Has it already been two months since my last update on the project 1987.5 Coupe GT? It seems hard to believe, but the date doesn’t lie. In that time there have been, predictably, some successes and some setbacks, coupled with a fair amount of waiting for both parts and diagnosing the problems. If you want a refresher, you can check out the introduction piece on the new-to-me 1987.5 Audi Coupe GT “Special Build”, or Part 2 when I finally got it running. Now, what’s next? Well, as it turns out, a whole lot….
Comments closedTag: Typ85
Contrary to popular belief, most of the elements of the Quattro were not pioneering. It was not the first production car with all four wheel driven – that distinction goes to the Jensen FF, which beat the Audi to market with a luxury 4WD GT by a full 15 years. It was not the first car to introduce turbo technology, as many manufacturers had been playing with forced induction for some time. Notably, some of the team that developed the Quattro came from the halls of Porsche, having worked on projects like the 924 Turbo previously. Even the signature box flares were borrowed from the Group 5 cars that raced in the 1970s. But the Quattro was the first to put all of these elements together and set the blueprint for what would become a fairly standard hot package going forward. The Ford Escort Cosworth, Lancia Delta Integrale, Subaru Impreza 22B, and Golf Rallye are but a few of the many that copied Audi’s trendsetter. And while some that followed were dynamically better than the Audi, it still has a mystique somehow greater than the both the sum of its parts and its inherently flawed design:
CLICK FOR DETAILS: 1983 Audi Quattro on eBay
1 Comment
We usually try hard to steer clear of nefarious characters, both in automotive products but more often in sellers. Today’s 4000CS quattro comes from a flipper in the Pacific Northwest who has gained a well-deserved reputation in the rather close-knit classic Audi community for misrepresenting, over selling, incorrect information about the cars, high and unrealistic prices and my personal favorite – the inability to take a whole picture of the car with normal perspective. So why am I once again showcasing a car of his? Well, two-fold; I’d like to correct the once again poorly researched information he’s provided (and, he managed to provide TWO whole frame photos!), and it’s just so infrequent that we get to gaze on a reasonable condition 4000CS quattro that I thought it was worth a look. Can we see past the seller to find a potential reasonable ride?
CLICK FOR DETAILS: 1987 Audi 4000CS quattro on eBay
10 Comments
It’s always a bit of fun to see a GCFSB alumni pop up again; back in September of 2013 this particular Quattro appeared on these pages. Now, typically when we relist a car we’ve previously featured, we’ll do a “revisit”. But I’m not going to do that with this car for one simple reason; the change in price. You see, the current seller bought this car almost exactly two years ago to the day. I remember looking longingly at the listing and thinking that if I was in a slightly different place, this car had the prospect of being an incredible deal. Not only were few 1985 model Quattros imported, but to me they’re the best looking of the bunch and offer the upgrades of the later Type 85 chassis; better electronics, an updated dash and some trim bits and of course the classic 8″ Ronals. There were a lot of positives, including a respray, working air conditioning and recent maintenance. Despite that, it traded hands at $15,000 – a bargain for a legendary car in good shape with low miles. Well, if you missed the boat then, tickets for this ride have gotten slightly more expensive….as in, just over 5 times more expensive:
CLICK FOR DETAILS: 1985 Audi Quattro on eBay
1 Comment
I know, I know – another Audi B2 post. But hey, we hear about every single variant of 911 all the time too, and since I love the GTs I think they deserve to be showcased. There weren’t many special editions of the GT produced, but in 1986 Audi made an entire run of “Commemorative Design” cars. The 4000CS, 4000CS quattro, Coupe GT and 5000 models all got special upgrades and each were slightly different. The closest were the 4000 quattro and Coupe GT, which shared paint colors and interiors. The exteriors were either Graphite Metallic or Alpine White, but inside they shared the same lipstick red “Mouton” leather. While the quattro got the slightly uprated JT code 115 horsepower inline-5, the GT relied on the “KX” code motor with 110 ponies. The difference lay in the exhaust manifold; the GT unit was a 5-1 cast manifold, while the quattro had a beefier 5-3-1 exit, along with a larger diameter exhaust. However, the lighter GT was quicker than the all wheel drive variant; and thanks to the nature of the GT versus the quattro market, more of the special 1986 models have survived. The ’86 CE models also received the notorious digital dash, and if you selected Alpine White, they had color matched wheels, mirrors and rear spoiler. The color combination really makes the sharp Giugiaro lines stand out: