What's an Ur-q?

[glen.powell@smc.com]

  Excerpted from the QUATTRO SPECIAL issue of VW/Audi Car Magazine,
  October, 1995.

  .....What's it like on the road?

    As soon as you sit in an Ur-quattro, you remember all the virtues and
  faults of this model. The seats don't look as though they are
  particularly supportive, but they are; even on a long journey, you feel
  comfortable. Although the bolsters don't look big enough to keep you in
  place, they do so quite effectively and sliding in and out is easy.

    The height of the seat is noticeably lower than most Audis, giving
  headroom and a driving position which, while not as commanding as an S2,
  provides a good relationship with the pedals.....Although headroom is
  satisfactory, you are very aware of the rake of the screen.....Press the
  clutch pedal and you find that it requires a substantial amount of
  muscle.....

    As you drive away for the first time, you begin to realise the magic of
  the Ur-quattro. Its stance is low and wide and this is translated into a
  degree of stability which is quite outstanding. The centre of gravity is
  lower than the S2 and, as soon as you begin to corner, you realise that
  there is less roll. The suspension is firm without being harsh and there
  is sufficient spring travel to ensure that even deep holes in the road
  don't cause any jarring.....These days the S2 and RS2 no longer have the
  much criticized Servotronic steering, but they cannot compare with the
  directness and sharp response of the Ur-quattro's wheel......There are
  those who believe that the Ur-quattro was the high point of Audi
  production. Despite deriving immense enjoyment from quattros over the
  years, we've become skeptical about such claims. The later cars are more
  sophisticated and better suited to current driving conditions. That said,
  a week with this particular car taught us an important lesson: no other
  Audi has ever given us so much driving pleasure. You can put aside your
  RS2.....


  What they said!

  (poetic license taken via selective editing, see the archives for info on
  subscribing to WV/Audi Car Magazine, published in the UK)

  -glen