Find of the Day: Lehmann Built Sport quattro Engine, Heart of a Group B Lion

We know what you’re thinking. 149,999.99 BRITISH POUNDS FOR AN ENGINE?!?!?!?! Yeah, we get it. That’s a lot, but it’s not just any engine. It’s a crate engine for a Sport quattro augmented and built by the same firm Lehmann that built Audi Sport factory rally engines in period. That’s kind of a big deal.

Put it in perspective and it’s probably not that bad. A real Sport quattro will run you over a half million US dollars nowadays, so is this really that bad? Well… yeah… if you’re building a budget B2 or other vintage Audi. However, if you’re already in the rare air of Sport quattros and replica rally cars then we’re guessing it’s a tad more approachable.

Here’s what we know about the motor. For starters, the ad states that the motor is new and made with original Audi Sport / Lehmann new old stock parts and brand new parts. It appears to be built on the correct aluminum block 20-valve version of Audi’s I-5. Those keeping track will tell you that Audi never built an aluminum block I-5 back in the day other than rally cars and the limited Group B homologation run of Sport quattro road cars. And, 20-valve heads didn’t start showing again on production cars until 1990. The Sport quattros were built in 1984.

This engine is up for sale by HanSport in the UK. Here’s what how they describe it in the ad.

Audi Sport quattro S1 2.1 20v 20vt B2 Typ 85 859 Lehmann Aluminium Crate Engine KKK Turbo Group B

We are proud to offer the original Audi Sport quattro S1 Lehmann full aluminium competition engine. With unparalleled expertise, HanSport UK has been responsible for restoring and operating Michéle Mouton’s iconic 1985 Pikes Peak record-breaking car, bringing it back to its original, uncompromising standards.

As specialists in Audi Sport history, we possess the knowledge and parts to recreate the legendary Lehmann engine – the true “Mona Lisa” of motorsport history. When it comes to authenticity and precision, nobody does it better.

Complete paperwork is provided for the engine’s parameters, ensuring the provenance and accuracy of this incredible piece of motorsport history.

All engines are delivered tested, tuned, and dynoed, ready for use at the highest levels of competition.

Own a masterpiece of rallying heritage, meticulously recreated by the team that knows it best.

Output: 450-650HP
Production time: 5 Months
FIA Historic Homologation Form: https://historicdb.fia.com/sites/default/files/car_attachment/1601077801/homologation_form_number_264_group_b.pdf
Prices may change depending on the requested specifications.
Please write us a message with Your purchase, specifying which exact specification You are looking for.

About Audi typ 859:

“One of the most influential designs of recent decades, the Audi Quattro brought four-wheel drive into the motoring mainstream. Introduced in 1980, the Quattro was based on the outwardly similar Coupé’s practical and stylish three-door ‘fast hatch-back’ bodyshell but used a different floorpan to accommodate its four-wheel-drive transmission and independent rear suspension. The engine was a development of the 2.1-litre, five-cylinder unit first seen in the 200 saloon, equipped with a KKK turbocharger and producing 200bhp in road trim, considerably more being available in race tune. The motivation behind Audi’s marriage of a Volkswagen military vehicle’s four-wheel-drive system to its new high-performance Coupé had been desire for success in international Group B rallying. In the latter role the Quattro excelled, winning the Manufacturer’s Championship for Audi in 1982 and 1984 and the Driver’s Championship in 1983 and ’84 (with Hannu Mikkola and Stig Blomqvist respectively), but its enduring legacy would be the demonstration of four-wheel drive’s advantages for passenger cars.

Having achieved significant successes with the original Quattro, Audi developed a more specialised rally car in the form of the Sport Quattro ‘homologation special’. Weight saving had been one of the engineers’ main aims in developing the Sport, which featured a turbocharged alloy-block engine of 2,133cc boasting a new double-overhead-camshaft 20-valve cylinder head. Maximum power went up to 306bhp. This new power plant went into a short-wheelbase chassis, while further weight savings were gained by using Kevlar for the wings, roof and front apron. ABS brakes made their appearance on a Quattro for the first time. With over 300 horsepower on tap in road trim, the Sport Quattro possessed supercar performance, boasting a 160mph top speed and 0-60mph time of only 4.8 seconds – truly outstanding figures even by today’s standards. According to Eric Dymock’s The Audi File: “214 were built; 164 were sold to customers, and 20 were used as competition cars by the Motorsport Department. The remainder were experimental and retained by the factory.”

Welcome to HanSport UK, established in 1996. We are proud to be official suppliers to Audi AG and Audi Tradition. Over the years, our expert team has had the privilege of providing vehicles for motorsport legends such as Hannu Mikkola, Michèle Mouton, Stig Blomqvist, and McRae, with verifiable credentials. As our CEO approaches 60, we are embarking on an exciting new chapter, upgrading our profile and sharing our expertise with a broader audience for the first time.

Find it HERE.