Audi's 700-HP World Rally Monster Still Has The Goods 40 Years Later

Audi's legendary Sport Quattro S1 was a powerhouse of international rally in the Group B era of the 1980s, but due to its short wheelbase it was always a bit difficult to drive and resulted in lots of crashed cars. With the even faster Group S regulations set to hit the stage for 1987 Audi was preparing an even faster mid-engine version of the Quattro that it called RS 002. With even wilder aerodynamics and more power at the forefront of Group S, Audi's RS 002, spearheaded by Audi Sport boss Roland Gumpert (later of Apollo fame), promised to be a next step in the evolution of rally. Group S was killed before the RS 002 could ever run in anger, but Audi had already built two prototypes. A few years ago Audi Tradition went to the effort of recommissioning one of the RS 002s as a demonstration of its capabilities and as a historic ambassador for the sport and the four-rings brand. 

Ken Block drove this one when he signed as an Audi driver, it visited the Goodwood Hillclimb recently, and this week was running in a big-dollar festival of everything over-the-top automotive called The Ice. As it turns out, the old Audi can still kick up quite a bit of ice when it wants to. Audi handed the keys to "Mister Le Mans" Tom Kristensen, and let the 57-year-old Dane cook. This is the result.  

There's something so satisfying about the rasp of a mega-turbocharged 2.1-liter inline-five engine tuned up to full bonkers mode. This will always be the sound of rally to me, no matter how long Subaru builds turbocharged flat fours. Group S could have been an incredible piece of rallying history with higher speeds and more control than drivers had ever experienced before, pushing the sport to ever higher peaks. The unfortunate deaths of drivers and spectators alike in the 1986 season were detrimental to the sport and I don't think rally has ever fully recovered to what it once was. Sure, the cars are faster today than they ever were in the 1980s, but the verve, the fervor, and the fanaticism never really returned. Thankfully we can still see glimpses of the potential that Group S held in demonstration runs for cars like this one. Great work getting this one back out where people could see it, Audi. Hats off to you.