The best modern Audis ever made

A somewhat forgotten car these days, here is Audi’s first attempt at a super-saloon, with a turbocharged edition of its inline five-cylinder engine that could propel it to 139mph and 0-60mph in 7.5sec. The dressed-up 100 bodywork looked pretty slick but 170bhp of hair-trigger power through the front wheels did have its limitations… The Audi 200 was named Audi 5000 in North America.

Audi Quattro (1980)

A truly game-changing performance car. The Quattro united four-wheel drive with a turbocharged engine for a car whose performance and roadholding were as sensational as each other. Once anti-lock brakes were added in 1981, the Quattro’s winning formula was complete (and its Audi 80 Coupé roots were almost unrecognisable) and the rally victories came thick and fast.

Audi Pininfarina Quartz (1981)

Pininfarina’s 1981 show car is the only publically revealed collaboration between the German manufacturer and the Italian design house. The basis was the then-new Quattro and the lead feature were the headlights, much smaller than normal thanks to their novel elliptical-lenses provided by Carello. It was fully functional, and later timed at 136mph by Swiss magazine Automobil Revue.

Audi 100 (1982)

The car world got to understand what made a large car truly aerodynamic with this impressive saloon. Its co-efficient of drag (Cd) of 0.30, more wind-cheating than most supercars, was proudly stated on its side windows in decals. The new 100 exemplified the ‘Vorsprung Durch technik’ slogan that appeared in Audi marketing at the same time, and its slippery shape endowed it with class-leading fuel economy.

Audi Sport Quattro (1984)

This short-chassis variant of the Quattro was intended to contest Group B rallying in 1984, but after that series was axed for its dangerously high speeds, the Sport found a new role as a relentless hillclimb machine, storming up Pike’s Peak in the USA. A small number of road cars were sold for homologation with a special, all-alloy 302bhp engine, and today they’re highly collectable.

Audi 80 (1986)

This third-generation of Audi 80, smooth and sober, occupied an envied spot in the market between Mercedes’ senior-citizen 190E and BMW’s youthful 3 Series, and was hugely successful as a result. The closely-related 90 spin-off catered for performance drivers with five-cylinder engines and turbochargers, and both models could be had with four-wheel drive.

Audi 200 Avant (1989)

For a large estate car, this was as about impressive as you could get in the late 1980s, in price as much as in tech. The ultimate incarnation mixed the sleek five-door body with a 200bhp turbo five-cylinder driving all four wheels via the quattro system. A super-plush interior and period must-haves like an in-car CD player completed the desirable package.

Audi Cabriolet (1991)

The technical fireworks here were reserved for the electrically-operated roof, which folded away beautifully to leave an elegantly gorgeous-looking profile ideal for posing. Launched in 1991 with a modest 133bhp, the four-seater Cabriolet received a huge image boost when Diana, Princess of Wales acquired one in 1994, and for a few short months it became one of the most photographed cars on the planet.

Audi V8 (1991)

Here was Audi’s initial stab at an ultimate saloon to take its battle to Mercedes-Benz and Jaguar. The heart of the 1991 car was an aluminium V8 powerplant, Audi’s first, with a 3.6-litre capacity initially and 4.2 later, and it was also the marque’s first car to hitch an automatic transmission to the standard quattro 4x4 system. The use of a modified 100 bodyshell didn’t impress, even though there was a stretch-limo version called the Lang.

Audi RS2 (1994)

Porsche both co-developed and assembled this cult car for its cousin Audi, which at the time was looking for a performance fillip to its image. It was based on the 80 Avant but equipped with a 311bhp five-cylinder turbo engine, six-speed manual gearbox, four-wheel drive and Porsche’s own braking and suspension systems. It was shatteringly quick, with 0-62mph in 4.8sec, and with 2200 built always sought-after.

Audi A8 (1994)

Audi’s second attempt at a luxury saloon in 1994 was an impressive machine, carrying over the V8 engines and even adding a W12 in a shortlived, late-life über-limo. The car’s huge visual heft was illusory because underneath was a ground-breaking and lightweight, all-aluminium monocoque called the Audi Space Frame. Massive depreciation came later to provide an awful lot of secondhand car for the money…

Audi A3 (1996)

Without question one of the best compact cars of the 1990s, and a hugely important step for Audi as it introduced a Golf-sized three- and five-door hatchback to its line-up for the first time. It just couldn’t build them fast enough and the A3 and the fast S3 version won almost universal praise in every respect – we at Autocar rated it the very best car in its class.

Audi TT (1998)

There was no doubt the original 1998 TT was a quick car thanks to its 1.8-litre 180bhp turbo engine giving 0-60 acceleration in 6.1sec. Yet this 1998 two-plus two provided a lot to admire just standing still with its smooth, Bauhaus-inspired retro-futurism and slinky low roofline. There was nothing else quite like it, despite the fact that it was largely an A3 inside. Later models included a very appealing two-seater open roadster.

Audi Steppenwolf (2000)

Audi’s 1990s concept cars made tantalising display pieces, but this is probably the most significant and prescient one of the era, a compact crossover that heralded the leading design trend of the 20th century. It had three doors, a removeable carbonfibre hardtop, and a 3.2-litre V6 engine, and although you could never actually buy one its influence did eventually feed into the production Q3. Still looks great today…

Audi A2 (1999)

Audi returned to the city car in 1999 with the A2, a clever take on thrift with its all-aluminium construction, superb aerodynamic efficiency and narrow tyres. The three-cylinder diesel model could return an incredible 90mpg-plus, and the car came without an opening bonnet, just a service hatch for fluids and dipstick. Fascinating, clever, but expensive for its size.