Audi, the maker of luxurious and sensible AWD sedans and SUVs, has made quite the mark on the global automotive landscape with its cars that are well-engineered, but considered boring. But, it's not all Audis that suffer from this curse. In the course of its rich history, especially under the Volkswagen Group, Audi has given us some of the sportiest vehicles that have gained cult status and admiration from petrolheads across the globe. Here's a look at the 10 greatest Audi sports cars of all time:

1 Audi 100 Coupe S

The Audi 100 Coupe, made between 1969 and 1976, has to be one of Audi's finest creations to date. It features a design so effortless and elegant that it made its competition look like they belong to the last decade. It came equipped with cutting-edge equipment like locking differential and torque vectoring, in a very unconventional FWD setup. Powering this stylish coupe was a 1.9-Liter naturally aspirated Inline-four engine featuring Audi's signature Longitudinally mounted FWD layout, making 112 horsepower and mated to either a three-speed auto or a four-speed manual. Even though it was not a lot of power even back in the day, Audi's lightweight meant it could keep up with the competitors like the BMW E9 Coupe. With a total production run of just 30,687 units, the 100 Coupe S is a rare car and its cult status among Audi fans guarantees its collector car status with prices hovering around $30,000 to $35,000 for descent examples.

2 Audi Quattro

The Quattro is perhaps the most influential Audi and without a doubt the most important AWD car of all time that not only transformed the sport of Rally Racing, but more importantly, it popularized the use of AWD in regular road cars. Powering the Audi Quattro range was a 2.1-liter Inline-five turbo that is shared with the Audi 200 sedan, but was running .085 bar of boost which took the power output from 170 to 200 horsepower. It was mated to a five-speed manual with a locking differential, and in spite of the heavy four-wheel-drive system, it weighed just 2,778 pounds (1,260 kgs). But, it was never really intended to be a great seller. For Audi, it was a requirement to meet the homologation rules, and as a result, throughout its eleven-year production, only 11,452 copies were produced. All this Audi fandom and legacy comes at a cost, with running condition Audi Quattro's fetching anywhere from $30,000 for high-mileage examples and show quality low-mileage examples fetching up to $80,000. But, fear not, the prices only go up from here which makes the Audi Quattro a wise investment.

Related: Why The Audi R8 V-8 Is An Unsung Hero

3 Audi RS2 Avant

The incredible Audi RS2 Avant is a showcase of the Volkswagen Group's combined might and technical prowess when Audi and Porsche teamed up to make Audi's first official "RS" car. Since Audi had access to Porsche parts for this special project, the RS2 Avant, which was based on the Audi 80 Avant, also shared quite a few components with the Porsche 964 like the side mirrors, wheels, and even brakes. The parts for the RS2 Avant were manufactured by Audi, but it was assembled at Porsche's Rossle-Bau plant in Zuffenhausen, Germany. And, to no one's surprise, this pint-sized AWD wagon was a sports car wearing sensible clothes. The RS2 Avant was powered by a 2.2-liter five-cylinder turbo, very similar to the one that powered the Original Audi Quattro, only here it made 311 horsepower and 302 pound-feet of torque which combined with its brilliant Quattro AWD system meant it could hit 60 mph in just 4.7 seconds and Porsche's magical suspension tuning also lent it a sublime ride and cornering etiquettes. With a one-year production run from 1994 to 1995, Audi only made 2,200 examples, which is why values have gone through the roof in recent years with Audi RS2 Avant fetching between $60,000 and $90,000 in the used market.

4 Audi S2

Made between 1991 and 1995, the Audi S2 range was available in both coupe and wagon body styles and it was the flagship product in Audi's 80-derived coupe range. In addition to being the first "S" badged product in Audi's portfolio, the S2's powertrain shared a lot with their Rally cars with power coming from a 2.2-Liter Inline-five turbo that was largely similar to the original Audi Quattro. In this application, the engine made 227 horsepower and 217 pound-feet of torque, and early versions came mated to a five-speed gearbox which was later changed to a six-speed unit, channeling power to all four wheels. The regular Audi S2 coupe often gets overshadowed by the RS2 Avant which was the pinnacle of this range, but the S2 got a lot of things right, including its sedate and aerodynamically efficient styling. Back in the 90s, the coupe came the closest to delivering an experience similar to the original Quattro which makes it a landmark car in Audi's lineage. Prices in the used market have been all over the place with examples ranging anywhere between $15,000 and $30,000 with coupes usually fetching more money than the estates.

