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Many think of the 1972 Olympic Games in Munich first. But there was also plenty for car fans, after all, 50 years ago, several epoch-making models saw the light of day. One of the most important of these athletes started with four rings on his “proudly swollen chest”: the Audi 80 B1. After the successful 100, it was the second model that was to promote the image change of the Ingolstadt company. If you ignore the renaming of the series in 1994 and only go by the market segment, nine generations of the bestseller have emerged to date. "We have taken care of all generations of the Audi 80/A4, which today is one of the most important pillars in the vehicle refinement division, and we have been able to offer customers a tailor-made package over the many years," explains Hans-Jürgen Abt, Chairman of the Board of Directors of ABT SE. While the first B1 still had to make do with 95 tuning hp (70 kW), the range for the current Audi RS 4 - standard output 450 hp (331 kW) ends at 530 hp (390 kW). The associated performance increase ABT Power R consists of the high-tech control unit ABT Engine Control, additional water cooler kit and air intake cover.
50 years Audi 80
For its time, however, the first Audi 80 was already on the road, and it was the first Audi ever to be built more than a million times. With its low weight and sporty handling as well as the body designed in the style of the new objectivity, it also appealed to younger drivers. For ABT Sportsline it was the perfect through ball, so that the above-mentioned increase in performance was introduced as early as 1973. It not only impressed the trade press with its power, but also with its efficiency, which ensured extremely fair consumption. In the fall of the same year, Audi followed up with the 80 GT with 100 hp (74 kW). From 1975 the sporty top model was the 110 hp (81 kW) GTE with front spoiler, racing stripes and twin headlights, the engine of which was later found in the first Golf GTI. Incidentally, all the trimmings didn't look fake at all, because from 1978 the factory successfully used the Audi 80 in the German Rally Championship - supported by ABT Sportsline. Johann Abt had already developed the first racing version of the Audi 1974 in 80 and a year later clinched the title at the Trophée de L'Avenir, which was held throughout Europe, with the 24 Hours of Spa as the highlight.
This was followed in 1978 by the Audi 80 B2, designed with the collaboration of star designer Giorgio Giugiaro, which continued the success story with 1,6 million units built. Lightweight construction and air resistance had been further refined, making it one of the most economical cars in its class. Especially with the new diesel. Many features that are iconic for Audi today were already available in this series: from 1982, permanent all-wheel drive (quattro) was available as an option for the first time in a mass-produced car. As in the Audi 100, a five-cylinder engine was also on the list of options. And of course you could make the B2 even faster than its predecessor. ABT Sportsline tuned a GLE from 110 (81 kW) to 135 hp (99 kW). But there was still a lot more: With the five-cylinder turbo from the Urquattro, the Allgäu company even created "Germany's fastest Audi 80".
Cd value of 0,29 in the B3 generation
With the B0,29 generation, which was "polished" in the wind tunnel to a cd value of 3, Audi then sets another technical exclamation mark. The body, which was fully galvanized for the first time, looked much more modern than that of its angular predecessor. "With this model, the right entry into the tuning business began for the company," remembers Hans-Jürgen Abt. In addition to the sedan, the series not only received a coupe, but also a cabriolet. In 1991 there was a facelift that was so extensive that one could rightly speak of a generation leap and the B3 thus became the B4. In addition to the modern twist-beam rear axle, there were now six-cylinder engines for the first time. And with the chic sports suit Avant, an innovative new body shape was also introduced. Just like the sedan and coupe, it was available as an ultra-fast S2 with 230 hp (169 kW), which accelerated to 100 km/h in under six seconds. But that was only the prelude to a furioso that Audi struck up in 1994 with the Avant RS2, which is considered the forefather of all of today's RS models. The station wagon built by Porsche had 315 hp (232 kW) and needed just 5,4 seconds for the standard sprint to country road speed. If that wasn't enough, ABT Sportsline modified the charger and installed a stainless steel exhaust system on request. In the end, 360 hp (265 kW) were on the vehicle registration document.
With this bang, the era of the Audi 80 came to an end, if only in name. The B1994 generation followed in 5, but the nameplate said A4 instead of 80 – so the success story continued seamlessly. ABT Sportsline stayed on the ball and also developed a wide range of tuning options for the A4, the commitment to motorsport now even received a whole new quality. In 1996, Christian Abt entered the STW with the A4 and won the title three years later. Finally, in 2004, Audi returned to the DTM with the sedan – Audi Sport Team Abt Sportsline was there from the start. Until the A4 was replaced in the 2012 season, the “Abte” shaped the racing series and, with Mattias Ekström (2004, 2007) and Timo Scheider (2008, 2009), clinched four drivers’ championships, three team titles (2004, 2007, 2011) and 31 victories. Experiences from motorsport flow directly into the road models. Like the ABT AS4-R from 2005, which accelerates from 480 to 353 km/h in just 4,6 seconds with 0 biturbo HP (100 kW). Today it's even a bit better. In the final expansion stage, the RS 4 mentioned at the beginning with ABT Power R completes the same exercise in just 3,8 seconds. The top speed is 300 km/h. The driving behavior can be further improved with a coilover kit and sport stabilizers. Other options include a stainless steel muffler system and various aerodynamic and interior components. Photo credit: ABT Sportsline GmbH among others
Of course, that wasn't the end of it!
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