Audi TT Ancestors

The initial model is retrospectively referred to as the Ur-quattro (Ur meaning ‘original’ or ‘first of its kind’). Its combination of all-wheel drive and turbocharged five-cylinder power produced two driver and two constructor’s World Rally titles in the early 1980s. quattro has served as a blueprint for premium Audi performance ever since.

In 1994, quattro GmbH (the performance biased subsidiary of Audi) introduced another title, one that would take the quattro all-wheel drive concept deep into supercar territory. The RS (for RennSport- Racing Sport) badge was first seen on the rump of the Audi RS2, an outlandish, limited-edition estate car with a 235kW turbo-five built in consultation with Porsche.

Today Audi’s RS brand continues to thrive. And you can still seat yourself behind a turbo-five that drives all four wheels and combines luxury with safety and breathtaking performance.

Thankfully I’d received a note from Ur-quattro owner Pete Cassar, who had recently moved from the UK and was bringing his Audis with him. Audis? “Well, I also have an RS2…”

It’s with this background that I find myself at Audi Centre Melbourne with co-driver Brendon Freeman, folding into the shell-backed leather seat of a Phantom Black Audi TT RS S tronic. With its ancestors waiting in Nowra, New South Wales, our aim is to get under the skin of the TT RS over roads that range from motorway to mountain top on a 1000km-plus road trip.

The seven-speed dual-clutch s Tronic transmission was introduced to the Australian TT RS range in the middle of 2011 and is mated to the familiar 250kW/450Nm, 2.5-litre TFSI in-line five which, unlike its ancestors, is mounted transversely.

Pulling into the hum of Melbourne’s weekday traffic the full auto mode makes most sense, the slight delay in take-up overcome by easing the throttle in. At suburban speeds the five is mostly muted, to the point that it sounds like the 2.0-litre turbo four found in the entry-level TT quattro. Once on the Hume, and with the cruise set at 110km/h, there is next to no sound coming from the engine; instead, a bassy exhaust drone permeates the cabin. This combined with a lack of cabin width and poor side and rear visibility make the TT RS a tiring partner on an Australian highway cruise.

It’s also during this phase that we notice other oddities. On long, straight sections of road the electromechanical power steering appears to slacken off, subsequently producing off-centre numbness when the next steering input is applied. The same goes for the magnetic dampers; when left in standard mode, a sudden series of compressions can jolt the body before regular damping service resumes.

Eventually, we make a cut off the Hume and head for the hills of the Great Dividing Range. Immediately the coupe makes more sense, the fast sweepers of the Murray Valley Highway finally allowing the chassis to engage with us as we head for our overnight stop in Corryong. The TT RS is easily capable of maintaining highway speeds through sections like this. Remaining in standard mode, the suspension offers enough compliance to ride out the ruts but still gives solid body control; it’s taking these roads at a canter.

The following morning flowing, open tarmac gives way to gradients and pugnacious twists that climb over Kosciusko. Here, the TT RS can finally reveal its character. A quick click of the ‘S’ button on the console deploys Sport mode and the whole game is taken to a new level -- unlike in some other vehicles, a TT RS with sport engaged truly awakes the beast. It sets specific parameters for steering (heavier), gearbox (faster), damping (firmer), throttle response (sharper) and exhaust (louder) and the net effect is quite simply mind-blowing.

Thus equipped, you can understand why Matt Close chose one as a basis for his Targa Championship campaign; its diminutive size and width enables confident placement into a corner before the Haldex quattro system bites chunks into the tarmac and whips you out the other side. And, all the while, you have the warbling symphony of in-line five to play out through the throttle pedal’s travel, barely pausing as another instantaneous gear-shift hits home. It sounds even better under brakes, a couple of flicks on the left-hand paddle delivering a gratuitous throttle blip and crackle through the exhaust. Speaking of the brakes, they are prodigious in power and offer a good mix of both initial bite and progression.

Fans of ‘pure’ driving may now be asking, “But how much input do you have in the whole driving process?” and it is a valid question. With all the gadgets that Sport-mode controls, you can conclude that what is being fed back to you is somewhat contrived, and I find this most prevalent with the steering- the weight and feel changes markedly, but that is a function of electronics… So is it diluting what is ‘actually’ happening at the contact patches? Thankfully the basic chassis is so grippy and benign that, at road speeds at least, you probably won’t ever have to find out.

