An 18 Year Old Audi Goes 242 Miles Per Hour
While Audi’s Quattro all-wheel-drive system has been notorious for providing excellent control in slippery and changing conditions, very few have viewed it as an advantage on the salt pans of Bonneville. Beginning in 2008, Jeff Gerner set off on a journey with his UrS4 to set records, and this year, that’s exactly what he has done.
First, there is the place. Bonneville. It’s name alone strikes awe, and leaves any gearhead worth his salt (pun intended) with clammy hands, dilated pupils, and an accelerated heart rate. Straight line performance has never done anything for me, I am not a drag racing fan, but the pursuit of ultimate top speed has always pulled at my heartstrings.
Then, there is the car. If it were mine to pick, I likely would not have chosen the first gen S4, but when you sit down to contemplate it further, it seems more and more likely a candidate. The long wheelbase, autobahn aerodynamics, German reliability and build quality, combined with a Group B proven engine, it is hard to go wrong. A 2.2 liter 5 cylinder assisted with 32 pounds of boost certainly don’t hurt the equation either.
If you weren’t sufficiently convinced before, check out the in-car video, and this interview conducted between Mr. Gerner and QuattroWorld.com. Stuff of legends.
The “dab of oppo” at 1:49 is excellent. How would you like to experience a powerslide at over 190 miles per hour?
As if all that were not enough, here is video of his 2009 run, as well as a pull on a dynamometer taken sometime between the two events.
[Source: Four Ring Performance]
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Sorry, but I had to laugh at this statement as applied to an Audi: "German reliability and build quality."
Having owned a 200 Quattro turbo, that sentence got a snort out of me as well. Don't get me wrong, it was a really fun, fast, comfortable car. Reliable it wasn't.
As an aside, the kid I sold it to told me it was tapped out at 147.
I am curious as to what is so unreliable about Audis. I might want to get an old one.
Depends on the vintage.
Inaccessible turbos, suspension, transmissions, electrical issues, leaks of all sorts of liquids…
Other than that, they're great!
They seem like more trouble then they are worth. Why do people bother with them?
quattro.
I had a 2000 S4 (one generation newer than that shown in the video) for a few years. The reliability is somewhat of a nightmare. Over three years, I think it had three or four coolant leaks in different places, silicone intake hoses developed two holes/rips and had to be replaced, bypass valves stuck themselves, one wheel bearing, four tie rod ends and four cv joint boots – which all tore and leaked. Seriously. And I was one of the lucky owners that never had to replace the turbos. This is over the course of three years and 20k miles. I sold it with 88k miles on it because I couldn't afford to maintain it anymore.
But damnit, I loved the hell out of that car, and I WILL have another one.
Another victim of the 2.7TT… There must be something between markets too. We had a B5 1.8T that had no problem whatsoever. Another commenter here too. Both Euro. Every time I see someone speaking about atrocious Audi reliability it's a US version.
Hmmm… CIS fuel distributors with plungers that hang, causing flooding and stalling, flaky warm-up regulators, thermo-time switches and fuel pumps, fried wiring in the fuse box…
At least several years ago the prices for parts approached those of hyper-exotic cars. The old 5000S wasn't any more unreliable than any other car, it just cast 3X as much for the parts to fix it. It quickly becomes just not worth it and heads to the junkyard.
My best friend just sold his 01 B5 S4 because it was one thing after another…
like an addict he refused to admit he had a problem until he was completely out of money
car was fast, efficient, luxurious, and perfect in every single way except maintenance
Having owned 2 5000s, I have a soft spot for big Audis.
The only way this could been better is that it been an Avant.
Or a 5000…
Good for Mr Gerner!
Thank you for this post. As someone heading to Bonneville this summer as a spectator, or reconnaissance trip as my friend Greg has called it, this is right up my alley. Is it August yet?
I love Bonneville. I love the ultimate pursuit of speed. More than that, I love that it's ordinary folk who can live out their dream. Sure, it takes money to build a Bonneville rocket, but it also takes money for any sort of motorsport, and if you go to any oval track or drag strip on a Friday or Saturday night, you'll find guys who work their days in offices, plants, mills, and shops racing hard and enjoying it.
I love it.
I'd have gone with a 5000 or 200 too. They were slipperier, since they didn't need flared fenders to cover wide tires or the affected fake radiator shells of later Audis like this one.
An amazing accomplishment. And it's nice to see that, even without an apparent sponsorship, the Audi Works livery is there.
Beautiful, just beautiful. I get a lot of crap for my 5000Q at the track, but she hangs with 'em in the dry, and when it's wet, vengeance is mine. She's worth the trouble.
What I like most about this is it's geared in such a manner that it can start from a dead-stop without aid.
Almost like a DD…
Wait, it's an Audi. I want to get to work, some days….
/humor
I have owned:
1987.5 Coupe GT reliable no problems…never leak. 275,000 miles when I give it to my Nephew.
1990 CS. No problems ran sold it to my friends Happiest person 300K+ miles now.
1990 Coupe Quattro FUN, FUN and FUN…no leaks still on original clutch 200K+ miles just wind noise at the windows.
1985 UR-quattro Current own, known for unreliable starts with hot starts….BLA,…BLA….Never had a hot start problem again….I read the book fixed the problem….Just need to adjust ted once right and never fuck with it…..Your mechanic just never got train on quattros and CIS…Just need to know your car! and your mechanic skills.
Ur S4 same as this one, just flipped 200k. $60k new and never had an issue. Car is the best one I've ever owned and the motor is as good as the day I bought it. People who have problems with Audis either fail to maintain them with mechanics that know what the hell they're doing or don't maintain them properly, period.
These are awesome cars ant the 5 Cyl, inline turbo may be one of the best motors of all time.