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1998 Audi Cabriolet

1998 Audi Cabriolet

Published April 7, 2017 by Carter

Looking for a performance car? This isn’t it. It’s also about as far from a classic Audi as you could get in the U.S. market; there was no turbo, no inline-5, no manual and no quattro drivetrain. But the B4 Audi Cabriolet was ironically the last 1980s holdover for the company, and it survived until somewhat amazingly 1998 here, with the basic chassis construction from 1985. To the end, it remained a competent and handsome convertible, a conservative alternative to the more expensive Mercedes-Benz drop-tops and the flashier BMWs. The Cabriolet really only came in one configuration here, with the 2.8 liter V6 linked to the 4-speed automatic driving the front wheels. On the fly, this was a fine setup and certainly potent enough to rustle your hair, though it was far from lighting it on fire. Pricing at the end of the run was surprisingly high at $34,600 base price. Added to that were the packages many came with for the 1998 model year; Premium Package added a power roof, burled walnut wood trim; Kodiac leather seat upholstery, remote locking and alarm. Ironically for the convertible, the “All Weather Package” added heated front seats, heated windshield washer nozzles, and heated door locks. Also optional for the end of the run were the Votex Competition 16″ 6-spoke alloy wheels and even high backed sport seats; both (especially the latter) are very rare. Today the market ignores these last B4s, and often they can be had for a song:

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1997 Audi Cabriolet

1997 Audi Cabriolet

Published September 5, 2015 by Carter

The Audi Cabriolet might be the least popular modern Audi made in the used market. Considering the number of unpopular, or at least notoriously unreliable (correctly or incorrectly) Audis out there, that’s saying something. For one, I think it’s unjust, but I think it’s understandable. First off, the B4 Cabriolet only came to the U.S. with one engine configuration; the venerable 2.8 V6. That’s not much of a surprise, though, since nearly every Audi sold between 1993 and 1997 had that motor. But there was no all-wheel drive option, unlike the two models that replaced it (The B6 cabriolet and the TT cabriolet) – nor was there a manual option, which at very least was available in the sportier TT. On top of that, the B4 chassis was quite old by 1995, and Audi decided to retire it. Though refreshed in 1992, it was ostensibly the same chassis that had been introduced in late 1986 in Europe with the B3. Despite that, and the introduction of the new B5 A4 model in 1996, Audi had the B4 Cabriolet soldier on until 1998 in the U.S. market. As such, it’s often discounted as a soft, unreliable and old package when there were newer, flashier – and importantly for some, faster options such as the BMW M3 convertible. Yet, every time I see an Audi Cabriolet, I can’t help but stare a bit. Just like the Audi 90CS quattro Sport I wrote up a few weeks ago, it’s a lovely design; handsome and striking, yet understated and special looking. That was especially true of the late run Cabriolets with the optional 16″ Speedline-made “Competition” wheels. Add the optional and additional cost Pearlescent White Metallic and select the Wine Red interior, and this is a rare – and classy – package on a budget:

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1991 Audi 80 quattro RS2-spec

Published December 12, 2014 by Carter

In the realm of German cars, Audi seems to be the unappreciated marque when you go back a few generations. But even then, amongst the leper colony of Audi products that no one wants, the Audi 80 quattro is close to King. I say close to King, because truth be told I think there are even less appreciated products from this time – the front drive Audi 100, for example. But go to 1991, and within Audi all enthusiasts are generally interested in is the 200 20V quattro, the Coupe quattro, and occasionally someone will mention the V8 quattro 5-speed. The 80 quattro, though, was one of the smartest options if you wanted a robust, small all-wheel drive sedan. True, the switch from B2 to B3 gained a fair amount of weight and not much more power from the NG 2.3 liter inline-5. It felt, if anything, a bit slower off the line than the 4000 quattro had been – a car not noted for it’s straight line dominance. But its unpopularity ironically made it quite popular as a tuning platform; after all, it does share some DNA with the much loved RS2. In this case, the builder of this car has thoroughly upgraded this B3 to new levels of power and performance: