Audi and quattro at the Tourist Trophy for the first time in 16 years

By Johan Laubscher

The 2013 World Endurance Championship will begin at Silverstone. Today it was announced that the WEC event will be awarded one of the oldest and most prestigious titles in the sport. The WEC Silverstone winners will receive the 2013 RAC Tourist Trophy. The prestigious award is a 108 years old and will be awarded to the race winners on April 14th 2013.

Two Audi R18 e-tron quattros will take part at the opening WEC event. This will be the first time in 16 years that an Audi and quattro will compete in the Tourist Trophy. The brand was last seen in the event in 1996 and 1997 with the Audi A4 quattro STW Super Touring cars.

Below we have included an embedded YouTube video featuring the 1997 RAC Tourist Trophy. The Super Touring Cars took part in this historical event that year. The event was the scene for the last ever official quattro race in British Super Touring. Four-wheel drive was banned in Super Touring at the beginning of 1998, forcing the 1998 BTCC Audis to be front-wheel drive. The 1997 race saw five Audis entered. Two A4 quattro STW's each from Audi Sport UK and ABT Sportsline. The fifth car was the #18 Audi Sport UK entry which was the debut of the front-wheel drive Audi A4 STW in Britain. It is a fantastic video with spectacular Super Touring action. Enjoy:

Photos by AudiFans.net and Audi Sport