Audi is unquestionably one of the giants of the automotive industry. The German manufacturer has produced legends like the Quattro and R8 while pursuing the latest technology, such as its push towards EVs.

Not every Audi model is as remembered as others. Some Audis have slipped through the net and are perhaps now forgotten about.

This list will go through 24 of the best Audis that time has forgotten. Some of these are rare models, and others are promising concepts, while others didn’t have the impact they deserved.

Audi A2

Audi A2
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The somewhat round A2 was a pioneering small car. Its construction consisted of aluminum, and the A2 had a wide array of economical engines, such as the 74 hp 1.4-liter engine. Audi had created a rare, eco-friendly car weighing below 2,000 lbs. Its quirky design still looks modern and has the same Audi Space Frame technology as the D2-generation Audi A8.

Audi E-Tron Spyder

Audi E-Tron Spyder
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The 2010 E-Tron Spyder was the first authentic look at what an electric R8 could look like. The concept debuted at the 2010 Paris Motor Show, and while expected for 2014, Audi never created a production version. This is a shame, as this car showed a lot of promise.

1995 Audi S2

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Some of Audi’s cars from the 1990s deserve a lot more attention. The 1995 S2 is one of them, the first car produced by Audi with the S badge. The RS2 Avant put a grand and comfortable coupe in the shade. But the S2 was a great car in its own right, the highlight being the 220-hp 2.2-liter five-cylinder engine it launched with.

Audi V8 Quattro

Audi V8 Quattro
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The Audi V8 Quattro is a car many may be unfamiliar with. First launched in the 1980s, it aimed to create a flagship model to launch Audi in a more upmarket direction. It was the first Audi to have a V8 under the hood, preceding the A8, with the engine good enough for 240 hp and 240 lb-ft of torque.

2003 Audi Le Mans Concept

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The 2003 Le Mans Concept is easily one of the most radical cars to leave the Audi factory. Audi created this one-off to test its engine performance and technology limits. Under the hood, a 5.0-liter V10 produced 602 hp and 553 lb-ft of torque. The V10 gave the Le Mans Concept a top speed of 214 mph.

2000 Audi Rosemeyer Concept

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Audi’s Rosemeyer Concept is a remarkable-looking car inspired by the 1930s Auto Union racers. The Rosemeyer had a polished aluminum body like the Auto Union cars and an 8.0-liter WR16 engine under the hood. If that sounds familiar, this 700 hp engine would later appear in the Bugatti Veyron, pushing 1,000 hp.

1991 Audi Avus Quattro Concept

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The 1991 Audi Avus Quattro is a concept car that still looks modern, even over 30 years after its debut. This sensational sports car sadly never got beyond the wooden mock-up stage, but it should have had a 6.0-liter 60-valve W12 under the hood, producing 502 horsepower. The solitary Avus built now resides in the Audi museum mobile in Ingolstadt, Germany.

1968 Audi 80 Variant

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The gorgeous Audi 80 Variant from the F103 series is one of the pioneering Audis, with an all-new range of four-stroke engines powering the 80. These were all developed in conjunction with Daimler-Benz, marking the first time the Audi name was on a car since the years before World War 2. Previously, cars had carried the DKW moniker.

Audi Sport Quattro S1

Audi Sport Quattro S1
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The Quattro S1 is one of the most excellent rally cars ever built. The short-wheelbase S1 was a star of the Group B era of rallying, and Audi only built 20 of them. Power up to 500 horsepower made it an absolute rocketship, and in 1987, the car won the iconic Pikes Peak hill climb in the hands of Walter Rohrl.

Audi Ur-Quattro

Audi Ur-Quattro
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The Ur-Quattro is an Audi often called a ‘unicorn’, such is its rarity and how revolutionary it was. The Ur-Quattro formed the basis of Audi’s mid-1980s Group B rally cars, and in the US, the Ur-Quattro would produce 160 horsepower thanks to its twin-cam engine. The Ur moniker stands for “original,” signifying just how rare the Ur-Quattro has become.

Audi A1 Quattro

Audi A1 Quattro
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The A1 Quattro exploded onto the scene in 2012. This was a more luxurious and performance-oriented version of the first-generation A1, with a 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder engine producing 252 hp. Audi’s four-wheel drive system ensured the A1 Quattro was grippy, and it even had wheels harking back to the glory days of the Group B Quattro.

Audi S2 4-Door Sedan

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Based on the S2 coupe, the S2 Sedan joined the lineup in 1993. However, the sedan version is now scarce as Audi only produced 306 units in a limited production run. The S2 Sedan benefited from a higher output turbocharged inline-five engine, with 227 hp and a top speed of 153 mph.

Audi Sport Quattro

1984 Audi Sport Quattro
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Another car to carry the legendary name, the Sport Quattro, was a homologation special of the iconic Group B rally car. It had a shorter wheelbase, all-new suspension, plus a steeper windshield rake. Audi also added a new antilock braking system. Under the hood was a 2.1-liter inline-five engine with 302 hp and 258 lb-ft of torque. Audi would produce just 214 of these very special Quattros.

