How rare is it to find a US-spec V8 4.2 quattro? Well, to put it into some perspective, I don’t think that there is anyone on the internet that writes about V8 quattros more than I do, and the last time I looked at a US 4.2 was in 2018. Yep, that rare.
Audi sold some 2,823 1990 models between late 89 and the end of the model year. Another 527 ’91s were imported. But the 92-up models, which had the 4.2 and light revisions to the interior as well as conventional G60 brakes? Those were scarce when new. Audi sold 270 92s, 170 ’93s, 77 ’94s, and a single model left a dealership as an act of defiance in 1995. Yep, that’s it. Jut 518 were sold in the US, putting it on the rarity scale of models like the BMW M1 (453 produced). And since it wasn’t a BMW M1, but a large German executive sedan that was reasonably complicated, they fell off the radar pretty quickly as the original owners traded them in on the next best thing, while downstream owners struggled to keep the relatively unknown model going. I certainly fell into that camp; owning a just 11-year-old 1993 model at the time, it should have been pretty nice – but in comparison, my now 13-year-old 135i is far more reliable. Car technology changed a lot during that period, as did the availability of parts. Quite a few V8s also gave their lives for others; the motors were popular upgrades for the earlier and more desirable manual models, for example. Yet here we are, with a running V8 quattro from 1993 for sale…so let’s take a look!
CLICK FOR DETAILS: 1993 Audi V8 4.2 quattro on eBay
Year: 1993
Model: V8 4.2 quattro
VIN: WAUBW84C6PN001884
Engine: 4.2 liter V8
Transmission: 4-speed automatic
Mileage: 144,000 mi
Location: Sacramento, California
Price: No Reserve Auction
Audi Other. rare 1993 with 4.2 liter V8. Many new parts: tires, fuel oump, fuel lines, ignition components, wheel bearings, suspension parts. Nice paint, no dings on body. Always starts. No drivability issues
So we have a California V8 with not a lot of information, some later-model wheels with the wrong offset, and a color a little too dark for me to really make out exactly what it is – it could perhaps be Opal Mica Pearl, but it’s hard to say with certainty without seeing better shots or the paint code. There’s little disclosed about what works, what doesn’t, and what work has been done – so you definitely would want to spend a bit more time asking questions before plunking down a lot of money. Still, this one isn’t a lot – only $4,000 currently – and looks quite nice. Are you feeling lucky?
-Carter
Awesome! So cool to see a unicorn in the wild and nice it’s not pearl, haha. Hope it finds a good home.
Lago blue?
@JasonM – possible but I don’t think so. I had a Lago 200, and it is really a lot brighter than this car. It’d also be pretty unusual to have a dark interior in a Lago car – almost all of them that I’ve seen had Platinum interiors.
Unicorn for sure. These V8 Audis, along with the BMW e34 540i and Mercedes w124 400e were built in response to the Lexus LS400. Noteworthy cars, but I wouldn’t touch any of them with a 10 foot pole. The potential repairs bills on these 30 year old cars will put you upside down in any of them very quickly. The cars to have from this era are the 500e, M5 and to a lesser extent the Audi Ur S4. They will hold their value and have probably been better cared for.
@Greg – the V8 quattro actually came to market before the Lexus LS400 launched – they were available in 1988 in Europe. It’s a shame that they’re as overlooked as they are, because they really are very nice and well-styled cars that are a pleasure to drive.
I owned a 1992 V8 in Peral White and put 250k miles on it. Had it for six years and did a road trip from Seattle to Alaska when I bought it. Best car I ever owned but not cheap to maintain. Would I buy another one? In a heart beat.
90 V8 WAS MY FIRST CAR. SILVER WITH SAME COLOR INTERIOR. HAD BILSTEINS, H&RSPRINGS, 17 INCH BBS WHEELS, CAT BACK EXHAUST, 12 INCH SUBWOOFER….THOSE WERE THE DAYS