heat 2. By the end of the season, thanks to the last 2 rounds, Stuck walked away with the drivers title, and Audi came 4th. (Their partners were the Schmidt race team for the series) The German manufacturer returned to the series again for 1991, and were the first team ever to defend its title in the championship. Race supremo Frank Biela also joined the team, and when Franks in the driving seat, you're onto a winner. Rounds 1/2 at Zolder saw 4 Audi V8's finish in heat 1, although not necessarily in the points:- Stuck (9th), Biela (15th), Jelinski (17th) and Haupt (19th). Heat 2 saw the Audi's fare better- and in the points:- Stuck came home in 3rd, with Biela close behind in 4th, with Jelinski further down the field in 10th. For rounds 3/4 at Hockenheim, the Audi's were again down the field for heat 1. (Stuck:11th, Jelinski: 12th, Biela:19th, Haupt: 1 lap adrift) Heat 2 saw the V8 of Biela in the points, and on the podium in 3rd, with Jelinski in 6th, and Stuck 2 laps adrift in 26th place. On to the Nurburgring for rounds 5/6. In heat 1, Biela drove home in 6th, with the other V8's out in the field:- Stuck (10th), Jelinski (11th) and Haupt (15th). Heat 2 saw the V8's perform slightly better, with exception of Stuck who was involved in an accident on lap 4. Biela came home in 7th, followed by Jelinski in 8th and Haupt in 11th. Things were looking up for Audi at Avus, rounds 7/8. In heat 1, it was a 1-2-3-4 Audi!, with Stuck taking pole, Biela 2nd, Jelinski 3rd, and Haupt 4th. Less than 2 seconds separated the four cars on the 102.480 km heat. Heat 2 was nearly a repeat performance, with Audi taking 1st (Biela), 2nd (Stuck) and 3rd (Haupt)- Jelinski retired on lap 13 due to a servo pipe. Only 3 cars finished heat 1 at Wunstorf, for rounds 9/10. (Biela: 5th, Haupt: 10th, Stuck: 16th) Jelinski retired on lap 11 due to problems with his bonnet. Heat 2 saw Biela back in with the leaders, managing a 4th placing, with Stcuk finishing in 11th. Jelinski retired on lap 1, due to the same problem which caused him to retire in heat 1, and Haupt retired on lap 15 due to engine problems. At Norisring, for heat 1 the Audi's came home in succession, with Biela leading in 5th place, followed by Stuck, Jelinski and Haupt. Heat 2 saw the previous year's winner, Stuck, come home in pole position, followed by Jelinski in 5th, and Biela in 11th. Drive shaft problems caused Haupt to retire on lap 8. Stuck again came home in pole position for heat 1 at Diepholz for rounds13/14. Biela followed in 4th, with Haupt in 6th and Jelinski 2 laps adrift in 21st. Heat 2 saw Stuck further down the field, coming home in 4th, with Biela in 6th and Haupt 3 laps adrift in 16th. Things were not good for Audi at Nurburgring, for rounds 15/16. Biela came home in 8th, and Stuck in 9th- Jelinski had an accident on lap 15, and Haupt had engine problems on lap 18. Heat 2, and things were no better. Biela was down the field in 11th, with Stuck further afield in 16th. Having said that, the difference between Stuck and the winner was just 55 seconds for the 99,924km heat. Jelinski had an accident on lap 14. Frank Biela put the pressure on for heat 1 at Singen (rounds 17/18), coming home in pole position, with Stuck behind in 3rd, and Jelinski 4th. An accident on lap 11 retired Haupt. Heat 2 saw Stuck take pole this time, with Jelinski in 2rd. Biela, however, was disqualified while in second place, for overtaking while a yellow flag was out. The final rounds (19/20) were at Hockenheim, and Biela took the chequred flag for heat 1, followed by Jelinski in 2nd, and Röhrl in 3rd. Stuck arrived in 14th place. For heat 2, the final round of the season, Audi took the chequered flag with a show of strength:- Biela 1st, Stuck 2nd, Jelinski 3rd and Röhrl 4th, giving Biela the drivers championship (his first of many with Audi), with previous winner Stuck taking 3rd. Surprisingly, SMS Audi were 5th in the manufacturers championship, 100 points behind the winners, AMG Mercedes.