These reservations aside, TT RS remains supremely fast, safe and confidence-inspiring in the best quattro tradition. And, with another flowing section of the Princes Highway dispatched it’s time for it to meet its Audi ancestors.

Ur-quattro
The phrase “motoring icon” is bandied about a little too loosely these days. When it comes to the Ur-quattro, however, calling it iconic may not be praise enough.

The quattro legend was built from quite humble origins. Volkswagen, who by the mid-1970s owned Audi, was providing the West German military with a four-wheel drive ‘Jeep’ called the Iltis. This used an amalgam of VW Group parts including a four-cylinder engine from the Audi 80.

Audi chassis engineer Jorg Bensinger had been impressed with the handling and traction of the Iltis prototype when he saw it testing in Scandanavia and returned to Audi HQ with the idea of adapting it for road use. It wouldn’t be the first all-wheel drive road car -- the Jensen FF came first-but its layout was far lighter and less complicated; where the Jensen had a cumbersome central transfer case and twin propshafts, the Audi design fed power through a gearbox-integrated, cockpit-lockable centre differential. This fed 50 per cent of drive to the similarly lockable rear axle and, via a hollowed-out secondary output shaft, transmitted remaining power to the open front differential.

The unique drive layout was coupled to an engine of undoubted charisma. Audi had released a naturally-aspirated in-line five with their 100 model in 1976, looking to offer the power of a six with the economy of a four. It was the first petrol-powered five-cylinder motor to be used in a production car. A turbocharged version of this motor was being developed for the 200 saloon and it was only natural that the new Audi flagship would receive a further tweaked version.

By early 1978 the quattro project was given full approval. Only thing was, the WRC rules in 1978 dictated that vehicles with all-wheel drive were banned from competing. There is a legend that suggests that Audi bosses went to other manufacturers to ask if they’d object to that rule being changed. Only seeing the Iltis in the VAG line-up, nobody saw any reason why it couldn’t be, so the Federation Internationale de l’Automobile (FIA) removed the requirement in time for the 1981 season…

Ur-quattro was revealed at the Geneva Motor Show on March 3, 1980. A distinctive two-door coupe, quattro’s longitudinally-mounted, intercooled turbo five displaced 2144cc, sported a single overhead camshaft with two valves per cylinder, and produced 147kW/280Nm. It also utilised an early form of electronic engine management which gauged boost level, crank position and inlet temperature to adjust timing accordingly.

Though each quattro was essentially hand-built, Audi had no problem achieving the required 400 units per year for Group 4 rally homologation, and the WRC program commenced in 1981. Star recruit Hannu Mikkola, who’d turned down offers from Mercedes-Benz and Ford for 1981, led the season opening Monte Carlo rally by six minutes before blowing an alternator. He went on to win in quattro’s second event in Sweden. In subsequent years, quattro won the 1982 and 1984 manufacturer’s titles along with driver’s championships in 1983 (Mikkola) and 1984 (Stig Blomqvist).

1985 saw a significant facelift as demonstrated by the featured vehicle, with a slightly sloping front grille (previously vertical), body-coloured spoiler, smoked taillights and proper badges (rather than stickers) for the Audi and quattro rear designations. This car also has the rotary differential lock switch which replaced the pull-type late in the 1985 model year and it rides on 1986 factory-optional BBS wheels with 215/50/15 tyres. Cockpit switchable antilock brakes and the on-board diagnostic program (with synthesised female voice) remain functional reminders of the era.

The sense of occasion involved in sitting behind the Audi sport steering wheel and oh-so-eighties digital dash to fire the quattro up is palpable. The sound emitting from its twin-piped muffler is raw and unadulterated; even at idle its burble dismisses any doubt about the number of cylinders that lie beneath. Add more revs, run it up and down the range, and you can easily transport yourself to the Kielder forest at the 1981 RAC Rally, which Mikkola won by over 11 minutes. 

Unfortunately the quattro was in the process of gaining Australian registration so we were unable to get behind the wheel, but Pete is well-versed in handling it.

“Having owned it for 24 years, I’ve been fortunate to do a lot of mixed driving, from track-days to European mountain passes,” he explains. “My wife Trish even used it as a daily driver for a while back in the UK.”

