The history of Audi Sport, part 4: A new era dawns

In 1980, to drive one of these must be outrageous

I think it might be one of the coolest road cars ever made

Because one word, this is still a really quick car. And you just shouldn't be able to do this in a wagon, should you

One of those examples where a group of engineers I've just absolutely nailed it

Still every bit as good as it was way back in 2007

Looking back, you must have a favourite car. I know it's a tricky question, but do you have one favourite

you're gonna ask that so early on can you give me one and a half cars one and a half and a bit

anyway the one of them will be the reds audi sport quattro it will because it's a good looking car

i've not been around one for many a decade for so long as what we've had over the last few days here

and it's a piece of kit it's just lovely thing to look at still quick enough to be quick it's a

a lovely place to be. So it's in the sentimental box, I suppose

The track day box is gonna be the blue R8 the LMX one I mean that for me was holy guacamole It really was A couple of those corners

And it would just go and then it pulled and it pulled and it... Yeah, I was hat off impressed

You? Well, yeah, I think it's been great to reacquaint myself with the Mark I, if you like, R8

it's just a reminder of what a game-changing car that was and both whether it's the V8 or the V10

yeah it's it's a great car I really enjoyed that as I think you've probably worked out by now I

love the Tembo of Quattro I'm so surprised by that car it's the sweetest sweetest car really

tactile and involving and I just I didn't expect that that's been great what am I on that's three

already a b7 i love to b7 rs4 um i love that car so much sport quattro i mean how am i not putting

the sport quattro in that list i don't know it's a it's an embarrassment of riches really but yeah

the sport quattro is incredibly special definitely have that in the dream garage when i drove the

first the original quattro here i went oh it's not so bad i thought it would be all new that's

So did I. It held its own as 40 years old, 44 years old

Yeah, it's really impressive. I mean, I think it's only really the braking that is the obvious thing

But to be honest, that's the same with all old cars, really. If you drive the mile down the track, it's usually the first thing that shows a weakness or shows its age

But you know apart from that it was actually I think to really enjoy it which was really surprising I never expected that at all You driven some cars in period and then you come back and drive them now like that B7 RS4

I drove it at Silverstone, and you drove it probably on the International Launch, wherever it was

And it was like, it's still holding its own. Whenever a car has its own unique persona and creates its own emotions in people

That never really dates. That recipe that it has, it's a unique recipe

Naturally aspirated V8 manual gearbox. Small, by modern standards, compact estate car

Takes on even more appeal. Now we look back and there's a lot in that car that we really cherish

I loved the car when it was new. I actually love it even more now

And I think it shines more brightly now, now that its qualities are harder to find

And I suppose really it's that changing of technology, petrol, diesel, hybrid

and here we still are now talking about electric vehicles and electric motorsport

and what they've done with Formula E and Dakar. It's the cycle again, isn't it, going forward

What they're doing with electric mobility is learning from it. It's not for everybody's taste or cup of tea, as we might say in the UK

but it is a different kind of mobility, maybe than the majority of eBay readers or motorsport freaks would like

But it there for now Will it move on Have we yet to discover something else Arguably yes It not necessarily the answer

It's just a path of where we need to get to. It's just a way of proving technology

like the Volkswagen Iltis did when it won the Dakar back in late 70s, early 80s

That's what keeps engineers and designers going. Who would ever have designed an R8

But they did, thank the Lord. You could never have designed an estate car, the RS2, the blue one

But thank goodness that they did, because it spawned other manufacturers to do it as well, still to this day

Yeah, so I need to be open-minded, that's what you're saying. I should be open-minded. I'm a bit more open to design a car for what it's supposed to do

because not one car can do everything. Fair enough, and we've got other things to look forward to, haven't we

Their return to Formula 1, 2026. and in the meantime we're looking at electric performance for the road on a whole new level

with the rse tron gt which um if nothing else will certainly not be slow from my perspective

yeah the previous one was very very rapid that's not the bit that is potentially the game changer

it's how it drives can they make it a more engaging driving experience that's really what

we're interested in the speed and yeah that's not in doubt but how it drives for me that will be the

acid test okay i get that i get that i get that well let's see what it's like we need to do a few

more laps yeah come on then does it stop railing