NEW RELEASE: Lusty two- door packs family appeal

Press, 2 June 1989, Page 29

NEW RELEASE: Lusty two- door packs family appeal

By

PETER GREENSLADE

Logic suggests that family men should drive four-door family saloons, but experience shows that a substantial number of betterheeled family buyers almost invariably opt for two-door coupes that are generally impractical when it comes to transporting a wife and a couple of offspring, to say nothing of a mother-in-law.

Although coupe owners are prone to argue that two-door cars will contain children more effectively than a saloon, the doors of which might fly open on impact if the car is involved in an accident, the contention will not hold much water with a wife or grandmother, both of whom may be sick and tired of having restless kids scrambling all over them.

Although it has by no means eliminated the family “aggro” associated with two-door coupes, Audi has alleviated it to some extent by re-entering the niche market it vacated in this country in September, 1987. It has come up with an exceptionally roomy coupe that is, in effect, a variation of the relatively new Audi I sampled this coupe, which is available in front-wheel-drive and also — in typically Audi fashion — in Quattro, or four-wheel-drive form, last week. European Motor Distributors, the national Audi handler, based in Auckland, has just received the first shipment of coupes. This model was launched in Europe late last year and his at present enjoying such a demand that stocks coming to New Zealand are unlikely to stand at normal levels for a few months at least.

Although potential buyers had no idea of the likely final prices, they have ordered the first two shipments of coupes, an action which seems to indicate that their buying decisions were based on style, detail finish, for which Audi is renowned, and technical specification. If that was, in fact, their motivation, they certainly ended up with a bonus. The price of a front-wheel-drive variant, which comes with power-assisted steering, electrically adjustable mirrors, central locking, alloy wheels and an electric sunroof, is $65,992. The Quattro variant features second-generation permanent four-wheel-drive. The cheapest coupe, the 80, which, as with the 90 Quattro, comes with A.B.S. antilock braking and a luxury equipment package, includes purposeful Speedline alloy wheels. It retails for $68,474, while the 90 Quattro costs $74,024. The thing about these cars is that they are the only European

sports coupes available under $lOO,OOO that can accommodate five adults and, unlike their predecessor, they are more practical in that they have a liftback as well as a split-folding rear seat.

Incidentally, the liftback’s tailgate is of a composite plastic, made to the same formulation as that employed by Fiat for its Tipo tailgate. Actually, the Audi coupe is about 2.5 cm shorter, a fraction wider and about 6.3 cm lower than the 80 and 90 saloons. The lower roofline, while enhancing the coupe’s appearance, means that headroom, even for people of average build, is marginal and it is particularly in this regard that its up-and-down predecessor had a minor advantage.

Mechanically, the coupe adheres pretty much to the specification of the saloon variants. The five-cylinder 2226 cu cm engine has a cast iron block and aluminium alloy cylinder head. Its single overhead camshaft is belt driven. There are the traditional two valves per cylinder and hydraulic bucket tappets. Fully programmed electronic ignition and Bosch K-Jetronic fuel injection are employed. This engine develops IOOkW at 5700 rev/min and maximum torque of 186 Nm at 3500 rev/ min.

It is quite a lusty performer with plenty of sheer lugging ppwer, particularly out of steepish climbing turns, and it inevitably evokes speculation about the trustworthiness of manufacturers who make grandiose claims seldom borne out in practice by their cars. A five-speed manual gearbox is employed and European Motor Distributors has no intention of introducing automatic transmission on the coupe. As it is, the stick shift is feather light and unerringly precise. The cheap front-drive variant has reinforced coil springs with gas-filled shock absorbers and progressive-action rubber bump stops at front and rear, all elements being combined into suspension struts. At the front, the wheels are located by spring struts and lower wishbones, while there is a torsion bar rear axle. Anti-roll bars are employed front and back.

Apart from its Quattro labels and wider wheels and larger tyres, there is nothing to distinguish front-drive from four-wheel-drive coupes.

Quattro burst upon the 'motoring scene in 1980 with the world championship-winning coupebased rally car. Two years ago a second-generation Quattro was released. It came with a Torsen centre differential that could

sense wheelspin and divert traction to the other axle.

The combination of Quattro drive and A. 8.5., or anti-lock braking, puts any Audi so equipped into the “supercar” league in terms of handling, road-holding and safety.

The Torsen centre differential in the Quattro provides grip in the most treacherous conditions and experience in American Trans-Am racing has clearly shown its superiority on dry racing circuits also. Meanwhile, the danger of skidding or aquaplaning on wet and slippery roads under heavy braking is eliminated by the electronically controlled Bosch system. On the road a driver who had not experienced Quattro motoring would consider a front-wheel-drive coupe to be a more than

admirable handling and roadholding car. Certainly, its suspension is firmish, causing a somewhat jiggly ride on some city and suburban streets. Out on the open road, handling, road-holding and ride qualities are good, although I’ve certainly sampled better. This car shows a tendency to understeer in corners taken above average speeds. But it is a well-curbed tendency. Rather than drifting out in corners the front-drive coupe appears to skip sideways, giving two, three or even four skips on turn-in before settling down on a well-defined course that is not much wider than the driver intended.

I encountered a similar sort of reaction in a Renault 25 some years ago when I drove it around the beautiful East Cape. Coincidentally, the Renault is also a

front-drive car, its engine being located in the longitudinal direction.

The Quattro coupe does not appear to have this quirk, at least at the speeds at which I drove it. It does understeer to the extent of almost undetectable drifting and I suspect that if one tried sufficiently hard one could get the rear end to break away. As the road around the bays bordering the lower reaches of the Waitemata harbour is rather narrow I didn’t let myself be tempted to find out. What I liked about the Quattro was its complete unflappability, even under extreme conditions. This would be suicidal in a car not fitted with A.B.S. and if this system has a fault, it allows a driver to brake in any sort of situation with impunity. I just hate to think of the things that

could eventuate for a driver who had become reliant on A.B.S. and suddenly discovered he was driving a car without this amenity. On the road this coupe feels very robust and durable and this is borne out in practice. It has a fully galvanised steel bodyshell, which is backed by a 10-year non-rust warranty. A long-lasting stainless steel exhaust system is standard and the bodyshell itself has a lip ahead of the luggage compartment to help maintain body rigidity. This coupe has an extremely rigid body within which there is a well-insulated drive train that is very much part of the car itself. There is virtually no road, wind or mechanical noise. Certainly, performance does not elevate the Audi coupe to the supercar category, but viewed realistically it notches up accel-

eration and maximum speed figures that the majority of New Zealand motorists have never experienced and would, for the most part, be insane to attempt to emulate.

Audis are well-built cars and European Motor Distributors backs them to the hilt. This means that family men wishing to retain their macho images can rest at nights with equanimity, secure in the knowledge that the family Audi requires checking every 12 months (and that includes a lubrication service) and, thereafter, additional work is needed every 50,000 kilometres. From where I sit, that’s pretty good for a coupe that, without any great stretching of the imagination could be described as one of the most fetching family cars on New Zealand’s roads today.