Audi R8 e-tron

Audi R8 e-tron
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The R8 e-tron was perhaps ahead of its time. Launched in 2009 as the R8 e-tron concept, the production version launched in 2015 with two electric motors as the powertrain. These produced 456 hp combined and 678 lb-ft of torque combined. Despite such promise, the R8 e-tron was sadly pulled from production just a year later, with less than 100 cars produced. Remarkably, another electric R8 might not be far away.

Audi R8 Green Hell Edition

Audi R8 Green Hell Edition
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Audi wanted to celebrate some of its success at the Nurburgring Nordschleife, the Green Hell. So, it produced the spectacular-looking R8 Green Hell Edition. Under the hood is the same 5.2-liter V10 engine of the R8 V10 Performance and the same all-wheel drive system. The R8 Green Hell is good enough for 612 hp and 428 lb-ft of torque, and a limited production run of 50 cars ensured only a select few could get their hands on it.

Audi TT RS 40 Years Of Quattro

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The Quattro name is a massive part of Audi’s history, and the German manufacturer loves to celebrate it. In 2020, it launched the TT RS 40 Years of Quattro. A special edition Audi TT that paid tribute to 40 years since the Quattro all-wheel drive system debuted. Under the hood is the 2.5-liter TFSI inline-five engine, and the car has Quattro name decals and stripes, plus a new rear wing and Quattro wheel design. Audi produced just 40 of these, exclusive to the German market.

Audi R8 V10 Plus Selection 24h

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In 2015, the Audi R8 LMS won the 24 Hours of Nurburgring. So, to celebrate this, Audi created the V10 Plus Selection 24h, a 24-unit production run of R8s based on the R8 V10 Plus. The 602 hp V10 is the same found in the R8 V10 Plus, and this is one of the rarest versions of the R8 ever produced.

Auto Union Racers

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Before World War 2, Audi was part of the Auto Union group. This group built four remarkable Grand Prix cars, the Type A, B, C, and D. The first three had supercharged V16 engines under the hood, while the Type D Auto Union had a 550 hp V12. After the war, the cars disappeared into the Soviet Union, but Audi was able to recover three of them, including a Type D.

1969 Audi 100 Coupe S

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The 100 Coupe S is one of Audi’s most beautiful cars. Built on the platform of the 100 Sedan, it debuted at the 1969 Frankfurt Motor Show, and over a seven-year production run, Audi built just 30,687 units. Powering the Coupe was a four-cylinder engine with 115 hp and two carburetors.

1974 Audi A50

1974 Audi A50
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What might look like an understated small car is what would become the Volkswagen Polo. The 1974 A50 was Germany’s first major attempt at the European supermini class, but the A50 sold for only three years before it morphed into the Polo. As such, examples of the A50 are scarce in Europe.

Audi TT Shooting Brake Concept

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The TT Shooting Brake is a concept that we would love Audi to bring back. The idea was simple: create a car with TT performance but more space in the cabin and a lot more for luggage. Audi showed it off in 2005 and 2014 but never leaped to put it into production.

DKW Monza

DKW Monza
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Before becoming Audi, the company went by DKW as part of the Auto Union group. The Monza is the ancestor to the Audi TT, comprised of components from the parts bin from companies such as Porsche, Volkswagen Karmen-Ghia, and Opel. The little sports car weighed 1,720 lbs and had a 980 cc water-cooled three-cylinder two-stroke engine under the hood. To this day, no one knows how many Monzas DKW produced. But around 70 is the best guess.

2001 Audi Allroad Quattro

2001 Audi Allroad Quattro
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The 2001 Audi Allroad was not well received in the early 2000s. However, it was ahead of its time, as we are now in a world dominated by crossovers in SUVs. A powerful 4.2-liter V8 sat under the Allroad Quattros hood, and without creating a huge SUV, customers had a spacious and comfortable station wagon with the bonus of off-road capabilities.

2004 Audi S4

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The 2004 S4 sadly sat in the shadow of the RS4, which was a great car. But the B6 generation S4 proved to be a solid rival to the BMW M3 despite its short 22-month production run. The S4 had more doors, more space, and a brutal 4.2-liter V8 under the hood, and it even came in cabriolet and station wagon forms.

Author: Henry Kelsall

Henry is a freelance writer, with a love for all things motoring whether it be classic sports cars, or Formula 1 racing. He has freelanced for over eight years now, mostly in automotive matters, but he has also dabbled in other forms of writing too. He has a lot of love for Japanese classics and American muscle cars, in particular the Honda NSX and first-generation Ford Mustang. When not writing, Henry is often found at classic car events or watching motorsports at home, but he also has a curious passion for steam trains and aviation.

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