Also in 1991, Audi entered the V8's into the ITR Cup BRNO, with Biela coming home in11th, Haupt 12th, and Jelinski 16th for heat 1. Jelinski retired on lap 10 due to electrics problems. Heat 2 saw Jelinski come home in 6th, and Biela in 7th: Haupt retired on lap 1 due to an electrics problem, and Stuck on lap 16 due to a problem with his engine. The V8's were also in Britain in 1991, competing in the ITR Cup at Donington. Heat 1 saw Biela take the flag (not his last at the circuit), and Jelinski follow up in 6th. Haupt retired on lap 2 with engine problems, and the same fate hit Stuck on lap 6. Frank Biela took the flag again in heat 2, but his team mates were further down the field:- Stuck arrived in 8th, and Jelinski was 1 lap adrift in 16th.

1992 Saw changes: after Audi's victories in 1990 & 1991, Audi treated this year as a transitional year, working on a new car for the regulations that were to take effect in the 1993 season. Winning the title again, they knew, was out of the question. But, midway through the season, the ONS court of appeal adjudged that the V8's crankshaft did not conform with regulations, forcing Audi to withdraw from the championship. It wouldn't have been so bad, but the ONS had twice given Audi the go-ahead to use the crankshaft.....
Briefly, Frank Biela took 3rd in round 1, all retired in round 2 (don't ask!), it was Audi 1(Biela) -2(Stuck) -3(Jelinski) in round 3, and the rest of the season (round 12 was the last they competed in) saw the average placing of 6th or below- not good for the team.
For 1993, after the farce with the ONS in the German Touring Car Series, Audi withdrew from the competition in Germany, and looked for something else to try. The result was the French Touring Car Championship, and the car was to be a series 4 (type B4) Audi 80 quattro. These were to be smaller, lighter, and less complex to maintain. Audi were off to a flying start, and Frank Biela started as he meant to carry on.
Round 1 at Nogaro, saw Biela take the chequered flag, with teammate Marc Sourd take 2nd. Heat 2 saw Biela take the pole position again, but teammate Sourd was pipped to 2nd (by less than a second) by an Alfa Romeo 155. Overall, Biela took 1st, and Sourd took 2nd (adding the times together). At Magny-Cours, the Audi's came home in 5th (Biela) and 6th (Sourd), but heat 2 saw them further up the field, with Biela (2nd) and Sourd (3rd) both taking podium finishes. By now, Biela was 4th in the championship, and Sourd 5th. For Dijon (round 3), Biela came home in 2nd, and Sourd in 4th, and the placings were repeated for heat 2, putting Biela in 2nd place in the championship, and Sourd in 4th. Round 4 at Pau saw Biela take the podium in heat 1, with Sourd 0.2 seconds behind in 2nd. Heat 2, and again Biela took the podium, further strengthening his championship position. Sourd was way out in the field, coming home in 11th. By now, Biela was leading the championship, and Sourd had dropped out of the top 6. Le Vigeant (round 5). Biela repeated his performance, taking the pole in heat 1, with Sourd following further down the field in 7th. Audi took a 1-2 in heat 2, Sourd taking the pole position, with Biela close behind. Biela was still leading the championship, but Sourd had now moved up to 4th place. Things were not so good at Paul Ricard (round 6). In heat 1, Biela came home in 7th, with Sourd behind in 8th. Biela's championship placing was hampered even more in heat 2, when Sourd came home in 6th, and Biela in 9th: this put Sourd 6th in the championship, and Biela in 8th. Only Biela finished in heat 1 at Albi (round 7)- coming home in 5th place. Sourd retired on lap 43 (out