Depraved motor musings

[quk@sievers.com (Phil Payne)]

In message <v01530500af5be7d13830@[194.134.3.20]> tnas@euronet.nl (Tom Nas) writes:

> Audi built about 20 late-seventies 5Ks with updated Ro80 engines for
> testing purposes. See Road & Track, March '78 (or Road & Track on Audi &
> Auto Union, Vol. 1). Easy fit, and the radiator could be mounted in front
> of the block.
> Con: 13 mpg...

At that time, Piech had already committed to high-economy vehicles.  The 
cyicism with which his intentions were greeted by "Stern" backfired on them 
when he actually delivered on his promises.  I well remember the issue when 
they grovelled: "Herr Piech hatte Recht".
 
There's a little island of Ro80 capability in a small garage in Schwannheim on 
the outskirts of Frankfurt - they have at least three cars of their own and a 
whole collection of engines that were tried in different vehicles.  I think 
there was even a mid-engined variant of the VW bus.  I still like the R080's 
shape - there's more than a little of it in the new A6, twenty years on.
 
Fuel economy was one issue, but I think the rotor seals were a much greater 
problem - the engine was hard to get past 90k kilometres.  Hard?  
Impossible.  Back then I didn't think this was much of an issue - but it's 
since become obvious that Audi was thinking ahead.

Plus, of course, it demanded a service rethink - you built the engine up from 
the gearbox flange, standing on its end.  

--
 Phil Payne
 phil@sievers.com
 Committee Member, UK Audi [ur-]quattro Owners Club