Today marks the 40th anniversary of Audi Sport GmbH, which evolved from quattro GmbH. In early summer, Audi started the events to celebrate this anniversary in parallel with the Nürburgring 24 Hours and an exhibition at the Neckarsulm facility. Next Saturday (October 14), an exclusive event will be hosted at Audi Forum Neckarsulm with exciting insights into the high-performance subsidiary that has been successful for 40 years.
quattro GmbH has existed since 1983, and in 2016, it was renamed as Audi Sport GmbH: Today, the wholly owned subsidiary of AUDI AG is shaping the sporty and exclusive image of the premium brand with the four rings even stronger than ever. “We look back proudly on the past 40 years and want to be even stronger in the future. To this end, we will selectively expand our model portfolio and our other service offerings together with AUDI AG. The sales records of recent years clearly underline our ambitions,” says Rolf Michl, Managing Director of Audi Sport GmbH.
Strengthening ties with customers and fans through direct contact
On October 14, 2023, the public can enjoy an exclusive event with an informative and entertaining program in and around Audi Forum Neckarsulm. Starting at 11 a.m., Audi Sport GmbH and AUDI AG will be represented openly and personally on the factory grounds of the Neckarsulm facility. The employees of the four rings are using the highlight of this anniversary year to provide customers and fans with comprehensive information, further strengthening the bond with them through direct contact.
Experienced members of the Audi Sport family such as Steffen Bamberger, Head of Technical Development at Audi Sport GmbH, and Wolfgang Schanz, Head of Production at Böllinger Höfe, will provide interesting and exciting insights into the work surrounding model development and vehicle production. The exhibition featuring “40 years of Audi Sport GmbH – Fascination meets performance”, which has been running since mid-June, also provides unique impressions and background information. Those interested will have the opportunity to take exclusive tours through the neighboring Böllinger Höfe production plant, which is part of the Neckarsulm facility. There, Audi Sport GmbH uses a combination of innovative high-tech and proven craftsmanship to manufacture its first all-electric RS model, the Audi RS e-tron GT1, as well as the high-performance sports car, the Audi R8.
A number of historic and current models from the rich portfolio of Audi Sport GmbH will also be on display. A special highlight is the all-wheel-drive Audi S1 e-tron quattro Hoonitron prototype that was presented in 2022. The purely electric one-off is a reinterpretation of the original quattro of the early 1980s. In addition, the successful Audi Sport race drivers, Rinaldo “Dindo” Capello and Luca Engstler, will be on hand for talks on stage, as well as for autographs and selfies with fans.
Different celebrations in front of large audiences
The anniversary events, marking the 40th anniversary of Audi Sport GmbH, started in May in front of a large audience. Four Audi R8 LMS cars with legendary designs attracted the attention of around 235,000 fans at the Nürburgring 24 Hours. The expressive designs of the GT3 race cars reinterpreted unforgettable historic Audi liveries from circuit racing and rallying. A display of past and present RS models, including the Audi S1 e-tron quattro Hoonitron, thrilled the audience.
Six weeks after its Nürburgring appearance, Audi continued the design theme “Past – Present – Future” with new livery designs at the 2023 Spa 24 Hours. The R8 LMS cars also took center stage in Belgium in terms of the results on track: The brand won the prestigious “Coupe du Roi” trophy as the best manufacturer in the race, which is the world’s biggest GT3 race and takes place on the famous Grand Prix circuit at Spa. At the Family Day hosted at Böllinger Höfe on July 8, tens of thousands of people experienced Audi Sport GmbH as a particularly dynamic part of the four rings, which included, for example, taking rides in the Audi R8 LMS race car and the RS Q e-tron prototype for the Dakar Rally.
Sales records with future-focused model strategy
The Audi RS e-tron GT ice race edition, which was presented in September 2023, is currently the creative highlight of the model program. Limited to 99 units, the special edition of the first all-electric RS model embodies a new innovative expression of individualized design. Together with the 15 other high-performance models, the RS e-tron GT represents a broad range of offerings. It is the result of Audi Sport GmbH’s largest model initiative to date, which was launched in 2019.
The sales successes of recent years confirm Audi Sport GmbH’s strategy. After 2021, the company again achieved a sales record in 2022 with 45,515 vehicles sold. This represents an increase of 15.6 percent over the previous year. In addition to the development and production of high-performance models, Audi Sport GmbH is active in three other business areas: Vehicle customization (Audi exclusive, Audi Sport equipment), Audi collection (high-quality lifestyle collections, Audi stores) and motorsport (factory and customer racing).
From the naming of the company and its beginnings as quattro GmbH, to pioneering model ranges like the Audi RS 6 Avant and interesting highlights like an Audi convertible for kids, to the highly flexible Böllinger Höfe production facility and the largest model portfolio in the history of the Audi subsidiary to date – these and other facets and milestones are highlighted in the collection of 40 facts about the 40 years of Audi Sport GmbH.