of 44 laps!) with electrics problems. Heat 2 saw a repaired car for Sourd, enabling a 6th placing for him, but Biela was down the field in 12th. Biela was now 7th in the championship, and Sourd 10th. Onto the famous Le Mans circuit for round 8, and Biela took the pole for heat 1, with Sourd further down the field in 6th. For heat 2, Biela again finished on pole, and Sourd increased his placings overall by coming home 4th- Biela again was in 1st place for the championship, and team-mate Sourd was 3rd. Things were not so good at Montlhery for round 9:- Biela came home in 3rd for heat 1, with Sourd in 6th, and for heat 2, Sourd was retired on lap 32 due to an accident:- Biela was down the field in 8th. This put Sourd out of the top 6 in the championship, and Biela one lap adrift in sixth. Biela needed better times for his championship contention:- at Nogaro (round 10), he managed a pole finish in heat 1, some 5 seconds above the number 2. Sourd came in 4th.. Heat 2 showed more promise for Sourd, taking pole, with Biela less than 5 tenths of a second behind in 2nd. This gave Biela the times he needed to take the championship, coming 1st in the drivers championship, and the combined efforts of him and his team-mate gave Audi the manufacturers title. Sourd didn't do so bad, either, coming 3rd in the drivers championship. Yet more silverware for Audi Sport.....
Audi also entered the FIA Touring Car challenge in 1993 at Monza, but they did not fare well in either heat; drivers Biela, Sourd and Stuck managed a lowly 19, 20 & 21 placing in heat 1, heat 2 saw Biela improve slightly to 18, with Stuck in 20 and Sourd 22nd.

For 1994, Audi entered two separate championships: the D1 ADAC Touring Cup, in Germany, and the Italian Touring Car Championship Entering a strong team for the D1 championship was the way Audi started: round 1 at Avus saw Audi finish 4 cars in the top 6: Biela took pole, followed by Pirro and Capello, with Stuck in 6th and Bernhardt 2 laps adrift in 11th. For round 2 at Wunstorf, it was Audi 1-2-3-4: Biela on fine form taking pole again, followed by Stuck, Pirro and Bernhardt. The team was split up in the field slightly for round 3 at Zolder: Biela was again on the podium in 2nd, with team-mate Pirro beside him in 3rd. Stuck came home in 5th, followed by Adams in 6th and Bernhardt in 8th. Round 4 at Zandvoort, and Audi were again on the podium: Biela demonstrating what he does best: winning! Pirro joined him on the podium, taking 2nd place, with Bernhardt down the field in 10th. Stuck was out of the running, retired due to an accident on lap 26. The Audi's were off the pace for round 5 at Zeltweg:- first home was Pirro in 4th, with Biela in 10th and Bernhardt in 13th. Things were still not so good at Salzburgring (round 6):- Pirro had an accident on lap 1, and the 1st Audi home was that of Tichy in 10th- some 37 seconds behind the winner. Bernhardt arrived in 11th, and Biela was quite a way down the field in 15th. There were still problems on round 7 at Spa. Bernhardt's car had a fire on lap 6, but the rest of the team were moving up the field:- Biela missing the podium in 4th, Pirro in 5th, Capello in 6th and Stuck in 12th. Podium finished were on the cards at Nurburgring (round 8), though:- Pirro secured a podium finish (2nd) with team-mate Biela beside him (3rd), and Capello (4th). Yet another accident for the mechanics to repair- this time it was Stuck's car, which happened early on (lap 4), but fellow team-mate Bernhardt managed a top 10 placing by coming home in 10th. The championship was a hotly contested one, with Biela coming 2nd in the drivers championship, with Pirro in 3rd.
