# Audi 90 quattro IMSA GTO (1989)

- Source: https://racingcarnetwork.com/wiki/audi-90-quattro-imsa-gto/
- Publisher: Racing Car Network (racingcarnetwork.com), the race car marketplace
- Type: car · Brand: Audi
- Discipline: touring, historic-collection
- Series: historic-sportscar
- Era: 1980s
- Last updated: 2026-11-06

The Audi 90 quattro IMSA GTO is the works silhouette car Audi of America ran in the 1989 IMSA Camel GT season. A tube-frame chassis, a 720 hp 2.2-litre five-cylinder turbo and quattro drive won seven races in one year. It is a collection and demonstration car; originals rarely change hands and works-only parts are scarce.

## Specifications

| Spec | Value |
|---|---|
| Engine | 2,190 cc inline five-cylinder, alloy block and head, DOHC 20-valve, KKK turbocharger, Bosch Motronic injection [1] |
| Power | 530 kW (720 hp) at 7,500 rpm; 720 Nm at 6,000 rpm [0] |
| Weight | 1,206-1,207 kg [1][9] |
| Gearbox | Six-speed manual, one ratio blanked off to meet the five-speed rule; quattro all-wheel drive [1][5] |
| Chassis | Steel tubular space-frame, composite body panels, production Audi 90 roof retained [1][5][7] |
| Suspension | Double wishbones front and rear, coil springs, gas-pressurised dampers [1] |
| Brakes | Ventilated discs on all four corners [1] |
| Wheels | 14-inch-wide 17-inch rims under flared arches [1][9] |
| Dimensions | Length 4,481 mm, width 1,999 mm, wheelbase 2,537 mm [1] |
| Years | 1989 (single season) [2][3] |
| Class | IMSA Camel GT, GTO class [2][4] |
| Built | 6 according to one reference work; Audi has not published a figure [1] |

## History

Audi arrived in North American circuit racing in 1988 with the 200 quattro Trans-Am, run by Group 44 for Audi of America. The big saloon won eight of thirteen races and both titles, with Hurley Haywood taking the drivers' crown [7][14]. For 1989 the SCCA banned all-wheel drive and demanded American engines, so Audi could not defend its title [14]. Audi of America moved to the IMSA Camel GT series instead, whose GTO rules allowed a purpose-built racer under a production-style silhouette [5].

The new car kept only the roof of a road-going Audi 90. Underneath sat a steel tube frame, double-wishbone suspension and composite bodywork over 14-inch-wide wheels [1][5]. The engine was the last step of the Group B and Pikes Peak five-cylinder: 2,190 cc, four valves per cylinder and a large KKK turbo. Audi quotes 720 hp at 7,500 rpm and 720 Nm at 6,000 rpm [0][1]. The gearbox had six ratios, but the rules allowed five, so one was blanked off [5]. The programme started late and the car was not ready for the opener. Audi therefore skipped the Daytona 24 Hours and Sebring 12 Hours [7]. Haywood later said the team also doubted the drivetrain would survive such long races [8].

Hans-Joachim Stuck drove the number 4 car and Haywood the number 5, with Walter Rohrl and Scott Goodyear sharing the two 500 km races [2][3]. Both cars retired on debut at Miami in March 1989, one with gearbox failure and one after an accident [2][3]. From Summit Point in May the picture changed. Stuck and Haywood finished one-two there, and Stuck won six more of the remaining rounds [5][6]. Audi could not recover the points lost at Daytona and Sebring and finished second to the Roush Mercury Cougar in the manufacturers' standings [6][15].

The IMSA effort was planned for two years but was dropped after one. Audi took its budget and the quattro system to the DTM for 1990 with the V8 quattro [5][7]. One 90 IMSA GTO went to South Africa in 1991 as the basis for the Wesbank-series Audi S4 GTO [13]. The engine and six-speed gearbox of S4 GTO chassis 001 came from a 90 IMSA GTO [12]. Audi Tradition keeps a 90 IMSA GTO in its fleet and still flies it to events. In 2024 it ran at an Aspen ice race and was shown at the Amelia concours [8].

## Palmarès

Seven GTO class wins in 1989, all by Hans-Joachim Stuck in car number 4 [2][4][6]. The wins came at Summit Point, Mid-Ohio, Heartland Park (Topeka), Sears Point, Watkins Glen (shared with Walter Rohrl), Lime Rock and Laguna Seca [2]. Haywood added five second places in car number 5, giving Audi five one-two finishes [3][6]. Audi missed Daytona and Sebring and ended second to the Roush Mercury Cougar in the manufacturers' standings [6][7][15]. The car never raced again under Audi after 1989 [5].

## What to check before you buy

Establish which of the two 1989 race cars it is, or whether it is a spare or test chassis: Period records list number 4 as 90q-04 and number 5 as 90q-05 with the true chassis numbers unknown. Ask for Audi Sport or Audi of America build documents. Match the engine and gearbox numbers to the chassis history: The S4 GTO chassis 001 took its engine and six-speed gearbox from a 90 IMSA GTO. At least one original car has therefore lost major units. Confirm the frame is a steel tube space-frame with only the roof from a production 90: The real car keeps the production roof panel and nothing else from the road car. A converted road shell is a tribute, not a works chassis. Inspect the rear-mounted rubber fuel cell and its aluminium container: The cell sits at the rear in an aluminium box. Bladders age out and the box is bespoke; ask when it was last replaced. Ask for the race history against the 1989 entry lists: Thirteen rounds are logged per car, including retirements for gearbox, steering, engine and an accident at Road America. Repairs after those events should be documented. Verify the 1989-era Bosch Motronic management is complete and supported: The ECU, sensors and harness are works items. The 2026 Wanted request on racingcarnetwork.com lists ECUs among the parts a buyer cannot find. Check what Audi Tradition holds and whether the car was ever in its fleet: Audi Tradition still owns and demonstrates a 90 IMSA GTO, so a private car should have a paper trail showing when it left the factory.

