While not as flamboyant or as successful as Mercedes-AMG or BMW M, Audi's quattro GmbH division is still right up there with the big boys.
Apparently, that is not what Audi's big boys seem to think, because effective immediately, quattro GmbH has ceased to exist. You can put down the pitchforks, though, we're not talking in the literal sense here.
As it happens, the company that used to be known as quattro GmnH will be operating as Audi Sport GmbH from now on, under the direction of ex-Lamborghini boss Stephan Winkelmann.
The change comes at a time when the Audi subsidiary is in a thorough expansion process, having doubled its annual sales over the past five years. Taking into account that Ingolstadt's customer motorsport program was already called Audi Sport customer racing and there were other branches using the moniker, it's probably not that much of a surprise anyway.
Speaking of surprises, though, the newly renamed division is said to be working on eight new models over the next 18 months. As mentioned before, despite being on a continuous rise, the subsidiary's annual sales are lagging its two closest rivals, so this move should help alleviate some of that discrepancy.
At the same time, the number of specialized dealers for the company will increase from 370 to around 600 by the end of 2017, which sounds like a massive push for more sales.
The current Audi Sport GmbH model portfolio consist of the RS3 Sedan, RS Q3 in both regular and performance guise, RS6 Avant and RS7 Sportback (normal and performance), TT RS Coupe and Roadster, R8 Coupe and Spyder and the massively powerful S8 plus. We have a feeling that at least two of the eight new models will be the RS4 and the RS5, but Audi Sport could surprise us further.
Founded back in 1983 to continue Audi's long tradition of motorsport, quattro GmbH evolved from making road cars inspired by rally monsters into a genuine in-house tuner/constructor that caters to both motorsport and civilian customers alike.
As it happens, the company that used to be known as quattro GmnH will be operating as Audi Sport GmbH from now on, under the direction of ex-Lamborghini boss Stephan Winkelmann.
The change comes at a time when the Audi subsidiary is in a thorough expansion process, having doubled its annual sales over the past five years. Taking into account that Ingolstadt's customer motorsport program was already called Audi Sport customer racing and there were other branches using the moniker, it's probably not that much of a surprise anyway.
Speaking of surprises, though, the newly renamed division is said to be working on eight new models over the next 18 months. As mentioned before, despite being on a continuous rise, the subsidiary's annual sales are lagging its two closest rivals, so this move should help alleviate some of that discrepancy.
At the same time, the number of specialized dealers for the company will increase from 370 to around 600 by the end of 2017, which sounds like a massive push for more sales.
The current Audi Sport GmbH model portfolio consist of the RS3 Sedan, RS Q3 in both regular and performance guise, RS6 Avant and RS7 Sportback (normal and performance), TT RS Coupe and Roadster, R8 Coupe and Spyder and the massively powerful S8 plus. We have a feeling that at least two of the eight new models will be the RS4 and the RS5, but Audi Sport could surprise us further.
Founded back in 1983 to continue Audi's long tradition of motorsport, quattro GmbH evolved from making road cars inspired by rally monsters into a genuine in-house tuner/constructor that caters to both motorsport and civilian customers alike.