Related: 7 Reasons Why the Audi RS6 Avant Is the Perfect Car For All Occasions

5 Audi TT RS

The Audi TT is yet another design icon, a car that managed to bring the concept to reality and is considered one of the most usable and practical coupes of its day because it offered a whole host of frugal powertrain options, including a 2.0-Liter diesel and offered the safety net of Quattro AWD. But, the model that we are interested in is the hottest and most hunkered-down version of Audi's coupe, the TT RS. The original TT RS was unveiled at the Geneva Motor Show in 2009 with the Mk.2 TT, and it was powered by a 2.5-liter Inline-five turbo making 340 horsepower and 332-pound feet of torque. It was even offered with a six-speed manual transmission in addition to the seven-speed DSG transmission choice. Everything from the suspension to the Quattro AWD system was tweaked to tackle the classic understeer issue that plagued all Audis and the automaker succeeded in making the TT RS significantly more eager and agile than the regular TT. The Mk.3 TT RS came in around 2016, underpinned by VW's brilliant MQB platform with a sharper exterior and feature-rich interiors, and though most of the key components stayed the same, everything was dialed up to eleven. As a result, the Mk.3 Audi TT RS made 394 horsepower and 354 pounds-feet of torque. With these amped-up figures, the TT RS back in the day became a genuine threat to entry-level sports cars with 0-60 mph coming up in just 3.5 seconds and a top speed of 174 mph. The TT range was recently discontinued and values are yet to shoot in the used market, so expect to pay anywhere between $25,000 for the Mk.2 TT RS up to $60,000 for low mileage Mk.3s.

6 B8 Audi RS5

Launched in 2010 as the red-blooded, performance version of the A5 coupe, the B8 Audi RS5 shares most of its underpinnings with the A4 sedan and Q5 crossover. However, the RS5 is anything but basic. Powered by a 4.2-liter, naturally aspirated V-8 (the same engine that powered the original R8) making 444 horsepower and 317 pound-feet of torque and came mated to a seven-speed S-Tronic transmission and, of course, Audi's brilliant Quattro AWD with electric torque vectoring. This naturally aspirated engine was pure bliss with linear and effortless power delivery across the rev band and accompanied a throaty V-8 rumble. But, the biggest selling point for the RS5 was its practicality which included a big boot and the ability to seat four people in a pinch. The use of high-quality material and equipment on the inside make it a comfortable place to be in and the wild V-8 had no issues trotting around at city speeds all day without making a noise. These features make the B8 Audi RS5 truly remarkable and one of the best-performing Audi cars to date. With the new RS5 on sale at the moment, prices for this last-generation RS5 look fairly approachable with high-mileage examples starting at around $35,000 in the used market with show-quality, low-mileage examples fetching upwards of $60,000.

Related: 10 Reasons Why We Love the Audi A5 Sports Sedan

7 Audi RS7

Audi launched the A7 in 2010 as a four-door coupe, aimed squarely at the Mercedes CLS which gave rise to the new four-door coupe segment. The A7 is a great luxury car, but the version we are interested in is the latest Audi RS7, which belongs to the second generation known as the Type 4K8 that's been on sale since 2019. This updated version largely carries over its predecessor's 4.0-liter twin-turbo V-8, but here, it comes paired with a 48V mild-hybrid system which helps boost the output to 591 horsepower and 590 pound-feet, all while making it more economical. What makes the RS7 truly special apart from its wild looks is that it suffers from a classic case of Jekyll and Hyde syndrome, which means that at city speeds it’s just a quiet Audi with supple air suspension that transports its occupants in the lap of luxury, but select the RS mode and all hell breaks loose. The RS7 is capable of breaching the 60 mph barrier in a frankly alarming 3.0 seconds, and opting for the optional carbon-ceramic brakes will take the speed limiter off which then allows the RS7 to reach a top speed of 190 mph which is otherwise limited to 155 mph. It's a stunning vehicle that packs supercar levels of performance and a price to match. The 2023 Audi RS7 carries a starting price of $119,595.