## Did you know

- The 2,190 cc engine gave 324 bhp per litre, one of the highest specific outputs of any Audi works engine [1].
- The gearbox had six ratios but the rulebook allowed five, so Audi blanked one off rather than build a new box [5].
- Audi Tradition flew its 90 IMSA GTO to the United States in 2022 to film Electrikhana. It returned in 2024 for an Aspen ice race [8].
- The predecessor Audi 200 Trans-Am was 4.89 m long and 2.03 m wide, the largest race car Audi has built [7].

## Frequently asked questions

**How many Audi 90 IMSA GTOs were built and where are they?** One reference work says six were built, but Audi has not published a figure. Two cars raced in 1989. Audi Tradition keeps one in its fleet and still demonstrates it. One car went to South Africa in 1991 and donated its engine and gearbox to the S4 GTO chassis 001. The rest are unaccounted for in public sources.

**Can I race one in a historic series?** No organiser with a class for this car was found. The works used it only in 1989 sprint rounds. Today it appears at demonstrations: Audi Tradition took its car to an Aspen ice race and the Amelia concours in 2024. Plan for hill runs and parade laps, not wheel-to-wheel racing.

**What parts will I struggle to find?** Everything mechanical. The 2,190 cc engine, the six-speed gearbox, differentials, KKK turbo and Bosch Motronic ECU were works items never sold to customers. A November 2026 Wanted request on racingcarnetwork.com lists exactly these parts, which shows how thin the supply is.

**How do I tell an original from a tribute?** An original is a steel tube space-frame with composite panels; only the roof comes from a production Audi 90. A tribute is usually a road 90 shell with wide arches added. Ask for Audi Sport or Audi of America build records and compare the car against the 1989 entry numbers 4 and 5.

**Why did Audi skip Daytona and Sebring in 1989?** Audi says the late start meant the car was not ready for the season opener. Haywood added that the team did not expect the drivetrain to survive a 24-hour or 12-hour race. Missing those two rounds cost Audi the manufacturers' title, which went to the Roush Mercury Cougar.

**What is the Audi S4 GTO and is it the same car?** No. The S4 GTO is a South African derivative built by Audi Sport South Africa for the 1992-1994 Wesbank Modified series on a C4 S4 silhouette. Two were built. Chassis 001 uses the engine and six-speed gearbox of a 90 IMSA GTO and was raced by Stuck on its debut.

## Sources

- Audi 90 quattro IMSA GTO, model year 1989: most powerful five-cylinder works engine in motorsport — https://www.audi.com/en/images/detail/audi-90-quattro-imsa-gto-model-year-1989-37222
- Audi 90 Quattro IMSA GTO specifications — https://www.ultimatecarpage.com/spec/5484/Audi-90-Quattro-IMSA-GTO.html
- Complete archive of chassis 90q-04# — https://www.racingsportscars.com/chassis/archive/90q-04%23.html
- Complete archive of chassis 90q-05# — https://www.racingsportscars.com/chassis/archive/90q-05%23.html
- 1989 IMSA GT Championship — https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1989_IMSA_GT_Championship
- #TheUnfairAdvantage: the Audi 90 IMSA GTO — http://historicmotorsportconsulting.com/2015/07/13/theunfairadvantage-the-audi-90-imsa-gto/
- Audi 90 GTO poised to repeat history on iRacing — https://www.iracing.com/audi-90-gto-poised-to-repeat-history-on-iracing/
- quattro auf der Rennstrecke — https://www.audi.com/de/quattro-auf-der-rennstrecke-17313
- Audi Tradition fleet cars visiting America — https://buddyboss.audiclubna.org/?p=19438
- Audi 90 IMSA GTO — https://www.ableitet.no/audi-90-imsa-gto/
- WANTED: Audi Sport & Gumpert Apollo parts - TransAm, IMSA GTO, Sport quattro S1, LMP, STW, V8 DTM — https://racingcarnetwork.com/wanted/wanted-audi-sport-gumpert-apollo-parts-transam-imsa-gto-sport-quattro-s1-lmp-stw-v8-dtm/
- SA-made Wesbank Modified Audi racer on auction — https://www.businessday.co.za/motoring/2026-03-05-sa-made-wesbank-modified-audi-racer-on-auction/
- Ex-Hans-Joachim Stuck Audi S4 GTO silhouette racer is up for grabs — https://www.octane-magazine.com/news/ex-hans-joachim-stuck-audi-s4-gto-silhouette-racer-is-up-for-grabs/
- The Audi 90 IMSA GTO's twin: the Audi S4 GTO — https://audi-motorsport-blog.blogspot.com/2012/09/the-audi-90-imsa-gtos-twin-audi-s4-gto_22.html
- For sale: 1988 Audi 200 quattro Trans-Am — https://www.motorsportretro.com/2016/05/for-sale-1988-audi-200-quattro-trans-am/
- Stuck in the middle: IMSA GTO Audi 90 — https://jalopnik.com/stuck-in-the-middle-way-oh-way-oh-imsa-gto-audi-90-255041
- Pic of the week: Audi 90 IMSA GTO — https://www.pistonheads.com/news/ph-potw/pic-of-the-week-audi-90-imsa-gto/34949
- This Audi S4 GTO is a legendary five-pot's last hurrah — https://goodwood.com/grr/race/historic/2017/7/this-audi-s4-gto-is-the-legendary-five-pots-last-hurrah
- File:Audi90QuattroHH5a-89mia.jpg — https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Audi90QuattroHH5a-89mia.jpg

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