Audi 80

In 1972, Audi made its debut in the ranks of the Audi company, which later won the prestigious title “Car of the Year”, the hero was Audi 80. Thirteen years later, in 1986, during the period of August-September, the world saw the third generation of these cars in Ingolstadt (body series – 89).

The version with both leading axles was immediately put on the conveyor belt and named “Quattro”, having equipped the hood with the same as the Audi 80, except for the diesel engines. The whole model range is Audi.

The sedan classification models had four doors leading to a front axle, and under the hood there was an engine with four cylinders in the volume of 1.6-1.9 liters feeding on gasoline, and there was also a 1.6 liters turbodiesel engine. Two years later, the world saw a new two-liter gasoline engine, and a year later, in 1989, its upgraded version with 16 valves.

The mechanics in the car with a 1.6-liter engine was four or five-speed, there was also an automatic transmission with four stages. There was also a four-wheel drive version – “Quatro” on the conveyor. Restail sedan did not make himself long wait, and in 1991, to keep the 80th model on the market, Audi made some changes in the model and was born the last modification of “Audi 80”, the fourth generation (B4), which over the three years of production has managed to earn a good reputation among the drivers and in 1994, it was replaced by “A4“.

Exterior

For many years now, there has been a competition between carmakers – a race for better comfort. In turn, trying to go straight with BMW and Mercedes-Benz, Audi elaborates the design to the smallest detail, taking into account both appearance and interior of the car. Observing the history of the car, we can see that the number of variants of appearance was not small.

Starting from a convertible with two doors and into a flesh to a station wagon. This model received a lot of positive reviews and evaluations due to its body, which had excellent strength and anti-corrosion properties being completely galvanized. Its characteristic features nowadays have been acquired during many years.

In 1978, the company restyled its headlamps, moving away from round lanterns and replacing them with square-shaped ones. A large number of parts were dressed in chrome, which was characteristic not only of the specific model, but also of the company’s cars, namely, the frame of the glasses, the rims on both bumpers and even the molding on the doors had a chrome part.

Traditionally, significant changes in appearance were noticeable from all sides – optics, bumpers, etc., the appearance gained more and more streamlined and chubby features, to which Audi went since 1986. Modernization did not bypass the body design either – as a result, there are fewer interchangeable parts with older models, minus or plus to decide already the owner.

In 1991 Audi held the next and last restyl for the “eightieth” model (series of bodies – B4). Again, the shape of the front and rear parts became more streamlined, thus moving away from the sharp corners of old versions of the model to the end. The new false radiator grille was integrated with the hood (similar to the Mercedes). The bumper is now the same colour as the body. Already from the factory 15-inch wheels were installed.

Access to the boot was not only more convenient, but also varied in volume from 430 to 710 liters due to the backrest of the rear seat, which can now be folded back. This was made possible by the decision to move the fuel tank from behind the backrest, where it stole a significant portion of the boot volume. The backrests could now be lowered by one or both at the same time.

Interior

As it was mentioned above the interior of the salon took place and was improved, at designing designers, first of all, considered requirements of the user at different operating conditions. High operating comfort is provided by a well-functioning suspension, which behaves confidently both on high-speed motorways and on the dirt road (of course, in good working order) and plays its role in the measure of sensitive and accurate steering.

As always, Audi’s interior is ergonomic and has a good interior finish. Rear passengers may experience partial discomfort due to the low roof position and the low backrest without tilting. However, the situation changes from the front, it is quite comfortable and there are no problems.

Proof of this is the front seats performed in the best German traditions, allowing you to feel comfortable during the trip. On a driver’s seat it is impossible to miss that, as well as the forward panel, and a steering wheel are traditionally decorated with four rings.

Many elements of the interior that distinguish the established style of the company, though it cannot be called “refined”, are thought over and worked out on their conscience, carrying brevity and softness, at the same time demonstrating the strength and reliability of the car. From the very beginning, the model “80” with the body B4 was produced with a hatch on the roof.

