1982 Aerodynamics World Champion, 1986 first fully galvinized body, 1988 first five cylinder TDI engine.
The Audi 100 third generation develo-pment was shaped by the explosive increase in oil prices in the second half of the 1970s. Suddenly it seemed that only fuel-efficient small cars had a future. Therefore it was the aim of the technicians at Audi in Ingolstadt and Neckarsulm to put a car on the wheels which despite the roominess and other signs of comfort in the luxury class could take on significantly smaller vehicles. The new model should consume 25 percent less than its corresponding predecessor – a challenge which demanded enormous commitment in all areas. Saving weight through the consistent application of lighter materials, motor and gearing optimisation and a sophisticated aerodynamic body shape were the crucial measures which contributed to reaching this lofty ambition. The aerodynamic shape in particular caused a sensation when the new Audi 100 made its first appearance in autumn 1982. The World Champion in the wind tunnel was with a 0.30 drag coefficient was far ahead of the competition at that time. The vehicle shape was developed from a hydraulically optimal basic body, from which the aerodynamic experts and designers jointly derived the final body. The revolutionary “C3” was splendidly received by the market. As the cost-effectiveness of a car had a high placing then and the new large Audi was convincing, especially in this discipline. It quickly became clear that the sleek shape not only looked good but also offered practical benefits: the consumption was low despite ample space and a higher top speed. The basic model with a 75 PS 1.8 litre four cylinder engine reached a speed of 165 km/h but was satisfied with only 7.5 litres per 100 kilometres. The two five cylinder engines with 2.0 litre and 100 PS or relatively 2.2. litre and 136 PS only consumed a few tenths of a litre more and after all reached 176 or relatively 200 km/h. The 70 PS strong five cylinder diesel managed with 7.1 Litres.
No wonder, that the competition never tired of pointing out the disadvantages of the extremely streamlined body. Indeed, the interior did heat up tremendously when the sun shone through the large, very slanted windows. The retracted side windows affected the shoulder area in the interior and when it rained water poured in off the roof on the seats when the doors were being opened because of a lack of drip moulding. Therefore an expensive special carrier for roof luggage was necessary. Yet the whole Audi 100 C3 concept was convincing. The motors were re-worked and offered a greater torque in the lower area, which contributed to consumption minimization just as the higher compression, the fuel cut-off for the five cylinder engines and the serial production five speed gearbox with its long gear reduction high level gear.
Front wheel suspension and steering were in principle taken over from the predeces-sors, a new back axle – with slanting ordered suspension struts, trailing links and Panhard rod – improved the drive characteristics. The weight of the car had not increased despite the enlarged body. The basic model at the end of 1982 cost 21,600 DM there was already a 2.2. litre with 136 PS available for 26,260 DM. An Avant followed in the third generation from1983, a shapely variant with a fastback and a folding back seat. The sleek variant wasn’t acceptable as a fully-fledged combi because the roof was highly slanted towards the back in favour of the optics. Thus people fondly called the Avant the “Combi-Coupé”.
The regulated three-way catalytic converter was built into the whole 100 model series from the mid-1980s not least due to the increased public discussion of demands for bet-ter environmental impact of cars. The capacity for the five cylinder engine grew to 2.3 litres in the course of the modification. After a model upgrade in 1988 the top model of the C3 model series had a premiere one year la-ter: the Audi 200 quattro 20V with a five cylinder engine and 4-valve tech-nology, it was accepted by experts as the best motor in the whole Audi production and shone with a 220 PS performance and a top speed of 240 km/h.
The sensation followed at the start of 1990. After many years of development work a diesel engine with fuel-saving direct injection was ready for serial production. At first applied in the Audi 100 TDI, the trend-setting new engine performed at 120 PS and so took the Audi 100 to a speed of 200 km/h. Thereby the new model was content with a DIN consumption of only 6 litres per 100 kilometres. In combination with the four-wheel drive quattro and with the fully galvanized body serial production since 1986 there had been no other model in the whole Audi model range that stood more for the brand slogan “Vorsprung durch Technik”. No-one was amazed that the C3 generation with just under 1 million units produced was once again more successful than both its predecessors.