Carfection Drives the Audi Sport Quattro S1 Evolution 2

Back in the 1980s, the Audi Quattro rally car was dominant in WRC (World Rally Championship). However, it was only dominant for a short time, until Audi’s competitors from Lancia and Peugeot caught up, with mid-engine competitors. To compete with its new rivals, Audi needed to rework the Quattro and what its engineers finally came up with, after a few short wheelbase iterations, was this — the Audi Sport Quattro S1 Evolution 2.

The Audi Sport Quattro S1 E2 was easily the coolest Quattro rally car in history and one of the most exciting rally cars of its time. It featured a shortened wheelbase from the standard car, far more aerodynamics for better downforce, a new center differential, and an upgrade to 580 horsepower. It was an absolute animal.

In this new video from Carfection, Henry Catchpole makes me extremely jealous by getting to drive one. In fact, Catchpole probably drove the S1 E2 longer than anyone since the late ’90s. Audi UK has owned the car for over twenty years and let Catchpole drive it track, which seems like a dream come true.

What’s interesting is that Stig Blomqvist claimed that the Audi Sport Quattro S1 E2 drove more like a front-wheel drive car than a rear-wheel drive car, which actually helped him. Blomqvist came from front-wheel drive rally cars, so he was already used to the way it behaved. Which is why he was so successful.

Despite being very light, Catchpole claimed that it wasn’t exactly keen to corner. It’s a car you have to wrestle into corners and force it to handle. Which coincides with what Blomqvist said.

Watch this video to see a genuine review of one of the absolute coolest rally cars of its time, which also makes it one of the coolest rally cars of all time.