Impossibly rare Audi Sport Quattro for sale

Thanks to fame hoovered up elsewhere, not least in TV and film, the Audi Quattro enjoys the sort of prominence that dramatically exceeds its rallying success. But the Sport Quattro, the shortened version born of necessity, is a different proposition. Quasimodo to the earlier model’s leaner proportions, and vanishingly rare, it enjoys none of the same cultural recognition outside of the enthusiast echo chamber. You’ll be lucky to ever see one on the road in the UK, where it was never officially sold, given there were only ever believed to be 200 road cars in total.

And yet it ranks alongside the Ferrari F40 and Porsche 959 in terms of coveted ‘80s icons. For many of the same reasons, too. True, the motorsport version was Audi’s response to the cutthroat (and increasingly unhinged) situation that was Group B at the time, the engineers exorcising 320mm from the Quattro’s wheelbase in the pursuit of greater agility – but by the introduction of the S1 in 1985, it was the power (and its experimental gearbox) that seemed bonkers. The final factory cars were genuine 600hp monsters. 

The homologated road car less so, but you still got 306hp from an all-aluminium KKK-turbocharged, 2.1-litre inline-five, back when a hot hatch did well to muster 150hp through a single axle. The BMW M5, also launched 40 years ago and revered for its preposterous performance, was 20hp less potent than the Sport Quattro. We would be a long way into the Evo and Impreza story for both to officially surpass the Sport Quattro’s power figure. Talk about a line in the sand. 

As the ultimate evolution of such an epochal performance car, the Sport Quattro has been an enthusiast pin up for decades. We welcomed an Audi just like this one into the PH Heroes Hall of Fame back in 2022; back then John Howell described it as having ‘amazing performance’, but with a driving experience of equally epic quality: ‘The engineering principle of the engine’s positioning may be flawed, but the execution of excellent engineering elsewhere is plain to see. It’s evident in the performance, the body control, the brakes, the ride comfort and the everyday usability.’ So there we are.

For a period, the fact that the Sport Quattro was so scarce, boasted only niche appeal and looked a bit odd against the handsome, well proportioned standard car kept values somewhere near attainable. But as homologation specials have become the next wave of collector must-haves, prices have soared like the rally cars on the 1000 Lakes. They were hardly like bargain basement Escorts of old, but back in 2012 there was a green example for sale on PH at £150k; these days that looks like it would have been a canny investment for those who could, especially in such a rare colour.

Because this red one is now more than £600k. £624,991, to be precise; interestingly it’s only been with its current owner since purchase at the Goodwood Revival last year, though prior to that it had been in the same ownership since 1994. Wonder what they paid for it then. The Sport Quattro has covered just over 40,000 miles in 40 years of driving, landing in the UK back in ‘86 having been built the year before. It must be one of just a handful here, if there’s even that many. For the rally collector who must have it all, this looks an absolute stunner. MOT exempt now, too…

Engine: 2,133cc five-cyl turbo
Transmission: 5-speed manual, four-wheel drive
Power (hp): 306@6,500rpm
Torque (lb ft): 258@4,500rpm
0-62mph: 4.8 sec
Top speed: 155mph
MPG: N/A
CO2: N/A
Year registered: 1986
Recorded mileage: 41,000
Price new: £50,000
Your for: £624,991

See the original advert here