Every once in a while, a listing appears that feels less like a used-car ad and more like a legitimate discovery. This Nogaro Blue Audi RS 4 Avant (B5)—a UK-market, 2000-build example showing 118,000 miles—falls squarely into that category. If the dealer’s description is accurate and this car really was reviewed in period by Jeremy Clarkson for Top Gear, then we’re looking at something far more compelling than the usual enthusiast-owned survivor.
Worth noting, exhaustive research for Clarkson’s coverage of the car resulted in this dated Top Gear television review by Jeremy of a Nogaro Blue RS 4 from the period. In the in car shots, that car appears to have standard B5 RS 4 seats. And while that leaves the Clarkson association and possibly even the UK press car status of this car in question, the specification alone is still highly worth consideration as it at least semi-qualifies as an über rare RS 4 Sport.
Even that though doesn’t rule it out as the Top Gear car. We know that the German car magazine Sport Auto reached out to Audi and had their own earlier build RS 4 long-term car retrofitted. Quite likely, Audi UK could have done the same thing and the parts were fitted after the Top Gear piece was filmed. That would be abnormal, but there was precedent for it and the nature of the RS 4 Sport parts are fairly key to making that possible.
You see, the RS 4 Sport, introduced at the 2000 Essen Motor Show and slated for 2001 production , was not a formal model but a curated suite of quattro GmbH performance parts installed before delivery. These transformed the already-formidable 380 PS RS 4 Avant into a sharper, more track-focused weapon: suede (rough-side) steering wheel and shift knob, Recaro Pole Position buckets, a lowered and stiffened suspension, cross-drilled brakes, a sport exhaust, and RS-branded mats with colored piping. Few customers ordered the full conversion, and far fewer cars survive today with their original components intact.
This Nogaro Blue example shows strong indications of Sport-spec lineage, though perhaps more like what a customer would have ordered – picking and choosing line items while not opting or being able to afford the entire product suite.
Without factory documentation, its status as a full RS 4 Sport may not be 100%. In the many photos provided by the listing dealer FS Performance, we don’t see some RS 4 Sport elements like black exhaust tips, color-matched piping on the floor mats or drilled brake rotors. Even still, other elements are obvious and visual confirmation of a specification not seen on other known examples like the one maintained by Audi Tradition or another in the Audi UK heritage fleet.
The RS 4 equipment that can be seen on this Nogaro Blue example includes:
- Recaro Pole Position seats in the period-correct High Tech fabric specification and that also notably includes “RS 4” logos on the headrest portion of the seats that’s absent on the Audi Tradition and Audi UK heritage fleet cars.
- Suede (Alcantara) steering wheel and shifter, matching Sport catalogue components
- Non-metric instrument cluster, extremely rare and desirable for anyone considering North American import and that **should** be interchangeable with a left-hand drive dashboard should a new left hand drive market buyer in a non-metric market acquire the car.
That it doesn’t include the cross-drilled brakes may not be a surprise. After 118,000 miles and 25+ years of use, the car has likely had the brakes replaced and a previous owner could have gone for standard RS 4 replacements. The Audi emblem can be seen on the rotors, meaning that whatever is in there appears to be OEM.
The suspension is another question. The RS 4 Sport setup sits 15mm lower. It’s hard to tell in these photos whether or not this car does. Also, at 118,000 miles, that too could have been replaced as a wear item. In short: absence of evidence as it sits today is not evidence of absence from original factory specification. Likely Audi UK or Audi Tradition could help answer any remaining questions in that regard.
What is undeniable, however, is that this is one well preserved RS 4 in an exceedingly rare specification. Yes, it shows a little wear, but it is not modified nor abused and that alone is a rarity. Throw on the Audi RS 4 Sport bits and Nogaro Blue paint and you have one of the most compelling B5 RS 4s to hit the market in a while by my estimation.
RARE SPEC JEREMY CLARKSON (MAY HAVE DRIVEN)
Nogaro Blue is arguably the signature RS colour of the era, and its combination here with carbon inlays, Pearl Nappa/High Tech interior, and those Recaro Pole Positions gives this car a level of quattro GmbH tailoring even amongst B5 RS 4 peers. The dealer also notes an electric slide & tilt glass sunroof, carbon trim, and a 6-CD changer—period luxury that enhances the Y2K era experience.
The Clarkson provenance, providing its legit, is also the sort of detail you couldn’t fabricate if you tried. UK press cars were often ordered with higher-spec or early-availability components, including Sport catalogue parts. If this RS 4 did indeed perform duty for Top Gear’s most outspoken face, then its early life likely may have included everything quattro GmbH wanted the public to see.
IMPORT FRIENDLY AND RHD ADVANTAGES & CHALLENGES FOR AMERICANS
At 118,000 miles, this RS 4 is still relatively fresh by B5 standards, and its 2000 build date means it’s already import-legal in the United States under the 25-year rule. Better still, the speedometer reads in miles, not kilometers, which American buyers will appreciate.
The only potential drawback is obvious: right-hand drive. For many international buyers, that’s a dealbreaker—or at least a negotiating lever. But the B5 A4 and S4 donor cars are plentiful in North America, and converting a B5 platform to left-hand drive is neither unprecedented nor prohibitively complex. Some collectors may consider it sacrilege; others will see it as a path to enjoying one of the best RS cars ever built on their home turf. That left-hand drive cars are more easily marketable in left-hand drive markets is also compelling, just make sure to bag and tag the original parts so that it can be put back should a future owner following your tenure also be a hardcore historian.
PRICING SURPRISINGLY REASONABLE I’D SAY
The asking price translates to around $46,000 USD based on today’s exchange rate, which is, quite frankly, attractive. At the time of writing, RS 4 B5s in comparable condition regularly trade on Bring a Trailer for more—and that’s without possible Clarkson provenance, partial RS 4 Sport-specification details, and the allure of Nogaro Blue paired with Recaros in the factory High Tech fabric spec no one else seems to have.
For a car with this level of potential pedigree, condition, color, and originality, I believe the price sits comfortably in the “savvy buy” category. Frankly, I debated holding this one without publishing and frantically searching for the funds to add it to my own collection.
FINAL THOUGHTS RARE OPPORTUNITY THAT CHECKS SO MANY BOXES
Whether this car is a full RS 4 Sport, a partial Sport-spec press car, or simply a very well-optioned early build, the result is the same: this car is one of the most compelling RS 4 B5s currently on sale. Between its Nogaro Blue paint, Sport-catalogue interior pieces, potential Audi UK provenance, and US-friendly build date, it stands out as a uniquely attractive proposition.
Collectors will debate its Sport credentials. Enthusiasts will debate its driver’s-seat location. But one thing is beyond debate: there are very few RS 4s—anywhere in the world—that tick this many boxes at once.
MORE INFORMATION
2000 Audi RS 4 Listing at FS Sport
PS WANT A DEEPER DIVE ON THE RS 4 SPORT?
ooooIYKYK Retrospective: 2001 Audi RS 4 Sport (B5)
Audi RS 4 Sport – UK (B5, 2001)
Audi RS 4 edition 25 Years – EU (B9.5, 2024)
PHOTO GALLERY