For the 1994 Italian Touring Car championship, Audi used home grown talent in the form of Emanuele Pirro, with "golden Boy" Frank Biela and Rinaldo Capello to strengthen the teams position. For rounds1/2 at Monza, both Pirro (2nd) and Capello (3rd) finished on the podium for heat 1, with a repeat performance for heat 2. Things were looking good for the start of the season. At Vallelunga (Audi used this circuit a lot for testing and practicing), for rounds 3/4, things didn't start off so well for heat 1:- Pirro was down in 18th, and Capello even further down the field in 18th. Heat 2 showed a significant improvement:- Audi 1-2 thanks to Pirro (1st) and Capello (2nd). Rounds 5/6, at Magione again saw the Audi's finish 1-2 in the same order as the previous 2 rounds. A repeat performance in heat 2 was thwarted, though, when Capello was involved in an accident on lap 17, leaving Pirro to take the honours for the team with a pole finish. Capello was again finished prematurely for heat 1 during rounds 7/8 at Bari. An accident on lap 14 left the pressure on Pirro for the tam. He didn't disappoint, though, again taking the finish first. Capello was not having much luck:- heat 2 and he was involved in an accident again, this time on lap 23- again Pirro flew the four ring flag to the finish line, ensuring that both he and the team were in with a chance of taking the titles first time out. Both cars managed to finish in both heats in round 9/10 at Misano- though not where they would have liked. For heat 1, Pirro missed the podium, coming home in 4th, and Capello was down the field in 9th. Heat 2 was no better:- Pirro again was 4th, but Capello was further adrift, managing 15th. Both drivers were getting back on form for round 11/12 at Vallelunga:- heat 1 and both were on the podium- Pirro in 2nd and Capello in 3rd. Heat 2, and the placings were better:- Pirro took the flag for the team, and Capello came home in 3rd. Biela joined the team at Mugello for round 13/14, although not to his usual form:- Pirro was the first home for the team in 4th, with Capello down the field in 8th, with Biela behind in 9th. The placings were better for heat 2:- Pirro with a podium finish in 2nd, with Capello in 5th and Biela in 6th. Rounds 15 & 16 at Enna, saw the Audi's losing the stranglehold of the series- Pirro missed a podium finish by coming home in 4th. Capello was further down the field in 7th, and Biela was down the pack in 10th. Heat 2 saw a return to form- Capello managed a podium finish in 3rd, with Pirro managing to gain some much needed points, coming home behind in 4th. Frank was still out of the running- unlucky for some, he crossed the chequered flag in 13th place. At Varano, for rounds 17 & 18, things were different- Frank was back where he belonged, on the podium. Heat 1 saw Frank Biela romp home in pole position, with Pirro also on the podium in 2nd place. Heat 2, and it was the classic Audi 1,2,3- all three drivers took the podium- Biela 1st, Pirro second and Capello 3rd. Some six years later, all three were again on the podium for Audi- in the higher powered, none quattro, turbo charged LMP class at Le Mans, in the Audi R8R- but that's another story..... The last rounds in the series were at Mugello. Rounds 19 & 20 were held over the first weekend in October, and for heat one, the trio were well and truely split: Capello in 3rd, Biela in 9th and Pirro in 10th. By now, the driver's trophy was Pirro's- a sizeable 87.5 point lead over his rival, Tamburini. It took the last 2 rounds to secure the manufacturers championship for Audi, though, and they did it in style: Capello 1st, Pirro 2nd and Biela 3rd.
Also during 1994, Audi entered the FIA touring car world cup, held in the UK on October 16th, at Donington race circuit. The race was a 25 lap, 100.575km race, and Audi did not show their prowess to the British fans as they had the Italians: Hans-Joachim Stuck was the only Audi to manage it to the chequered flag- in 6th. The others? Pirro was involved in an accident on lap one- game over and out. Biela fared a little better- until he was involved in an accident on lap 20.
1995, and the Audi A4 was being delivered to customers in their thousands- and the motoring press loved it. What better way to demonstrate the company's- and cars- ability and technical prowess than on the track?
