words: Bill, photos: 9line via bringatrailer.com
Remember when you could get a full size sedan with a manual transmission? Way back when, you could find almost any sedan with three pedals…like this 1988 Audi 5000CS. Painted in ubiquitous Pearl White, this specimen is a survivor. Here’s the ad:
This 1988 Audi 5000CS Turbo Quattro Sedan is powered by a turbocharged 2.2-liter inline-five paired with a five-speed manual transmission and a Quattro all-wheel-drive system. The car is finished in Pearl White over gray leather, and equipment includes 15″ alloy wheels, a sunroof, power-adjustable and heated front seats, automatic climate control, and an aftermarket CD stereo. The car spent time in Pennsylvania and Virginia before the seller acquired it in 2013 and subsequently relocated it to New York. This 5000CS shows 42k miles and is being offered at no reserve with manufacturer’s literature, a handwritten maintenance log, a Carfax report, and a clean New York title in the seller’s name.
The car is finished in Pearl White with black side moldings and bright trim. Other exterior details include a power sunroof, heated side mirrors, and a power antenna. The Carfax report indicates that an accident in 2004 resulted in damage to the right side of the car, though no further details are provided.
Alloy 15″ wheels wear Goodyear Eagle GA tires. This 5000CS Quattro features four-wheel independent suspension and an anti-lock braking system (ABS).
The cabin features seating surfaces upholstered in gray leather with matching door panels and carpeted floor mats. Other amenities include power-adjustable and heated front seats with driver’s position memory, automatic climate control, and power accessories. An aftermarket CD stereo has been added, and a stock cassette stereo is included in the sale.
The leather-wrapped steering wheel frames a trip computer flanked by a 160-mph speedometer and a tachometer with a 6,400-rpm redline. The six-digit mechanical odometer shows 42k miles, approximately 3k of which were added by the seller. The Carfax report lists a mileage inconsistency in November 2006.
The turbocharged 2.2-liter inline-five produced 162 horsepower at 5,500 rpm and 177 lb-ft of torque at 3,000 rpm when new. An oil change was performed in 2022.
Power is sent to all four wheels through a five-speed manual transmission and a Quattro all-wheel-drive system with a locking center differential. Additional underside photos are viewable in the image gallery below.
The Carfax report shows the aforementioned accident and mileage discrepancy, and it lists history in Pennsylvania, Virginia, and New York.
So there’s an accident on file and that mileage discrepancy but for a car that has lived its whole life in the salty Northeastern winters, there’s no rust. In an age where you can almost count how many sedans are still offered with a manual transmission on two hands, this is a throwback to when Audi did offer it on its big sedan. We haven’t seen one of those in the US since the very limited 2019 Audi A4 Ultra sport. There are only three days left and the current bid is only $6,000 with no reserve. You can find this 1988 Audi 5000CS Turbo quattro sedan HERE.