The essential minus is that the steering column can not be adjusted, with the seat on the contrary, there is a possibility to adjust the headrest at the discretion of the front passenger in height and angle of inclination, the presence of this function tells us that the driver of any height will be quite comfortable to drive the car from such a cabin.

The front seats will allow both passengers to feel spacious and relatively well equipped, which cannot be said about the rear passengers, but it will not be very crowded for two passengers as well. For a long time there was no interior lighting in the car and was added only in the third generation of the model.

For the body of the B4, in 1991, the design department reworked the sealing of the cabin, which allowed to improve noise isolation, reducing dust and moisture permeability. In the same year, this model gained climate control. Audi 80 is the first car of the concern, which has found a sports colleague RS2, which was produced a little more than 2000 copies for the whole world.

The model was developed jointly with Porsche in 1994. The salon in this modification of the model has its own differences: the fabric finish, which looks more diverse, to substitute the classification, the replacement also received the dashboard and steering wheel, made in a correspondingly sporty style. However, the GRU was not installed on all versions of the model “80”, but this does not significantly change the impression of the trip.

Specifications

The car’s suspension is designed in such a way that the front suspension levers of MacPherson type are attached to the subframe, and the latter in turn is connected to the body by means of rubber-metal supports. The rear part is equipped with a continuous beam on the longitudinal levers, similar to the system was put “Muscovite” 41 model. On the way Audi-80 is a 1.8-litre wood with an engine, which is pleasant to see with its high speed.

It is not difficult to bring the engine to the maximum speed, but it is pleasant to hear not loud, but in a sporty way the sound exhaust. If the driver wants to put the arrow behind the 200 km/h mark, it will not force him to apply great effort. Such an advantage was obtained due to the engine of German production under the mark “DZ” with an output of 112 hp.

The timing unit is equipped with a camshaft that allows for more efficient control of gas distribution phases due to inlet valves added in diameter. Audi” owners equipped with a “normal” engine of 1.8 liters with 90 horses (say, RM), can enjoy better traction at low revolutions, lower consumption of less expensive gasoline and relatively simple in its design system of central fuel injection.

The systems for fuel supply to the engines powered by gasoline were the Pirburg-2E and Keihin carburetors and their respective injection systems: “Bosh-K-Jetronics, KE-Jetronics, KE-Motronics (in which one device is responsible for injection and ignition control) and Mono-Jetronics, a single-jet fuel supply device centered above the throttle (central injection principle).

Over time, the carburetors were replaced by a more modern injection system. All Audi-80 engines had four cylinders and were located longitudinally (five-cylinder engines could only boast a “relative” of the “80’s” – Audi-90). The massive block of cylinders cast in cast iron is under the aluminum head.

The LuK clutch system allows for maximum efficiency in transferring speeds to the gearbox. In its time, this longitudinal arrangement of the engine and gearbox made it easier to implement the all-wheel drive version of the “Audi”. In the neighborhood, in the U.S. car market, Audi 80 was called Audi Fox and was produced with a 1.5 liter engine and 55 horses inside, complemented by a 4-speed manual in the gearbox. Not long after the engine was upgraded, adding a powerhouse unit received 1.6 liters of volume at 83 horses. There Audi 80 GTE also stood on a display case called Audi Fox GTI.

In the U.S., England and South Africa, the Audi 80 was assembled into a universal body and called Audi 80 Estate. In the U.S., the brand was designated as the Audi Fox Station Wagon. In fact, it was the embodiment of VW Passat in the skin of “eight-ten”. “L”, “GL” and “GT” were supplied with both carburettor and injector engines.

Passive safety

This model confidently holds the status of a safe means of transport carrying on board an optimized bodywork design that firmly holds the entire machine structure. This result was achieved thanks to the “procon-ten” system developed by the engineers. A bonus to the evaluation is the additional protection of the door sidewalls.

