Five-Cylinder Frenzy

THE 2018 AUDI RS3 AND TT-RS WARBLE INTO THE U.S. MARKET

- Michael Febbo

If you’re reading this, I’ll bet dollars to donuts you know all about the Bur Quattro, the original Quattro Coupe sold in the United States from 1983 until 1986. Supposedly, 664 cars were imported— legally at least; a few more made it in somehow. In 1983, the techno-wonder debuted with a price tag of $35-large, a decent amount more than the Porsche 911 at the time. Sporting big box-flares, a turbocharged inline five-cylinder engine, and most importantly all-wheel drive (unheard of in performance cars in the 1980s), the Quattro was the true car-geek’s performance choice. The turbo five cylinder continued on for several years in different platforms, but it never had the same impact of the Bur Quattro. There is a reason we are still talking about it.

When Audi brought the turbocharged inline-five back in 2010, it lived under the hood of the first TT-RS; enthusiasts rejoiced. Partly for the return of the iconic warble produced by the odd-numbered engine, but also at the thought that it might end up under the hood of something like the S5 or even the Quattro Concept, which Audi began teasing not long after the announcement of the engine. I was one of those enthusiasts. I thought the TT-RS was a fantastic idea, and although I didn’t get to drive one until the car made it to the States in 2012, I still loved dreaming about the possibility of a five-cylinder-powered S5.