326 km/h average speed in the Audi sedan 25 years ago
In 1988, Audi set world speed records in Nardo. The car used was not a Sport quattro or even a super sports car, but a comparatively ordinary Audi 200 quattro saloon with a catalytic converter. Well, it wasn't quite ordinary, because the engine was of course from the racing program, had five valves per cylinder and 650 hp. To minimize the number of fuel stops, a safety tank with a capacity of 340 liters was installed in the rear. A refueling stop took just 25 seconds thanks to the quick refueling system. The vehicle could be lifted pneumatically and the wheels could be changed at lightning speed thanks to central locks.
Equipped with a safety cage, 6-point seat belts and a tire pressure monitoring system, the Audi 200 quattro drove an average speed of 324.509 km/h for 1000 kilometers, beating the previous world record of 318.30 km/h, which had been set around 10 years earlier.
At the wheel were Sigi Brunn, Olaf Manthey, Wolfgang Mertes, Hellmut Mundas, Rudi Seher, Angelo Pallavicini, Günter Gebhard, D. Schaeffer, D. Sauren, E. Franmayer, Günter Steckkönig and Walter Lechner. The records were recognized by the FIA. Apparently three cars were used, one of which was restored by Brunn Racing around 2009.
Of course, it would be interesting to know today what this power sedan sounded like and how it felt to drive ...
