The Audi 200 is a performance variant of the Audi 100 first made in 1979 and available until 1994.
Audi 200 Introduction and Engine Options
Unveiled at the 1979 Frankfurt Motor Show, the Audi 200 featured a sporty 5-cylinder engine that came in naturally-aspirated and turbocharged versions. The naturally-aspirated 2.1L engine produced 134 horsepower (136 PS), while the turbocharged 2.1L pumped out an impressive 168 horsepower (170 PS). In 1983, an updated Audi 200 came to the market, about a year after the updates came to the Audi 100 which shared most of the same components. It now had several versions of a 2.2L 5-cylinder engine offered, ranging from 165 PS to a whopping 220 PS. Some variants had a middle ground performance of 200 PS. The top speed of the 1983 Audi 200 Turbo was an astonishing 139 mph (224 km/h), which was a great performance for a vehicle that was originally based on the Audi 100 with 100 PS output. Audi had made many changes allowing for increased performance while still keeping in tune with relatively high fuel economy figures. The highest performance engine, reaching 220 PS with a reported 0 to 60 mph time of less than 7 seconds, came in the 1991 engine with 20-valves known as the 3B engine in the Audi 200 20v. One could distinguish this performance-focused Audi 200 from the 100 with the flared rear wheel arches that allowed for larger rear tires.
Motorsports History
The Audi 200 Turbo Quattro was used in high performance motorsports. It was entered into the Trans-Am Series in 1988 and brought out the permanent four-wheel drive performance to dominate. It won eight out of thirteen events. The regulators, SCCA, would eventually change the rules to force two-wheel drive only and banned all non-American engines. It seemed that the Audi 200 Turbo Quattro was far ahead of the time and engineering available to other makers in that racing world. The 200 Turbo Quattro was also used in the Group A rally racing as a replacement to the Audi Quattro. It became the first four-wheel drive car to win the Safari Rally with Hannu Mikkola behind the wheel. The Quattro technology brought out by the Audi team was a distinguishing mark in motorsports and motor engineering history. By showing that four-wheel drive was not necessarily restricted to large trucks, but instead can be used for increased traction and performance on smaller cars, they brought a new world of fun to the streets. By 1994, Audi discontinued the Audi 100 and 200 models in favor of the A6 and S6.
Blemished History
The Audi 200 was part of the model group, also including the Audi 100 and Audi 5000, which suffered a dramatic, public safety-issue related drama. Reports of sudden unintended acceleration came about and forever tarnished the brand’s reputation. In one very strange twist, the CBS television program 60 Minutes reported about the potentially threatening acceleration and claimed that they were able to mimic the event. They aired such reproduction to the public. However, 60 Minutes failed to disclose that their own production team had manufactured the effect for the show’s recording with specialized devices, and was subsequently sued by Audi. Regardless, Audi still faced the charges of unintended acceleration and implemented various fixes to address the issue. Sales still plummeted, most likely leading to the future name changes that Audi would bring to the table in years coming. For a car that had won the hearts of so many people, becoming Audi’s first 1-million unit model, it was a bit of a sad tale and one that stuck with Audi for years to come. While we may never know the exact cause of the reported acceleration problems, it was sure that the cost was felt at the company itself.