8 C6 Audi RS6

The Audi A6 is a German luxury sedan that competes with the BMW 5 Series and the Mercedes E-Class in the highly competitive mid-size luxury sedan segment. The A6 does a fine job of transporting its occupants in the lap of luxury, albeit in a lackluster manner. But, what if you drop a bonkers V-10 in this sensible saloon, well Audi did just that and the results were sensational. The C6 RS6 was in production from 2008 to 2011 and was powered by a 5.0-liter V-10 with two turbos strapped to it for good measure. As a result, the RS6 made 571 horsepower and 479 pound-feet of torque. This setup was mated to a six-speed Tip-Tronic automatic and power was sent to all four wheels. Despite weighing over 4,400 pounds, the C8 Audi RS6 can hit 60 mph in just 4.5 seconds, and with the speed governor removed, it can reach a top speed of 170 mph. This car was a showcase of Audi's capabilities and it comes from a time when the VW group was fitting regular cars with unusual and often very powerful engines, case in point, the Audi Q7 with a V-12 diesel or the VW Phaeton with the W-12 engine. With a production run, limited to just 8,000 examples, of which only 1,500 cars had the saloon body style, the rest were all wagons, the C8 Audi RS6 is a rare car, but the complex V10 engine is also prone to failures because of which you can find these V10 luxury liners for under $20,000 in the used car market.

Related: 2022 Audi RS3: Performance, Price, And Photos

9 Audi E-Tron GT

The E-Tron GT is Audi's first crack at a production-spec, performance-oriented EV that shares its underpinnings with Porsche's brilliant Taycan. So far, EVs, even the fast ones like the Tesla Model S, offer monolithic performance that deliver blistering acceleration but fall apart in corners, which is understandable in a massive battery-powered saloon that weighs as much as a small building. The Audi E-Tron GT plans to change all that by the looks of it, since this new Audi packs the right hardware for the job. It features a dual-motor setup making 637 horsepower and 612 pound-feet of torque which propels this EV from 0 to 60 mph in just 2.9 seconds and onto a top speed of 155 mph. But, what's more impressive is how this EV sticks to the road and changes directions despite the four-door design and a curb weight of over 5,000 pounds. The Audi E-Tron GT range is a step in the right direction for Audi and EVs as a whole, but this flagship EV might not offer a good entry point into performance EV considering its price which starts at $106,395 for the entry-level version, and the high-performance E-Tron GT RS is priced at $145,395.

10 Audi R8 V-10

The R8 is the ultimate Audi dream machine, launched back in 2006 as the German automaker's halo product. The early models came with a smooth 4.2-liter V-8 and a manual transmission that changed Audi's image forever, but the model that we are interested in is the V-10. In 2012, when Audi decided that it was time to give the R8 a makeover, it decided the best way to do so would be to drop the 5.2-liter naturally aspirated V-10 from the Gallardo into the R8, and just like that, a legend was born. As of 2022, the power figures for the V-10-powered R8 stood at 562 horsepower and 406 pound-feet of torque, but the Performance Plus package takes that output up to 602 horsepower and adds a slew of performance upgrades. To no one's surprise, the R8 V-10 is very quick, with 0-60 mph achieved in 3.4 seconds and a top speed of 204 mph, and these figures are accompanied by the sweet sound of 10 cylinders firing inches away from the driver's head. Not only that, but the Audi R8 is also regarded by many as the most practical supercar of all time with plenty of space for weekend trips, excellent visibility, and great low-speed ride, all of which make the R8 a living legend and one of the greatest Audi Sports cars of all time.

FAQ

Q: Which is the best Audi sports car?

The Audi TT is widely regarded as one of the most popular and successful sports cars while the Audi R8 holds the title of the most recognizable supercar in the brand's history.

Q: Which series of Audi is best?

The Audi A4 and A5 range are some of the most sought-after and best-selling models that offer a great blend of practicality, luxury, and performance.