Audi entered the A4 quattro's into the D1 ADAC Super Touring Car Cup in Germany, and back to defend the title in Italy. In Germany, Frank Biela returned "home" to take a German title that had, so far, eluded him. Round 1, at Zolder, saw the Audi's take top 4 places in the Sprint- a 14 lap mini race. Biela 1st, Stuck 2nd, Heger 3rd and Tamara Vidali in 4th. The pack were split slightly for the main race- 24 laps, and Biela again came home again in 1st, followed closely by Heger. A trio of BMW 318's followed, with Stuck in 6th. Vidali was a lap adrift, landig the 11th place for Audi. Round 2 at Spa, and Audi were not as well placed in the sprint: Biela 3rd, Stuck 4th and Heger 5th. Vidali? Fixing her makeup, down the grid in 14th. For the race, Stuck brought his A4 home in second place, with Heger in 6th, and Vidali in 7th. Biela was down on his luck, though, having retired after an accident on lap 4. Round 3 saw the Audi's struggling for podium positions- in the Sprint, highest placed was Biela, in 2nd. Stuck followed in 6th, Heger in 7th and Vidali in 11th. For the main race, things were only slightly better in that Biela romped home in 1st- nearly 3seconds in front of his rival. Vidali came home in 6th, and Heger was way down the grid in 15th. Stuck became un-stuck due to an accident on lap 2. Round 4 at Hockenheim, and the four rings were out with a vengeance- top 4 places in the Sprint (Biela, Heger, Stuck & Vidali), with a repeat performance (albeit in a different order) for the main race: Biela, Stuck, Vidali & Heger. Onto the Nurburgring for round 5. For the sprint, Biela managed a podium finish by clinching third position, followed by Stuck in 4th:- Vidali was down the field in 10th, followed by Heger in 11th. For the main race, most of the team were in almost the same position as the sprint: Biela 3rd, Stuck 4th, Heger 7th and Vidali 11th. For round 6 at Salzburg, the Audi's were way down the field for the Sprint:- BMW took the top 4 places:- Heger was first home for Audi in 7th, followed by Stuck in 9th, Vidali in 12th and Biela way down in 17th. Vidali was having some difficulty bring her Audi home in a position other than double figures. There was no real improvement for the main race:- Stuck came home in 9th, Biela in 10th, Vidali in 11th and Heger in 17th. Having said that, the racing was close:- less than 11 seconds separated the times of winner Winklehock (BMW 318) and 17th placed Heger. For Avus, Audi fielded no less than six A4 competition quattro's, in a bid to claim the manufacturers title. Not that this helped matters for the sprint:- first home was Biela in 7th, followed by Heger (8th), Pirro (10th), Stuck (15th), Vidali (23rd- 4 laps adrift)- further down the field was Capello, who was no less than 8 laps adrift in the 23 lap sprint. For the main race, which was only 2 laps longer than the sprint. Having said that, Audi managed to put a few in the bag, with Heger coming home in 4th, Stuck in 5th, Pirro in 7th, Vidali in 9th, and Biela in 17th- 2 laps adrift. Capello retired on lap 2 due to suspension problems, and the race was stopped following an accident, so only half the points were given to the classified drivers. By the final round (8) at the Nurburgring, Biela was in the lead points wise. Was this the year for him to take his home series trophy home? For the sprint, Pirro came home in pole position, but his team mates were some way behind- Stuck came home in 6th, followed by Capello in 7th, Vidali in 10th, and Heger in 17th. But what of Biela? Fate was taking its toll, with servo steering problems forcing him to retire on lap 4 of the 20 lap sprint. For the final race of the season, Pirro was home in pole again, Biela came home after a trio of BMW 318is', with Stuck in 6th, Heger in 7th, Vidali in 10th and Capello 2 laps adrift in 19th. Biela eventually came third in the drivers championship, behind Winkelhock (BMW) and Kox (BMW). BMW took the manufacturers title, followed closely behind by Audi.

It was a different story for the team racing in the Italian championship, though.
