Audi introduced the first production five-cylinder engine in 1976, fitting it to the second-generation Audi 100. The inline-five gave Audi a way to offer more power than a four-cylinder engine without the size and weight penalty of a six-cylinder.
The engine appeared in the C2-generation Audi 100, also known internally as the Type 43. Its 2.1-litre, fuel-injected unit produced about 136 horsepower and was promoted as combining six-cylinder performance with four-cylinder economy. The production model reached customers after its 1976 introduction, with market launch following in 1977.
Audi engineers had considered both five- and six-cylinder layouts in the early 1970s. The five-cylinder was compact enough for the company’s front-engine, front-wheel-drive packaging and could be derived from the Volkswagen Group’s EA827 four-cylinder engine family.
The layout became one of Audi’s signature technologies. Turbocharged and diesel versions followed, and five-cylinder engines later powered famous rally cars such as the Audi Quattro. The distinctive uneven firing rhythm also gave Audi performance models their characteristic sound.