Re: 5-speeds

[steveb@falcon.kla.com (Steven Buchholz)]

> A little debat between my co-commuter (WMB driver) and I:
> He says that the A4Q is the first production model Audi to offer Quattro 
> with an auto transmission.  I say no, that the A6 had it before, as well as 
> earlier models.  Who is right?

JON ... Jon.  I'm surprised that you would even ask ... of course you are 
right!  You ARE the Audi owner after all.  :-)

Shef had the right answer WRT slusher, but mis-stated the 5-speed issue ...

> 	If memory serves the V8Q was the first Quattro to be offered in America
> with an automatic transmission. I think the first year the V8 was offered it
> could be had with stick or auto. after that year, '90?, it could only be had
> with an automatic. European offerings were/are probably different:-/
> 
close ... must be getting a little fuzzy there Shef ;-)

1990 was in fact the first year the V8q was available in the USA ... but it 
was only available with an automatic tranny.  I remember the complaints that
Audi would go from a situation where there were only MT quattros to one where
an MT was not even available.  

1991 was the first [and only] year that the V8q was available with a 5-speed.
I still have the AutoWeek issue that has the review of the 5-speed V8q ...

I don't think that an automatic quattro was available even in Europe before 
the V8q.

And I was surprised to infer from the microfiche that even the '91 200Q/20V 
still had a lockable open diff in the back.  This may mean that the only car 
that had the rear torsen was the V8q ...

Steve Buchholz
s_buchho@kla.com
San Jose, CA (USA)