Audi wasn’t always a high-performance luxury carmaker, but in the 1980s, it built one of the greatest rally cars ever, and the public perception of the brand changed forever.

The Ingolstadt-based manufacturer pioneered the five-cylinder engine and AWD systems for mass-produced passenger cars, which has proven to be a winning formula.

Having made some of the best performance cars for everyday use, picking just a handful of them is not easy, but we’ve given it our best shot.

Audi Quattro

The Audi Ur-Quattro was a total game-changer. It combined all-wheel drive with a turbocharged 5-cylinder engine and dominated rallying. Even the road-going version offered unparalleled performance and handling.

Then, just a few years after the original Quattro, Audi created the Sport Quattro, built on a shortened Quattro platform. It was an absolute beast. Only a few cars were made available to the public to meet the homologation requirements.

Audi S4

No, we’re not talking about the later A4-based S4 (not yet, anyway), but rather the one based on Audi’s C4 100 platform, commonly referred to as the Ur-S4. Introduced in 1991, it was the performance version of the Audi 100, and was available as a sedan or station wagon.

Buyers could choose between a 4.2-liter V8 and a turbocharged 2.2-liter inline-5. While the V8 was more powerful in standard form, the 2.2-liter can be tuned to almost ridiculous levels, with many European tuners pushing it beyond 700 horsepower. True to Audi traditions, power is sent to all four wheels.

Audi S2

From 1991 to 1995, Audi also built a smaller S2 alongside the S4. This one was built on the Audi 80 platform and was available as a sedan, station wagon, and coupe. 

Under the hood, it had the same 2.2-liter inline-5 as the bigger S4, and its 225 standard horses were sent to all four wheels via a manual 5- or 6-speed transmission. 

Audi RS2

Towards the end of the Audi S2’s production run, Audi and Porsche co-developed an even more performance-oriented version of the station wagon. The Audi RS2 soon got a cult following thanks to its legendary performance.

Running Porsche-developed braking and suspension systems, it was on another level compared to the S2. The engine was also given some updates and now produced 311 horsepower. Inside, there are acres of Alcantara, and the exterior received more aggressive styling with a unique front bumper and Porsche mirrors. Audi’s performance wagon could reach 62 mph in just 4.8 seconds, which is fast even by modern standards, meaning it was lightning quick in 1994.

Audi TT

Audi may have built the TT on the same platform as the VW Golf, but it’s still a fantastic sports car, even if it doesn’t have rear-wheel drive. Base-model TTs had a 150-horsepower 1.8-liter turbo engine and FWD, but we’d opt for the 180-horsepower Quattro version or the later 3.2-liter VR6-powered model.

It won awards left, right, and center, and its popularity led to two more generations before it was discontinued in November 2023. The later cars are definitely better, but the first one is iconic and, arguably, better looking.

Audi S4 (B5)

Audi only built the B5-platform S4 for a few years, from 1997 to 2001, but during that time, it received a lot of love from car enthusiasts. Again, Audi’s formula for success was to pair an amazing engine with the AWD Quattro drivetrain.

Its twin-turbocharged 2.7-liter V6 engine pumped out 445 horsepower, which translated into a 0 to 62 mph time of 5 seconds and a top speed of 155 mph.

Audi S3

In 1999, Audi launched the A3-derived Audi S3 three-door hatchback. It was powered by the legendary VAG 20-valve 1.8-liter turbo engine, with early models producing 207 horsepower and later ones with variable valve timing producing 222 horses. This was also the first time Audi fitted a four-cylinder engine in one of its S cars. 

Like all Audi S models, it has AWD, but while it’s dubbed Quattro, the S3 actually has a Haldex Traction system, which could also be found in the VW Golf R32.

Audi RS4

Audi released the first RS4 in 1999, based on the B5 A4 platform. Like its predecessor, the RS2, it was only available in Avant (station wagon) form. Its engine was based on the 2.7-liter V6 found in the S4 but now produced 375 horsepower instead of 260.

Audi has produced four generations of the RS4, and the second-gen version from 2006 to 2008 was even available in sedan and convertible guise. The current RS4 arrived in 2018, again only as a wagon, and it has a 2.9-liter V6 twin-turbo engine producing 445 horsepower and 443 lb-ft of torque.

Audi RS5

Audi has built some great-looking cars over the years, and we think those from the mid-2000s to the mid-2010s are the best-looking ones of them all. One of the models from this era that genuinely stands out is the A5-based RS5. 

When it emerged in 2010, this stylish coupe came pretty close to dethroning the legendary BMW M3. With 445 galloping stallions, it even packed more power than its Bavarian rival.

Audi RS6

Audi introduced the first RS6 in 2002, and as good as it was, we’re more interested in the second-generation C6 version that arrived in 2008 because of its sheer lunacy.

Audi decided to fit a twin-turbocharged 5.0-liter V10 engine in a station wagon. It produced a whopping 571 horsepower, making it more powerful than the Audi R8 V10, and was as practical as any other station wagon. How much fun would it be to take the kids to school in a car that’ll reach 60 mph in 4.4 seconds?! Sadly, maintenance is guaranteed to cost a fortune. 

Audi R8

While the regular versions of the Audi R8 weren’t as powerful as the V10-powered RS6, it wasn’t far behind, and if you opt for the V10 Plus or V10 Performance Quattro versions, you’ll get 602 or 612 horsepower.

There’s no questioning that even the most “basic” V8-powered R8 is far more eye-catching than any of Audi’s other high-performance models. The best part is that it’s a proper supercar but still reasonably reliable and cheaper than the models from Italian and British brands.

Audi S8

Those looking for equal amounts of luxury and performance should check out the Audi S8. It arrived in 1996, replacing the Audi V8, and since then, it’s been one of the manufacturer’s flagship models. 

After the first-gen S8 appeared in the movie Ronin, it immediately became one of the world’s coolest cars. Today, the S8 is a proper luxury sedan, commonly spotted transporting politicians and VIPs. In fact, in North America, only the long-wheelbase S8 is available. 

Audi Q7 V12 TDI

Carmakers did a lot of weird stuff back in the 2000s, and Audi was guilty of this, too. After winning the 24 Hours of LeMans with a diesel-powered car, Audi decided to put a V12 turbodiesel engine in a production model.

They originally planned to use the diesel V12 in the R8, but it didn’t fit, so the next best thing was to drop it under the hood of the large Q7 SUV. Almost no one bought one, which is a shame, as this monster produced 493 horsepower and an astonishing 738 lb-ft of torque.