1977 first hatchback Avant, 1977 first serial-production car with a five cylinder Otto engine in the Audi 100 5E, 1978 first serial-production Audi badge car with a diesel engine in the Audi 100 5D
The Audi 100 second generation entered the market in autumn 1976, for which the new Technical Director Ferdinand Piëch was in the meantime already responsible. The new Audi 100, unlike its predecessors which were designed for the European market was to be “a vehicle family which could be used worldwide with a wide range of variations”, as its designers described the job definition. As, in the meantime the potential of the giant US market had been discovered.
Safety and comfort took precedence in the development. Thus the new limousines, once again available as two-door and four-door versions had not only become somewhat larger but also heavier. The simplest version weighed 1110 kilogrammes. The new 100 series began with three model variants. The basis was a four cylinder in-line engine with a 1588 cc capacity and an 85 PS performance. The power unit which also served in the previous model, came from the Audi 80 which had been launched in 1972. The motor designed by Franz Hauk had already been used by the VW Group for a whole range of models. It was, in the new Audi 100 also good for a top speed of 160 km/h. The 2.0 litre four cylinder engine showed the further development of the 1.8 litre engine from the old model. It met the latest technical developments with its cambelt driven overhead camshaft and bucket tappets as well as driving the ignition distributors via the camshaft. The power output was 115 PS, the top speed 179 km/h , the four-door in this version cost 16,090 DM in this version in 1976 , the two-door with 85 PS was available for 1,000 DM less.The second generation Audi 100 caused a sensation: with a worldwide unique 2.2 litre five cylinder engine providing the driving. A K-Jetronic petrol injection instead of a carburetor was responsible for the fuel-mix preparation. A six cylinder was indeed under discussion however as a result of keeping Audi’s typical engine arrangement: in front of the gearing and differential - the vehicle would have been too long.
The Audi second generation 100 was also called Type 43 and its body was long and angular, not stylistically exciting yet rather elegant. The large glass areas made the car look lighter. The interior was once again more generous than its predecessor. Front and back crumple zones absorbed energy in a crash thus protecting the passengers. The chassis with a light torsion spring rigid axle in the back corresponded to the greatest possible extent to that of its predecessor. The front McPherson struts provided the wheel suspension.
A hatchback variant complemented the model programme from 1977. The combi version with a sloped hatch and variable boot was christened the Avant. The Audi 100 5D as the first diesel model in the Audi brand one year later was a consequent reaction to the increasing significance of the German diesel market. It was powered by a 2 litre five cylinder compression ignition engine with 70 PS performance.
Thereupon Audi tried the first step in the luxury class with the 200 model introduced in 1980. The 200 series was optically only slightly modified, however luxuriously fitted out. It was available with two engines. Whilst the Audi 200 5E was fitted with the five cylinder known from the Audi 100 and had 136 PS performance, the Audi 200 5T with its five cylinder turbo engine, 170 PS performance and a top speed of 202 km/h became the most powerful front-wheel drive in Europe.
The second generation Audi 100 C2Audi 100 once more became a bestseller. Over 195,000 units were sold in 1977, the first complete year of delivery. The second generation Audi 100 was in production for a total of six years and with just under 900.000 models built was even more successful than the first version of the model series.