For rounds 1/2 at Misano, Pirro came home 2nd in heat 1, followed by team mate Capello in 3rd, and an Audi 1-2 finish for heat 2, Pirro taking the flag over 2 seconds ahead of team mate Capello. Round 3/4 at Bari, saw an Audi 1-2 for heat 1 (Pirro, Capello) AND heat 2. The points were beginning to mount up in Audi's favour. Rounds 5/6 at Monza, and Pirro again took the chequered flag for heat 1, with Capello just missing another podium finish, by coming home 4th. Heat 2, and the Audi's were again together, although they were beaten to the flag by the Opel Vectra of Colciago. Pirro was 2nd, Capello was 3rd. Onto Imola for rounds 7/8, and the two A4 cars romped home in 1st and 2nd places in both heats- each time with Pirro taking the lead, followed closely behind by Capello. At Magione for rounds 9/10, the same placings as the previous heats, Pirro 1st, Capello 2nd, but there was a role reversal in heat 2, with Capello taking the flag, followed closely behind by Pirro. Heat 1 at Mugello (rounds 11/12) saw Pirro coming "home alone" after Capello was involved in an accident on lap 8- but it was still a podium finish, even if it was "only" 3rd! For heat 2, both cars were off the pace, Pirro crossing the line nearly 30 seconds after the winner, in 5th place, followed by Capello in 6th. Rounds 13/14 at Misano, and Pirro again took the flag in heat 1, followed by Capello, over 10 seconds behind him. Heat 2, and Pirro was building up an enviable points lead over his rivals for the drivers title- helped, of course, by yet another win. His closest rival for the title was non other than team-mate Capello, who came home in 3rd. Rounds 15/16 at Enna, and the Audi's did not fare so well in heat 1- Capello in 3rd and Pirro in 5th. Heat 2, and the Audi's came home together- albeit further down the field, in 4th (Pirro) and 5th (Capello). Varano (rounds 17/18), and heat 1 was the classic Audi 1-2- with an extra car and driver thrown in, in the female form of Tamara Vidali. (Capello, Pirro). Call it bad luck, but Vidali was involved in an accident in the 28th lap- out of 30. The feat was almost completed again for heat 2, with Pirro taking the flag, but Capello was beaten to 2nd place by Giovanardi in the Alfa Romeo 155TS. Vidali was some way down the field in 7th. The final rounds were 19/20 at Vallelunga, in October. Heat one, and Pirro came home, taking first place honours for the Audi team, followed by Capello in 4th. The final heat of the year, and the two team mates finished in a classic 1-2, Capello 1st, and Pirro 2nd- Pirro took the drivers title for the season, with 333 points, followed by Capello on 259 points. The winning team, was of course, Audi, with 352 points, nearly 100 points above their nearest rival, Alfa Romeo (265 points). Pirro managed to win 11 of the 20 races!
Audi also entered the FIA Touring Car World Cup at Le Castellet, a week after the last race in Italy. Frank Biela had not had much luck in his home country's season, so was out to show the world what he was made of. Heat 1, and Biela came home first, with team mates Stuck down the field in 5th, Pirro in 7th. Capello was unclassified, due to tyre problems. Heat 2, and Pirro took the chequered flag, followed closely by Biela. Capello came home in 7th, and Stuck retired on lap 11 due to under steering problems.
1996 was the year that motorsport put Audi on the map around the world, Seven titles in various countries- from Australia to South Africa, Britain, Sweden, Italy, Germany, France- all had 4 rings stamped all over the podium! In the D1 ADAC Super Touring Cup, for round 1 at Zolder, in the sprint, it was unbelievable:- Pirro 1st, Peter 2nd,Vidali 3rd, Abt 4th, Wendlinger 5th and Nissen 6th- all in Audi A4 quattro's. For the race, things were not so dominant- Karl Wendlinger was involved in an accident on lap 4, retiring him from the race. Pirro took the flag, followed by Vidali in 2nd, Nissen in 3rd and Peter