In the event of an accident, the outcome is significantly influenced by the way the side members have been designed. In this car, their design allows them to deform, while partially removing the effect of inertia from the passengers. In addition, it also helps that the impact force is additionally dissipated through the supporting system.

Unfortunately, the seatbelt does not guarantee 100% safety in an accident. In order to reduce the risk, Audi provides its vehicles with the special Procon Ten safety system mentioned above. This system allows the steering column and seatbelt tensioners to be tied together by means of metal cables.

In the event of an accident, the engine slides the cables backwards, which in turn provides better tensioning of the belts and fixation of the front passengers. An example of such a system can be seen in the picture. To ensure maximum safety, the following decisions have been made in the design of the load-bearing part of the body:

• Increase the stiffness of the thresholds.
• Make the crosshead more stable in the front panel position.
• Medium posts with a large cross-section are forcefully closed between the sills and the roof.
• Rigidity of the body is added by traverses located in the area of the front seats.
• The design of the doors allows them to withstand heavier loads due to the fact that they are closed by the overlap of the rack.
• If the body is deformed, the door design will make it easier to open the door.
• In all kinds of accidents, rigid plates built into aluminum alloy doors provide additional safety.

Crash test

It is clear that at the time of the formation of the “eightieth” model, the majority of the automotive industry representatives were still at the beginning of the development process to take into account the safety of the vehicle. Based on this diversity, the information about the crash test model does not shine.

However, on the Internet you can find a lot of videos and reviews on the behavior of the car as in artificial conditions, and in real accidents, which are not unambiguous, and that makes you happy and upset. And in spite of the fact that “80ka” of the first samples did not brag even by elementary means of safety, in its colleagues of other manufacturers there was already some equipment.

Despite all this, the procon ten system and the bodywork provided free space in case of an accident, which still influenced the outcome. When such a situation arises, these functions still show positive results as before.

The pros and cons

Since this model is no longer in production, let’s consider the pros and cons from the point of view of buying a used car.

• The bodywork – Of course, the model’s trump card is galvanized and has increased its corrosion resistance. Of course, with time, traces of rust on the body will appear, but only if the galvanizing is damaged (as a result of accidents, blows, etc.). Therefore, when inspecting the car body it is necessary to pay special attention to the inspection of the body.
• Chassis – The chassis of the car has no special mass flaws. When buying a car, the most typical things can become the main troubles: brake pads, ball, steering tips, springs, shock absorbers.
• Transmission – This part, alas, cannot be as pleasing. Transmissions often have clutch problems: the leakage of the working cylinder is a frequent problem. General malfunctions, such as clutches and gearboxes, are generally found in machines with high mileage.
• Engine – Despite the characteristics of the motor and there are often problems, for example, with the cooling system: pump leakage, thermostat, fan motor. Special attention should be paid to these parts to avoid surprises. Diesel engines have problems with fuel injection pumps. Repair of this pump will cost the owner a “kopeck”. Again, you need to be careful not to miss such a defect! It is best to visit the diagnostics before buying the machine.

Among the general advantages and disadvantages we should mention: good reliability, availability of spare parts and service. However, the price for a second-hand car is too high, though it justifies the spent money.

Summing up

Any motorist when buying a car tries to take into account all the nuances of the car operation. Eightieth Audi model demonstrates this balance. Models with B4 bodywork, which are now most often found both on the market and on the roads, have a range of engines that are optimally suited for roads in the CIS and Europe.

Although the cabin is far from perfect guarantees maximum safety and comfort to front passengers, the seats behind them do not boast of it, but sitting on them you do not feel any discomfort. Although Audi 80 resembles a certain tough guy, sitting at the wheel you want to enjoy the road, not to press the pedal to the floor. Taking into account the needs of the average driver, such a car will be perfect for almost anyone and will be able to satisfy his needs.

We advise you to read the article: Audi History

Audi 80 photo

Test drive

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