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Prototypes are an important part in the development of a new car. If a vehicles is in the state of a prototype, the mass production is clearly the goal. Before that it is a design model and then a concept car or perhaps even a driving concept car. Sometimes the frontiers between prototype and concept car are not sharp, but wishy-washy as we say.
For the Type44 one of the biggest milestones was Audi's answer to the question about the Auto 2000. This car was ahead of its time as the name implies.
Nevertheless, all professionals knew back then, that it showed parts of the design and basic technology of the then still unknown successor to the Type43.
From now on, the drawings in the various magazines about the "new Audi 100" looked like the "Auto 2000" concept car. Before that they looked more or less like rounded Type43s. And the press was right, the new Type44 really appeared to be similar to the "Auto 2000". But that had not been very hard to guess. Audi always said that the fuel efficiency concept car shows some points that will surely see production. As important the "Auto 2000" car was, prototypes were necessary to test the new technology. Those were more or less in camouflage, the nearer the production phase, the lesser the camouflage is the standard. Before this happens, some test vehicles, mostly of the old car, get equipped with some new parts like the suspension, gear box or engine to do long distance tests. Even today, with all that computer aided engineering, prototypes are a necessity, even if their number and the miles they have to drive is constantly diminishing. After that introduction, the pics: | |
 (1) | auto motor und sport, issue July 79: The Type43 is not old then, but the press is already developing a successor, the "Audi 300". Without any knowledge (at that time) the concept looks like a smoothed Type43 with elements from the Ro 80, especially in the rear. Not bad at all, but wrong. Suspected was a "nearly sensational" cD coefficient of 0.30 (correct) amd the usage of a inline sixcylinder (wrong). About six months before the introduction of the quattro, the press was sure that the Audi 300 would be equipped with frontwheel drive. It must be noted that the 300 should probably not replace the Audi 100/200 but be a new car, a successor to the Ro 80 in some way. More to that further down. |
 (1) | |
 (2) | auto motor und sport, issue July 81: The IAA is close, but not much is known of the "Auto 2000" to the public. Somehow, the drawings seems to be more independent. Back then is was speculated that the Avant would be killed to make room for a real station wagon. Correctly guessed was that no sixcylinders would be used. The introduction of the Audi 200 with the turbocharged inline 5 was predicted as were the first turbocharged inline 5 diesels. |
 (3) | Auto Zeitung, issue November 1981: The IAA in Frankfurt had brought the presentation of the "Auto 2000". The drawings now look like a mixture between a Ro 80 and the "Auto 2000". Eventhough the picture shows a 6T for a theoretical sixcylinder turbo, the text correctly lists a palette of engines: A small fourcylinder, fivecylinders in small, medium and turbochargered along normally aspirated and turbocharged fivecylinder diesels formed the range. |
 (3) | The interieur looks more like a futuristic version of an Audi 80 (4000) dash. |
 (3) | The prototypes, which where revealed by Auto-Zeitung in the winter 79/80 at the polar circle showed huge resemblance to the "Auto 2000". Pay attention to the rims and the wheel caps (hub dishes?) which look like those of the Type43. |
 (3) | Peugeot signs as camouflage... The introduction of the quattro in the new 200 was correctly forecast. |
 (3) | Here you can already see the large trunk of the new kid in town. Interesting is the text about the Audi 300. Auto Zeitung writes that prototypes of the Ro 80 successor Audi 300 were driving in 1979 and constructed for sixcylinder engines. This is what ams wrote in 79. After that the project Audi 300 was put together with the project of the Audi 100/200 successor. |
 (3) | Apparently the Avant was close to death in the early 80s. The Auto Zeitung, too, saw the end near and developped a station wagon named "Variant" (like the VWs) instead of the hatchback Avant. The upper picture is clearly influenced by the Audi 80 Coupé of that time... |
 (3) | Now, this is the top! An Audi 100 Coupé with Audi 80 Coupé design. Has anyone believd that back then? |
 (4) | ams, issue April 1985: Even if the Audi 100 and the 200 have been introduced already, the phantasy of the press is still alive. Once again an Audi 100 Coupé. But this time more realistic, I think. |
 (4) | A preview of the later Audi V8 was this Audi 300 V8. Using the Audi 100 body it should be equipped with a 3.6 litres V8 that was developed from the 1.8 litres Golf (Rabbit) engine. Both is correct, but the V8 would not get those questionable rocker panels and rear spoiler. Piech had given hints in an interview with ams that a smaller displacement could be useful. He mentioned the 1.6 as a starting point. As we know today, the 1.8 won the race. Furthermore, Piech admitted that there had been tests to implant the 5.0 litres V8 from the Porsche 928. This was stopped as the engine was too heavy and layed too far in front of the front axle, caused by the quattro drivetrain layout. |
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Models
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New start Small Medium: B Large: C Extra large: D Concept_cars C1 C2 C3 C4 C5 | |