5k: Been Around The Block: 1986 Audi Coupé GT, Low Miles
Everyone remembers the Audi Quattro for its turbocharged speed and rally winning 4WD system, but few recall that it was a special edition of the forgotten B2 generation Audi Coupé. The Coupé was visually similar to the Quattro but used an inline-5 mounted longitudinally and mated to the front wheels. Find this low mile 1986 Audi Coupé GT Commemorative Edition
for sale in Portland, OR for $5,500 buy-it-now on ebay. Update 11/13/13 this car has been relisted for $500 less on BIN. Tip from Kaibeezy.
The Coupé GT was the upgraded version of the basic coupe and this one is a special Commemorative Edition that includes a digital dash and..hang-on, just what is so special about the Commemorative Edition anyway. Using powerful search engine tools (the google) we were unable to find a definitive answer to this question, but we did notice that this Coupé GT has, in the last month, been listed on both Bringatrailer and Germancarsforsaleblog – so given the lack of sale we can only assume the price is entirely too high…which brings us to the engine bay.
The street version of the Audi Quattro is no barnstormer with a turbocharged 200 horsepower engine, but the Coupé GT uses a 110 horsepower inline-5 that is mounted far forward in the engine bay with the radiator shoved back and to the driver’s side. Unfortunately 110 horsepower, inline-5 exhaust note and front wheel is not driving nirvana – in fact it is much closer to suicide via shotgun to the head Nirvana.
Even this sweet functioning digital dash can’t save this car from being overpriced. At $6k there are just so many other options – so wait this one out. It is a great deal at $3k and could be driven for a year and sold on your local craigslist in a weekend – no need to spend 6 months trying to find that one sucker on ebay to pay too much for it so you can recoup your costs.
See a better German coupe for less? Yeah, so do we…
automotive butterface *sigh*
Classic line: "See a better German coupe for less? Yeah, so do we…"
Unbelievably, this one started at $8K (according to the BaT comments ( bringatrailer.com/2013/11/01/seller-submission-1986-audi-coupe-gt/).
My earliest memories of the non-Quattro Audi Coupe GT are watching my friend try to scale a very slight grade in the snow in his and failing miserably. Slow, ugly, and worthless in the snow. What's the point again?
Your friend must have had bald tires. With all that weight out front, traction is as good or better than any front driver. My non-quattro 5000 wagon (Avant) was excellent in snow.
Studded snows. Perhaps missing a few studs, but the tread was deep enough to pass inspection for the next few winters. Must have been the crown of the road, but the drivers side front always broke traction and once it did, forward progress was halted and someone had to go sit on the fender.
This thing was so bad on the road and up hills in the snow that we regularly passed over it for a rusted out Volvo Amazon for our ski trips.
Sorry, that's gotta be operator error. My rule is simple: I don't break a sweat pushing anyone's car until I've had a chance behind the wheel. Afterwards, they'd protest that I must have gotten 'lucky'. Say what you will about this car, but you might want to consider who was piloting the Audi and who was piloting the Amazon, because I suspect the Amazon owner would have had no problem getting that Audi up the hill.
Same driver owned both cars. I'll admit I'm no Scandinavian when it comes to winter driving, but I like to think I'm fairly competent in the white stuff and I had a difficult time with it as well.
Everyone has their anecdotes, and perhaps my experience is just that and not representative of all FWD Audi GT's of that vintage, but whatever the reason for its inability to function in the snow on an incline, it certainly left its mark on my mind.
Then, it was clearly a defective Audi and should have been disassembled and sold for parts 🙂
He traded it to his brother for a late 80's Prelude 4WS Si in that dehydrated urine yellow color they came in. He drove that Honda until the rear wheel arches rusted through and it stopped passing state inspection. His brother moved to Colorado and promptly traded the Audi after the fuel distributor and clutch went within weeks of each other.
Mine was awesome in the snow. I live in Northern Maine with non-stop snow until April. I'd buy another, but they're too hard to find. Instead, my winter beater is a 91 Audi Coupe.
I believe that the 1986 Audi Coupe GT Commemorative Editions were Alpine White with body lowers and 15" Ronal wheels. This vehicle does not fit that description. No wonder that it did not sell@