DETAILS
Model: Audi RS2 Avant
Market: United Kingdom 🇬🇧
Internal Designation: B4 (Type 8C)
Model Family: 80 / RS2
Model Years: 1994, 1995
Model / Generation Code(s): P1 / B4
Chassis / Matrix: B4 / Volkswagen Group B-platform
Production Period: March 1994-1995
Worldwide Production: 2,891 examples
Official UK Allocation: 180 right-hand-drive examples
Assembly: Porsche Werk Zuffenhausen, Stuttgart, Germany (final assembly)
Bodyshell Production: Audi Ingolstadt, Germany
Engine Production: Audi Salzgitter, Germany
Engine: 2.2-liter turbocharged DOHC 20-valve inline-five (ADU)
Displacement: 2,226 cc
Output: 315 bhp (232 kW) @ 6,500 rpm
Torque: 302 lb-ft (410 Nm) @ 3,000 rpm
Transmission: 6-speed manual
Drivetrain: quattro permanent all-wheel drive with Torsen center differential and manually locking rear differential
Drive Configuration: Right-hand drive
Body Style: Five-door Avant
Seating Capacity: Five
Luggage Capacity: 370 liters (1,200 liters with rear seats folded)
Top Speed: 163 mph (262 km/h)
0-62 mph: 5.4 seconds
Standard Wheels: 17-inch Porsche Cup alloy wheels
Tires: 245/40 ZR17
Brakes: Porsche four-piston ventilated disc brakes with ABS
Notable Features: Porsche-developed engine, suspension and braking system, electrically adjustable Recaro sport seats, white instrument dials, one-specification UK equipment package, Audi perimeter alarm with coded immobilizer.
OVERVIEW
Introduced for the 1994 model year, the Audi RS2 Avant represented the first production model to wear the RS designation and marked the beginning of what would become Audi’s highest-performance road car lineage. Developed jointly by Audi and Porsche, the RS2 combined the practicality of the Audi 80 Avant with a comprehensively re-engineered version of Audi’s turbocharged inline-five engine, Porsche-developed suspension and braking systems, and numerous exterior and interior components sourced directly from Porsche.
Although the RS2 was conceived as a left-hand-drive model for continental Europe, unexpectedly strong interest from British customers led Audi to develop a right-hand-drive version specifically for the United Kingdom. Following its appearance at the 1993 London Motor Show, Audi committed to importing 180 right-hand-drive examples through the end of production in 1995. Those cars formed part of a total worldwide production run of 2,891 RS2 Avants and established the United Kingdom as one of the few right-hand-drive markets to officially receive Audi’s first RS model.
MARKET OVERVIEW
The British market had already demonstrated an unusually strong appetite for high-performance estate cars before the arrival of the RS2. Audi UK found that practicality was becoming just as important as outright performance for many customers.
During the first half of 1994, 51 percent of Audi S2 buyers selected the Audi 80 Estate S2 rather than the Coupé, while 67 percent of Audi 100 S4 customers also chose the Avant. Those figures reinforced Audi UK’s belief that there was sufficient demand for a flagship performance estate, even one positioned alongside traditional sports cars in both price and performance.
Rather than viewing the Avant body style as a compromise, Audi positioned the RS2 as an entirely new interpretation of the high-performance automobile—one capable of carrying five adults and substantial luggage while delivering acceleration and top speed that rivaled contemporary supercars. With 315 bhp, a 163 mph top speed and a 0-62 mph time of 5.4 seconds, the RS2 established a new benchmark for production performance estates.
RIGHT-HAND DRIVE DEVELOPMENT
The United Kingdom almost never received the RS2.
At the beginning of development, Audi intended to build the model exclusively in left-hand drive. Combined with the British market’s traditional reluctance toward left-hand-drive vehicles, this meant there were initially no plans to offer the RS2 through Audi UK dealers.
As the British economy recovered and new car sales strengthened, Audi reconsidered the business case for a right-hand-drive variant. One month after its world debut at the Frankfurt Motor Show, an RS Blue example was displayed prominently on Audi’s stand at the London Motor Show alongside the aluminum Audi ASF concept. Public response exceeded expectations and convinced Audi to proceed with right-hand-drive production.
Audi subsequently committed to importing 180 right-hand-drive RS2 Avants for the UK market through the end of 1995. Unlike many limited-production performance cars, the RS2 would be sold and serviced entirely through the established Audi dealer network rather than through Porsche retailers.
ENGINEERING PURPOSE
The RS2 was developed from the Audi 80 Estate S2 but was far more than a higher-output derivative. Audi and Porsche approached the project as a complete engineering program, combining extensive revisions to the powertrain, suspension, braking system and overall vehicle dynamics while preserving the everyday practicality of the Avant platform.
At its heart was Audi’s familiar 2,226 cc turbocharged 20-valve inline-five engine. Porsche extensively revised the engine, increasing output from 230 bhp in the Audi 80 Estate S2 to 315 bhp at 6,500 rpm while peak torque rose from 258 lb-ft to 302 lb-ft, delivered at a lower 3,000 rpm. The result represented a 37 percent increase in horsepower and a 17 percent improvement in peak torque over the donor vehicle.
Key mechanical revisions included:
- Larger KKK turbocharger operating at higher boost
- Larger intercooler
- Upgraded radiator
- Low-restriction air filter
- Revised engine management calibration
- Larger fuel injectors
- Porsche 911 fuel pressure regulator
- Revised exhaust camshaft
- Low-pressure exhaust manifold
- Metal catalytic converters
- Larger-diameter tailpipes
Power was delivered through Audi’s six-speed manual transmission and permanent quattro all-wheel-drive system, allowing the RS2 to accelerate from 0-62 mph in 5.4 seconds before reaching a top speed of 163 mph. Official UK fuel economy was rated at 19.5 mpg (urban), 37.2 mpg (steady 56 mph) and 31.0 mpg (steady 75 mph).
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