Audi 80 B2 (1978–1986)

From B1 to B2: a bigger, quieter notchback

The B2 kept the recipe of the first Audi 80, a lengthways engine driving the front wheels in a three-box saloon, but every dimension grew. Development began in Ingolstadt in the early 1970s with three aims: a larger, safer and more modern car.

German references credit the first drawings to Claus Luthe. When he left for BMW, Giorgetto Giugiaro reworked the shape, with Ferdinand Piëch setting the brief. The result had a long, gently sloping bonnet, large rectangular headlamps, plastic bumpers integrated into the body, a lower beltline and more glass than the B1.

Audi also looked at estate and hatchback versions, inspired by the Audi 100 Avant of 1976, but kept the notchback. The Volkswagen Passat covered the estate role, so the B2 never had an Avant. English-language sources position it against the BMW 3 Series.

For the wider story of the nameplate, see the Audi 80 overview of all generations.

B2 chassis: MacPherson struts and a torsion-beam rear

The B2 rides on MacPherson struts with wishbones on a front subframe and a torsion crank axle at the rear. Steering is rack and pinion, and the brakes use a diagonally split dual-circuit system, so one front and one rear wheel keep braking if a circuit fails.

The quattro versions added a driven rear axle and a centre differential to the same layout, which is why they carry their own type code, 85.

Four-cylinder, five-cylinder and diesel engines of the B2

The B2 started with carried-over four-cylinder petrol engines and gained a much wider range within five years. The 1.3 came from the discontinued Audi 50, and the 1.6 from the B1 was offered in three outputs: 75 PS with a single-barrel carburettor, 85 PS with a Solex twin-barrel unit and 110 PS with fuel injection in the GLE of January 1979.

Gearboxes were four- and five-speed manuals, a three-speed automatic and the "4+E" layout, a four-speed box with a long economy fifth gear. That gear was the core of the Formel E version from February 1981, which also had an early start-stop system: the engine restarted when the driver pressed the clutch and the accelerator. It used about 1 L/100 km less than a standard car, but demand stayed below Audi's hopes.

The diesels arrived in August 1980, making the B2 the first Audi 80 that buyers could order with compression ignition. Modern counterparts are listed among diesel cars.

The 80 quattro: permanent four-wheel drive in a saloon

The Audi 80 quattro was presented in November 1982 as Audi's second permanent four-wheel-drive car and its first four-wheel-drive saloon; some sources date its introduction to August 1982. It was, in effect, the drivetrain of the Ur-quattro coupé of March 1980 without the turbocharger.

Twin headlamps, a front spoiler with fog lamps, a rubber rear spoiler and twin exhausts set it apart, and its smaller boot took only a space-saver spare. Spec databases quote 193 km/h (120 mph) and 9.1 seconds from 0 to 100 km/h, figures that should be treated as indicative.

Audi expected four-wheel drive to take 30 per cent of sales, a target the 80 quattro did not reach. After the 1984 facelift the quattro option spread to 1.8 four-cylinder versions as well.

The 1984 facelift and the Audi 90 spin-off

The August 1984 update gave the B2 wider bumpers and side mouldings, a more angular grille and headlamps, and larger two-part tail lamps in the style of the Audi 100 C3. The loading edge dropped to bumper height, and a new dashboard, fabrics and colours arrived inside.

The five-cylinder cars became a separate, better-equipped sister model, the Audi 90. European engines with catalytic converters were offered for the first time, and the 1.6 and 1.8 petrol units were renewed.

Audi 4000 and 5+5: the B2 outside Europe

Production of US-specification cars began in March 1979, and the B2 reached North America as the Audi 4000 for model year 1980. The first 1.6 with 76 hp was criticised as underpowered; a 1.7-litre long-stroke engine and a standard five-speed followed for 1981.

The 4000 5+5 of model year 1981 was a two-door with the 2,144 cc five-cylinder from the Audi 5000, rated at 100 hp, and a five-speed gearbox, an early form of the later Audi 90. The 4000 quattro followed with a five-speed manual as standard; German sources list the 4000S quattro engine as 2,226 cc with 88 kW (120 PS). Sources disagree on its start, giving spring 1983 or 1984. US cars had crash bumpers and quad sealed-beam headlamps.

B2 dimensions and weights

Original Audi figures were not available for this page, so the table uses spec-database values for a pre-facelift saloon. The quattro column shows how the four-wheel-drive car differs.

Safety before crash ratings

No Euro NCAP or comparable independent crash rating exists for the B2, because Euro NCAP only began testing in 1997. Safety rested on the structure Audi designed to be safer than the B1, the dual-circuit diagonal brakes and, on quattro models, better traction on wet and snowy roads. Airbags and the Procon-ten restraint system belong to later generations.

Choosing a B2 today

Octane's buying guide calls quattro models the most desirable B2s, thanks to their rarity, everyday usability and link with Audi's rally success. Front-drive cars are pleasant and practical but less sought after.

• Rust first: the B2 has no galvanised shell, so inspect the sills, wheel arches, door bottoms, boot floor and front strut towers before anything else. German references add that cars from the Emden plant, about 210,000 of them, have a reputation for corrosion.
• Four-cylinder engines: Octane advises preventive oil-pump replacement every 100,000 miles (161,000 km), proof of a recent timing-belt change, and checks for smoke from worn valve guides on high-mileage 1.8s.
• Carburettor cars: temperamental automatic chokes cause jerky running, and many cars now wear an uprated Weber carburettor.
• Gearbox: listen for second-gear synchromesh wear, and check for oil leaks, which can damage fifth gear.
• Parts: service items are often shared with the Golf and Passat, while B2-specific trim and panels are hard to find.

The B2 sits among Audi's classic cars and other German cars of its period; for the brand's later saloons, browse all Audi models.