Pete reports that it does feel quite agricultural when compared to modern vehicles, with a heavy clutch and steering and massive throttle lag, but that it is still highly rewarding once on-song.

“And though it is prone to understeer, you learn to drive around it and work to its strengths,” he added “On snow or gravel the traction you can find with the switchable differential locks is just mind-blowing…it leaves the RS2 in the shade in that regard.”

RS2
Ur-quattro production ended in early 1991. By then, a Torsen centre differential had been fitted, the engine had grown to 2226cc to produce 162kW via a DOHC 20-valve head and its legendary status was assured. Its intended replacement was the S2, which utilised the same engine but was seen as softer, being geared towards an audience of affluence to the detriment of driving enthusiasts.

This dawning perception was put to rest with the arrival of the RS2 in 1994. It presented another first for Audi, being the first model of the marque to wear an RS badge. Those initials also give you a clue as to who was involved in the development of this manic ‘Estate car’…that, or the gleaming red brake calipers with ‘Porsche’ script on them.

RS2 was a joint project to bring the mojo back to quattro, with Porsche lending their expertise across several key facets of the program. In fact, final assembly was done at Porsche alongside the Mercedes 500E they had also had a hand in.

The familiar 2.2-litre turbo five in the S2 produced 172kW. For RS2, Porsche utilised a larger KKK turbo, intercooler, injectors and exhaust system and retuned the ECU to liberate 235kW/410Nm -- figures very close to today’s TT RS. The S2’s six-speed gearbox was strengthened to suit while power was delivered through a Torsen centre differential which could give up to 75 per cent of drive to one axle when conditions demanded. There was also an electronic differential lock though it was disabled at speeds above 15mph (24km/h).

Porsche also waved their wand over the suspension, retaining the standard S2 springs but adding firmer shocks and thicker roll-bars. Braking was courtesy of Porsche’s 968 Sport with 17-inch alloy wheels from the period Porsche Cup cars wrapped in bespoke 245/40 Dunlops (so bespoke they are now almost impossible to find). Even the fog lights and mirrors were taken from the 911.

Inside, electrically-adjustable Recaro seats and door-trims were swathed in body-coloured Alcantara, the seats finished with firm leather bolstering that held occupants firmly in place. Full leather was optional, while a choice of steering wheels (in this case equipped with an airbag), white-faced dials and carbon trim pieces also give the airy Estate cabin a sense of Germanic build quality.

Pete’s ‘RS Blue’ RS2 is one of only 180 built in right-hand drive for the UK market (total production was 2981, produced in 1994-95). Interestingly the RHD specification differed from LHD in that it didn’t receive climate control, instead making do with a regular air-conditioning system.

As an experience the RS2 falls somewhere in between its relatives; from the exhaust warble through to the control weightings, its sense of refinement and performance splits them right up the middle. On my drive there was notable throttle lag below 3000rpm, though as Peter says “beyond 3500rpm it tears your arms off” in the best tradition of early 1990s turbocharging. It makes for thrilling progress, like counting down before the fireworks go off on New Year’s Eve, accompanied by an intensifying symphony as RS2 reaches for its 7000rpm redline.

Back in the traffic it’s perfectly docile, idling quietly and smoothly while still offering more of its off-beat note into the cabin than the TT RS at crawling speeds. It feels more special more of the time; with the meaty clutch and notchy, Porsche gearknob, you really have to drive the RS2.

One period criticism of the RS2 concerned the steering.  It remains light, almost too light, at odds with the heavy road presence the Estate has -- though this may be further exacerbated by Pete’s example riding on narrower 225/40R17 tyres. As a result it takes time to adjust your inputs before you can learn to trust its responses. Once there the RS2 corners flat and firm with a surfeit of grip and impregnable traction. Essentially, RS2 delivers on the quattro legend but adds a touch of spice that modern RS-model Audis are so renowned for.

Conclusion
I came away from this trip with a renewed sense of admiration for Audi’s commitment to Vorsprung Durch Technik (progress through technology). Each of these quattros lives that brand value to the letter, each being a technological tour de force of its time.  Ur-quattro was a true ground-breaker, clearing a path for the RS2 to explode through on a wave of boost. That the TT RS is also powered by a turbocharged five shows a three decade long dedication to the bloodline that proves Audi’s passion for it. Long may this tradition continue.

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