The four-ringed carmaker and quattro have evidently come a long way since then. In fact, Audi's latest development is the quattro system featuring ultra technology for cars with a longitudinally-mounted engine. The concept uses an actively controlled multi-plate clutch at the end of the transmission which distributes the torque variably between the drive axles in all-wheel drive operation. A decoupler in the rear axle differential can additionally open the connection to the rear wheels. Both clutches are opened in driving situations where the all-wheel drive doesn't offer any advantage. This way, the parts of the rear drivetrain responsible for drag are not engaged.
Audi R8 V10 quattro
As far as quattro's numbers go, it may be interesting to note that in 2015, 44 per cent of all Audi customers worldwide chose models equipped with quattro drive and the Audi Q5 topped the list with nearly 262,000 units. quattro models garnered notably robust sales in the United States, Canada, Russia and Middle East markets.
