In the late 70´s under strict secrecy a technical innovation was presented to the Audi executive committee on the Turracher Höhe in the austrian alps. With summer tires and without tire chains a prototype of the new Audi with all-wheel drive climbed the mountain. The executive committee was impressed by the new technique. In March 1980 the Audi Quattro was presented at the Geneva automobile salon to the broad public.Naturally Audi wanted to show what the new propulsion technology can offer, it lasts not very long til the first successes: 24 rallye-first places in the championships of 1981-1987. At first only the "Urquattro" was driven, later came then also the Audi 200 quattro but it was driven in another class. In the meantime Audi equiped their normal series vehicles also with its all-wheel drive system and almost each model was available in several versions as a quattro.

1983 the all-wheel drive was presented at the first time in a Volkswagen. The VW transporter T3 syncro. Using a propulsion principle of the Steyr Daimler Puch Fahrzeugtechnik from Austria. With an increased clearance the T3 indicated a very good cross-country capability.

In the normal cars the all-wheel drive was offered for the first time starting from October 1984 in the Passat. Here however only in the Variant . Since February 1986 there is also the Golf as syncro available. Since then Volkswagen offers as well as all models in several engine versions with the all-wheel drive.

The principle of the fourwheeldrive system is very simple. One differential installed at the transmission a distributes the engine power with a cardan shaft depending upon situation on the front and/or the rear axle. At the original system, which in the Audi and VW was in use, conventional differentials was used, whereby the central and the rear-axlesdifferential were mechanically blockable executed. Audi developed the concept further and replaced the conventional middledifferential by a Torsendifferential, which works by a complex arrangement of bevel gears, the differential permits only a certain number of revolutions difference between the two axles, and regulates the torque distribution, which is under normal conditions 50-50, up to a maximum of 25-75 after both sites, without effort of the driver. Volkswagen meanwhile offers now almost for each model series its own all-wheel technique. In the Passat the long-proven Torsendifferential takes efect, in the Sharan ensures a Viscousclutch the constant propulsion and in the Golf and Bora operates the quite new system with a Haldexclutch, which uses the newest electronics with many sensors for a fast reaction to the respective situation and so that the correct balance of power between front and rear axle is applied. With the introduction of the new technique Volkswagen changed the name. Instead of syncro they call it now 4motion.