HISTORY // THE 1989 IMSA-GTO AUDI 90 QUATTRO

With only basically the shell remaining to represent the 80's styling of the German Audi 90 Saloon the IMSA-GTO series car was a truly awesome "Silhouette" race car. With four wheel drive and the final development of Audi's 2.1L turbo five cylinder engine producing up to 720BHP the car was a shock to the system in the states when it was fully introduced in 1989.

With the series running regulations allowing 14" rims, now an all wheel drive car could put an amazing amount of power down with minimal loss of traction, so much so that after their debut race around the streets of Miami which saw both cars retire with gearbox and differential problems due to the massive forces that were developed, Audi had to beef up the drivetrain substanially before the next race at Summitt Point. It certainly did the trick with the stunningly powerfull yet agile cars taking an easy one-two finish... [read more]

1989 would see the 90 Quattro take seven wins by season end with Hans Stuck taking third place in the championship along with Audi claiming second in the manfacturers rankings.

All this with according to the Audi archives only four months of testing before its debut in the IMSA series. Surely if Audi had entered the car in the two long distance events that formed part of the 1989 championship they may well have secured the title.

Following their dominance around the short to mid distance races during 1989 this particular version of the car was quickly outlawed by the series organisers at the end of the year.

To enjoy the unique sound of Audi's five cylinder wonder take a short ride with Stuck's team-mate Hurley Haywood at Del Mar California back in 89'





And for readers who want a little more of the Audi "Wastegate Audio Experiance" we recomend a pair of high end Sennheiser's to appreciate the frequency detail in this "Ear Candy" Clip.




Photo: Audi
Editorial: Neil Tozer