If you’re a fan of the B4 vintage Audi 80, and let’s face it what classic Audi aficionado isn’t, then the S2 Avant makes a captivating case. It pairs Audi’s turbocharged 5-cylinder engine with a long roof body style that’s hard to ignore.
WAS THE S2 COOLER THAN THE RS2?
But what about the RS2 Avant you say? It was co-developed by Porsche, offered Porsche styling, more power and was built on the same platform – often painted the always choice Nogaro Blue. These are all true things of course, but the S2 scratches a number of different itches and this car does that in spades.
Up until the B3/B4 era, Audi had only ever put its turbocharged engine in either the larger C chassis, or only in a coupé body style when fitted to the B-segment car – a.k.a. the “small chassis Audi”. In fact, the S2 was launched as a Coupé only in its earliest form.
Shortly thereafter came the S2 Sedan and Avant – these two arriving in 1992. And while the S2 sedan was built in much smaller numbers and may fit into a collection of rarities more readily, its the S2 that remains a favorite of Audi fans – a group that almost always favors the wagon.
Given its launch, the S2 beat the RS2 to market by several years. It 217 bhp was significantly less powerful than the RS2’s 315 bhp, but the car was based on roughly the same hardware leaving it with a ton of tuning potential.
And while it may be hard for any fan of Porsche to imagine, there are those in the Audi community who prefer the look of the S2. Like many cars of that era, subtlety was an art amongst even the highest performance cars and the S2’s small badges, slight air dam and stock 16-inch wheels were used so much discretion that the S2 qualified as a sleeper. While the RS2 screamed “LOOK AT ME!”, the S2 was decidedly if-you-know-you-know.
ABOUT THIS S2
This slightly modified example of the S2 follows the if-you-know-you-know theme, with just enough OEM plus upgrades to make it the perfect spec by my measure. Here’s what we know.
When the car was brand new, it was shipped directly to MTM’s shop just outside of Ingolstadt for immediate upgrades. The listing states it received software upgrades, wheels and exhaust at that time. An “MTM” badge on the back would seem to confirm that.
In more recent years, the car was partially restored. This includes addressing all defects that had accumulated over 30 years in service. At that time, it was completely repainted in its original Ragusa Green Metallic.
At that time, it also received the wheels it wears today. Sourced from an early D2 Audi S8 (like the one in Ronin), these wheels are a popular (and arguably perfect) upgrade for cars of this era. That original Avus design was largely inspired by the Audi Avus concept, where the wheel was first seen, then arrived in 16-inch format for S2 and S6 models in the years this car was new. That same design jumped to 18-inch for the S8, a detail closely noted by aficionados seeking something larger (usually to fit larger brakes), that would retain the OEM appearance of. In that, the wheels are frankly perfect on the S2 and S6 from these years.
This particular set of 18-inch Avus wheels was repainted – newly powder coated in silver and fitted with Continental Sport Contact tires in 225 40 18 sizing. 15 mm spacers fitted at all four corners fill the fenders more aggressively.
At the time of the restoration, the suspension was upgraded using KW V1 Classic Line stainless steel coilovers finished in black and polished stainless instead of yellow and purple for a subtler appearance. The car also received a 3-inch stainless steel exhaust from FOX as well.
Other parts were also fitted, with most of them being new. The roof and door panels were reupholstered, and the front seats were restored. In fact, the entire interior was disassembled with all parts cleaned or replaced.
According to the owner, the car drives today better than it did on the first day and has virtually no defects. It’s located currently in Freising, Germany.
IN GERMANY, SO WHAT ABOUT IMPORTATION?
If you’re in Europe, purchasing this car should be easy enough. For North Americans, the car is old enough that it can be imported into either the U.S. or Canada quite easily.
For Americans, companies like Orchid Euro or Open Air Imports can usually handle most of that. Be aware though, the dollar to Euro conversion is currently slightly in favor of the Euro meaning a slight penalty when converting your money. As of this writing, U.S. tariffs are also in place, meaning effectively an additional tax on getting the car into the United States.
On the up side, this is an S2 and its €29,999 price is well south of your average RS2, so getting yourself into this particular 90s era turbocharged Avant will still run you less than the cheapest of RS2s… tariffs and import costs included.
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