1995 Audi RS2 Avant Review

Every story has its origin, and for Audi’s RS brand, that is the RS2. It was fearsomely quick in its day, but how is the legend holding up 30 years on?

Audi pretty much owns the fast wagon space, and it’s thanks largely to this nineties weapon. The Audi RS2 is the genesis of Ingolstadt’s RS movement and while it might not have been the world’s first sizzling station wagon, it’s the one that set the scene for Audi’s dominance in this segment. 

It’s thanks to Ferdinand Piech, often the man behind many a great automotive icon, including the original UR quattro itself. He was still on Audi’s board at the time, and thought the company’s image could do with a boost. So he turned to his old friends at Porsche to help bring the model come to fruition, the Stuttgart-based firm taking care of turning the B4 Audi S2 into the RS2.

Audi 80 bodies were shipped from Ingolstadt down the road to Porsche, which was tasked with assembling the model at its plant in Zuffenhausen. The RS2 centres around the engine, where Piech wanted a 30 per cent power increase from the 20-valve, 2.2-litre inline five. So Porsche bolted on a larger turbocharger, upping boost to 1.4bar. Helping out was a new intercooler and better injectors, along with a camshaft upgrade, improved induction and a freer flowing exhaust. It all worked in harmony with a new Bosch ECU programmed by Porsche.

The outcome was 232kW at 6500rpm with 410Nm at 3000, a boost of some 37 per cent over the regular S2. The RS2 received a special six-speed manual gearbox, and it ran through the usual Audi Torsen-based permanent four-wheel drive system, with open diffs front and rear.

Porsche also upgraded the suspension, the Mac strut front and wishbone rear received uprated spring and damper, ride height was dropped by 40mm, while beefier anti-roll bars were fitted at either ends. The RS2 also benefitted from a brake upgrade with larger drilled rotors and Brembo calipers from the 968 Club Sport bolted up behind 17-inch Porsche Cup alloys.

A unique front bumper featured bigger breathing holes and Porsche side lights, while those aero side mirrors came from the 911 Turbo. Inside, the RS2 owner sat on Recaro seats, gripped an RS steering wheel and gazed upon white backed dials.

The RS2 was a smidge heavier than the S2, but still came in under 1600kg. And with its significant power upgrade and AWD traction, it was a sprint master in its day, with a 0-100km/h time of 4.8 seconds. Production ran from March 1994 until mid-1995, with Audi making 2891 cars. Just over 180 of those had the steering wheel on the right side, with a handful made available for far flung markets like New Zealand.

This silver example is a NZ-new model, now owned by Aucklander Frank Henry. It’s been in his care for eight years after he was put in contact with a potential seller. After a couple of phone calls, the deal was done for an agreeable $45k. And now this RS2 would easily fetch more than twice that.

“It’s a pretty special car,” reckons Frank, “it started the whole genre, it’s the OG and there’s the special Porsche connection. It’s just such an iconic car, really, isn’t it?”

He’s also the owner of a B5 RS 4 as well. “I think there are only two Audis to have; Porsche built this one and Audi bought Cosworth to build the B5 RS 4.

“If you put the B5 and this RS2 beside each other, you can see the influence. And it’s good to have two; you can drive one while the other is in the shop,” he says with a smile. 

“The B5 is tuned to 500hp. It’s a beast, but my mate said I’m not allowed to modify this at all, otherwise he’ll take it off me.”

Given the age, and with the mileage knocking on 200,000km, he jokes that every time you turn the key, an issue crops up, especially if you don’t drive them often enough. 

The previous owner had it for over a decade, but was left largely idle during that time. While this has not been restored (a survivor according to Frank), he’s done necessary work to keep it going, including replacing most of the belts, pumps, pulleys and the like. 

The RS2 is a diminutive weapon in modern terms. The latest RS 5 is almost 4.9m long and 1952mm wide with its comically pumped guards and a grille across its entire face. Meanwhile the RS2 has more visual decorum, and at 4.58m long and 1.7 wide, is a compact car now. It’s discreet about its performance credentials. 

Its low stance looks right, while those Cup wheels fill the arch perfectly. It’s well proportioned, even with that engine stuck right out in front. Lifting the bonnet, you note the negligible clearance at the front of the engine, with the intercooler set to the side of it. It’s interesting packaging.

This has wracked up some miles, and while the Recaros are showing their age, the rest of the interior is holding up remarkably well, with few rattles and creaks. Being based on a family wagon, there’s an easy entry, and the driving position is friendly. And being that bit older, the engine takes a bit of cranking before it turns over and settles quickly into a very civilised idle. It’s all very uneventful compared with modern start up theatrics.

The clutch pedal has some heft to the engagement while the steering is reasonably lightweight. The five pot is docile at lower engine speeds, and though it feels a bit sleepy, and slow to stir, there’s a semblance of low level torque for general cruising. Keep the throttle pinned, and as that tacho slowly winds its way past 4000rpm, it suddenly awakens. With the boost on, it’s breathing properly and revving hard. The arrival of the power has the RS2 sinking back on its haunches and heading for the horizon with a certain conviction that belies its age. It feels quick. As the five heads past 7000rpm, it’s time for another gear, slotted without drama, the shift action long but deliberate. Keep the throttle pinned and the next ratio sets the engine back to around 4200rpm, right in the meat of the torque, so it’s still on the boil and steaming. It needs to be kept on the boost though, once it falls off you need to stir it up again with the stick. 

While there’s a hint of the warbling five pot, the exhaust is quiet, with just a bit of turbo and wastegate drama when shifting.

The RS2 turns better than expected. The initial turn in is quick and sharp, without any mush off centre. While the ultimate in feedback might lacking, it at least has a pulse. While the front turns on cue, the rear follows a microsecond behind, though that seems to help with whole cornering vibe. The front has more bite than the weight bias would suggest, all five cylinders hanging out past the front axle, though modern rubber probably helps there. You can feel a tendency to want to push perhaps earlier than a more modern quattro system, certainly if you get on the power too quickly. But grip and traction this has plenty of. It could do with a bit more suspension travel however. The roll isn’t as contained as the firm ride would suggest, the body rigidity of the old B4 platform is tested by bumps that a modern chassis would hardly notice.  

But it’s an interesting drive for sure, and as Frank says; “I think half of the character of these cars is waiting for the boost to come on. It’s a throw back to old turbo tech, and once it’s on, it hauls. That’s part of the fun.”