Top 10 Performance AUDIs: 3) Ur quattro 20V (1989-1991)

Ur quattro 20V (1989-1991)

No-one would ever dispute the inclusion of the Ur quattro amongst the top-10 Audi enthusiasts’ cars, but then comes the problem of which one of the three distinct generations, wR, mB or RR? Putting aside the short-wheelbase Sport quattro for a moment, as that is just too rare and specialised (and expensive!), we reckon you’d have to plump for the final 20V model as the ultimate incarnation of the road-going cars. In fact, the 20V was very much an after-thought as Audi had originally planned to cease production of the Ur quattro in 1988. Or maybe that was just a marketing ploy, because the following year it introduced the Ur quattro with the turbocharged 20-valve ‘RR’ engine, with a modest increase in power from 200 to 220 PS but with incredible torque characteristics, its peak torque of 310 Nm developed from just 1950 rpm! Forget turbo lag or ‘coming on the cam’, this engine produced incredible response from very low speeds, good all-round tractability, strong mid-range punch and a powerful top-end that would run to 6000 rpm. Audi claimed a top speed of 142 mph and 0-60 in 5.9 seconds, although our road testers at the time didn’t quite match that acceleration. In the real world, though, the 20V was significantly quicker from A to B than its predecessors. Typical fuel consumption was of the order of 25 to 30 mpg. The suspension and transmission were essentially the same as the earlier MB models, with MacPherson struts front and rear, vented front discs, ABS braking, 5-speed manual gearbox with an automatic Torsen centre diff and manually lockable rear diff to help transmit the torque to the road surface, no matter how loose or slippery it might be. The alloy wheels were the familiar Ronal R8 multi-spoke rims, size 8.0 x 15-inch, shod with 215/50 tyres. Externally, the 20V was not significantly different from the earlier models, with the trademark boxed wheelarches and front and rear spoilers.
Inside, the 20V had the orange digital dash, sports seats with Jacquard cloth and leather bolsters, a three-spoke sports steering wheel and a Blaupunkt Toronto radio-cassette with four speakers. A tilting and removable sunroof was specified as standard equipment for the 20V, but some cars seem to have been specially built without it. Undoubtedly, the Ur quattro 20V was the perfect swansong for the road-going range, and the most desirable option for regular road use, although inevitably many have since been upgraded further with engine conversions, suspension and brake upgrades and even fitted with the 6-speed manual gearbox from the later S2 which effectively superseded it as the flagship of the high-performance Audi range.