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The Audi 90 quattro IMSA-GTO

The five-cylinder was pushed to the max with 720 hp.
Audi moved up to IMSA-GTO, the highest touring class classification in North America, for the 1989 season. The Germans once again stirred up the establishment with a car that was far ahead of its time. The rules pretty much gave the teams free reign with respect to technology. The Audi 90 quattro IMSA-GTO, weighing a good 1,200 kilograms (2,645.55 lb), did not have much in common with the original mid-size sedan. It was the first Audi touring car with a carbon floor and a tubular space frame with a plastic silhouette mounted on it. The only part taken from the production Audi 90 was the outer skin of the roof. The front wheel wells were home to the widest driven front wheels in the history of racing, measuring 36 centimeters (14.17 in). The venerable five-cylinder was pushed to the max. A four-valve cylinder head, a maximum boost pressure of 2.65 bar and the further refined air recirculation system pushed its output to 530 kW (around 720 hp). Nikasil-coated cylinder liners contributed to the good durability. The IMSA-GTO achieved a top speed of roughly 310 km/h (192.63 mph) and fully exploited its handling and traction advantages in the corners.

Audi took second place in the manufacturers championship its very first year. The Ingolstadt car company elected not to enter the endurance classics at Daytona and Sebring at the start of the year, but Han-Joachim Stuck was the dominant driver in the fourth race at Summit Point. He posted six individual wins, and partnered with Walter Rhrl for another. Stuck finished ahead of his team mate Hurley Haywood in third place in the final standings. With seven victories in 15 races, Audi established the term quattro as a symbol of quality in North America.

Source: DVD quattro Highlights 2010 | Status: 03/2010