Throwback Thursday: Watching an Audi Sport Quattro S1 E2 Never Gets Old

[Source: Gumbal/YouTube]

The 2026 Goodwood Festival of Speed is just a couple of weeks away, so we thought this would be a good time to look back at the 2024 event. Why 2024? Well, that is when the Gumbal YouTube channel captured nearly 10 minutes of video of the Audi Sport Quattro S1 E2 ripping around the course. And do you ever get tired of watching and hearing an Audi Sport Quattro S1 E2 in action?

For Audi enthusiasts, the answer is almost certainly no.

Sport Quattro S1 E2

Few cars embody the spirit of Audi performance quite like the Sport Quattro S1 E2. Developed for the brutal Group B rally era of the mid-1980s, the S1 E2 represented the absolute peak of Audi’s rallying ambitions. At a time when manufacturers were engaged in an arms race of horsepower, technology, and aerodynamic experimentation, Audi responded with a machine that looked like it had arrived from the future.

Powered by a turbocharged 2.1-liter five-cylinder engine producing well over 500 horsepower in competition trim, the S1 E2 combined explosive power with Audi’s revolutionary quattro all-wheel-drive system. The result was a car capable of launching itself out of corners and up mountain roads with a level of grip that seemed almost impossible for the era. Add in the giant wings, aggressive bodywork, and unmistakable five-cylinder soundtrack, and you have one of the most iconic competition cars ever built.

Glorious Sights and Sounds

The Goodwood Festival of Speed provides one of the few opportunities each year for enthusiasts to see and hear these legendary machines in action. Unlike a static museum display, Goodwood allows cars like the S1 E2 to do what they were designed to do: accelerate hard, spit flames, make noise, and entertain crowds.

Watching the 2024 footage is a reminder of just how special the Group B era was. Modern performance cars are faster, safer, and more technologically advanced, but few deliver the raw drama of an S1 E2 at full boost. The turbo lag, the whistle of the turbocharger, the crackling exhaust, and that unmistakable five-cylinder war cry combine to create an experience that feels almost mechanical and alive.

As we count down the days until Goodwood 2026, the video serves as a reminder of Audi’s rallying roots. The Sport Quattro S1 E2 wasn’t just a race car. It was the machine that helped cement Audi’s performance reputation and turned quattro into one of the most famous names in automotive history.