The speed record holder defended himself against a bad reputation. Regardless of the lawsuits, the technology fascinates as much as the simple shapes of one of the first four-wheelers in a sedan.
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The 1980s seem to be a lot of fun, as everything from vehicles to music to clothing to TV culture is instantly identifiable to the stage in history when the signature Audi 5000CS Turbo Quattro debuted. The mid-1980s icon was one of the first to offer permanent all-wheel drive on a production sedan. The Germans introduced the certain traction of the three-compartment body into mass production approximately three decades before the advent of the modern stage of 4×4 drive in luxury cars.
The front-wheel-drive 5000 four-door sedan of the time was introduced in 1978 as a replacement for the aging 100LS. In the following years, the S, S Wagon and CS Turbo versions were gradually revealed, from which the top version of the CS Turbo Quattro supersedan was created.
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Over a ten-year production run of more than 830,000 units, the successful Audi 5000 established itself as a sought-after and influential vehicle, as continued buyers enriched the roads with a premium in a unique package hiding powerful engines, progressive powertrains and pioneering aerodynamic styling of a conservative design.
Success breeds envy, and even the sharp-cut Audi was not immune to a tarnished reputation, which took place, for example, at recall events. Sales in the United States declined steadily between 1983–1987, one of the main reasons being cited as repeated servicing of manufacturing backlogs. Mass warranty repairs were preceded by approximately 700 accidents and six deaths. At the time, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) was investigating 50 different models from 20 manufacturers for suspected electronics problems.
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On November 23, 1986, CBS broadcast a report called “Out of Control” on the 60 Minutes news program. The report included interviews with six individuals who sued Audi for self-acceleration. The prosecution was to be supported by video footage showing the Audi 5000 allegedly accelerating despite the brake pedal being depressed.
Subsequent inspection found that television may have played a part in the non-standard course of the filmed drive. The NHTSA upheld the lies, denying in court that the acceleration-related incidents were caused by driver error rather than any mechanical or design problem, yet the Germans lost their reputation for reliability. The unproven problems mirrored the sales slump, with Audi 5000 deliveries in the US falling 84.3% to just 7,497 between 1985 and 1991. Even renaming the model to 100respectively 200the marketing ploy was just a futile attempt to distance the car from the scandal.
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Regardless of the blame for hundreds of accidents and wasted human lives, the Audi 5000 era gave the motoring world an extremely capable flagship CS Turbo Quattro. The technology used and the car’s dynamics are worth looking back at more than the unproven threat of unpredictable behavior. If handled correctly, the five-seater supersedan is a problem-free highway express.
The liquid-cooled in-line five-cylinder OHC with a volume of 2.2 liters deserves admiration in particular. The longitudinally mounted gasoline unit had a bore-to-stroke ratio of 81:86.4 millimeters with a compression of 7.8. Gasoline combustion was seconded by Bosch injection, with the KKK turbocharger increasing output to 118 kW (160 hp) at 5,500 rpm. Peak torque of 225 Nm was available after revving the turbocharged five-cylinder to 3,000 rpm.
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The serial configuration with a total weight of approx. 1.5 tons was issued with a manual transmission, acceleration to 100 km/h was achievable in the highest (fifth) gear in nine seconds, and the revolutionary turbo engine pushed it up to a value of 210 km/h.
Powerful technique formed the basis of the new record. As part of a rescue operation against falling sales, Audi devised a speed record breaking. A very media-friendly event took place on March 4, 1986 at the Talladega Superspeedway oval in Alabama. Less than 4.3 km of the uniform circuit was enough for an average pace of 332.88 km/h, which corresponds to a speed of over 350 km/h on the straights. The engine with an output of approx. 660 horsepower (485 kW) turned up to 7,700 rpm, therefore reinforced injectors, dry lubrication, titanium pistons and connecting rods and a more capable cooling system had to be used.
The exterior body shapes were also revised, the coefficient of air resistance was 0.33. The reduced Audi also went through a defatting treatment, together with the driver Robert Unser, the resulting weight was around 1.1 tons. The multiple champion kicked off the Audi 5000 promotional tour of the United States with a record.
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