Re: New to this list and the world of Audis

[phile@stpaul.gov (Philip J Ethier)]

> 1) As life long rear wheel drivers, the concept of fulltime 4 wheel
> drive will take some getting used to. Should the rear end get loose in a
> corner, I'm used to punching the throttle on the RWD to tuck it back in.
> Does this still apply with the Quattro, or will this condition simply
> not happen?

As long as you are not getting into the area of wheel-spin, the technique
you describe is correct for all cars with anything close to neutral
handling, regardless of drive setup.  "punching the throttle" perhaps
connotes too violent a procedure, but I suppose you must act quickly
sometimes.  Adding power causes the car to accelerate, transferring some of
the weight from the front wheels to the rear wheels and thus giving them
more traction.  At some point, the front will wash out as understeer. 
Powerful RWD cars introduce a red herring into this.  Too much power can
cause the rear wheels to spin, causing huge oversteer.  In the dry, I
cannot make the wheels spin on my Syncro, so perhaps this is not a problem
with the Quattro. 

> 2) On an icy curve (yes, we are in the great white north, an no, there's
> no snow here yet), the 4x4 trucks we drive like to pull to the outside
> of the corner. This would be the case with the Quattro as well?

If you spin all four wheels, the car will proceed in a straight line
(perhaps spinning on its polar axis!) tangent to the curve, just as if you
had locked the brakes.  This is the same thing that your 4x4 trucks would
do in the same instance.  Don't overdo the power on ice.
> 
> 3) Our manual lists the redline of the engine (2.3l 20v) as 6300 rpms,
> however the tach shows it as 7000. Which is it?

Dunno, but the rev limiter kicks in (and not gently, either) at about 6300
rpms in my Syncro.

> 4) Where can I get an overview of the Quattro's rally heritage 

Go to the library and get the book simply titled "Audi Quattro".  Most of
the pictures seem to show the cars airborne.

> (a sales rep we spoke to made some claims I can't quite believe)?

I have not heard your sales rep, but the truth is pretty astounding in this
case.  I especially liked the ones about Michelle Mouton and how she
dislikes it when the turbo spools down.  Her solution is to shift with the
throttle wide open and let the rev limiter worry about it.  She racked up a
lot of rally points this way, but what a shock to the machinery when she
drops the clutch!