March Hot Car – 1984 Audi Sport Quattro 

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From Photographer Matt Wetzel…

“In the golden era of racing, manufacturers were required to produce certain numbers of “road going” versions of their race cars, in order to compete in classes like Le Mans, touring car, and Group B rallying. This saw the unveiling of some of the fastest, and most radical cars that we had seen yet, and also produced some of the world’s most coveted and sought-after cars. 

“The same holds true to the car you see above; it’s one of the rarest Audis created, and certainly one of the quickest. The car was a stripped down, fast, wider, and shorter version of Audi’s standard Quattro, which had dominated the rally scene for several years prior. Audi was looking for ways to improve the already dynamite car, and thus created the Sport Quattro. They shortened the chassis length by 12.6 inches, made the fender flares an inch wider, and modified the windshield angle, all so there was less glare for the racing drivers. Couple these modifications with a 20 valve, large turbo engine (this car was rated at 302 HP) and it was a rocket. The car is quite a handful to drive and, as a result, many of the cars have been crashed in their lifetime. The pictured example has been crashed twice, once at the hands of John Buffum, one of Audi’s professional rally drivers that drove even more powerful cars in competition. This echoes just how powerful and tricky the street version of the Sport Quattro was. 

Values of these cars most likely will keep increasing; prices at recent auctions are upwards of $400,000 USD. Since the cars were produced in limited quantities and they can only get rarer as time goes on, expect a solid investment, and a very enjoyable car. There are only a handful of 4 or 5 cars in the United States, so if you have a chance to see one, or even purchase one, you should certainly do so.” 

More about Matt

Matt Wetzel is a twenty-year-old automotive photographer based in Buffalo, NY.

To see more of his work visit www.facebook.com/mattwetzelphotography