Audi · 1994–1995
Audi RS 2 Avant
The Audi RS 2 Avant is a high-performance version of the Audi 80 Avant estate car, manufactured from March 1994 to July 1995. Collaboratively designed as a joint venture between Audi and Porsche and based on Audi's B4/8C platform, it received the internal designation of P1. It featured the most powerful version of Audi's inline-five cylinder turbocharged engine. It represents Audi's first "RS" model, and the first of their high-performance Avants. The RS 2 Avant is a limited-edition model that was not widely exported outside of Europe, except in limited quanties to Hong Kong, South Africa, Brazil, and New Zealand. However, the RS 2 has amassed a cult following worldwide including Canada and the United States where the RS 2 was not officially imported due to certification costs and weak brand performance in the early 1990s. RS 2s have now been imported to Canada and USA as both allow non-conforming vehicles to be imported once they reach the age of 15 and 25 years respectively.
Text from Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0).
Predecessor: Audi S2 · Successor: Audi RS4
All Audi RS 2 Avant data: UK builds, safety, recalls, model years →
Overview
The RS 2 was the product of a co-development project between Audi and Porsche, based on Audi's 80 Avant, and built on the Audi B4 platform. It was powered by a modified version of their 2,226 cc (2.2 L; 135.8 cu in) inline-five DOHC four valves per cylinder (20 valves total) turbocharged petrol engine (parts code prefix: 034, identification code: ADU). This internal combustion engine produced a motive power output of 315 PS (311 bhp; 232 kW) at 6500 rpm and 410 N⋅m (302 lb⋅ft) at 3000 rpm of torque. Although much of the car's underpinnings were manufactured by Audi, assembly was handled by Porsche at their Rossle-Bau plant in Zuffenhausen, Germany, which had become available after discontinuation of the Mercedes-Benz 500E, which Porsche had manufactured there under contract. The Rossle-Bau plant also produced the famous Porsche 959. Like the rest of the vehicle, the RS 2's five-cylinder engine was based on a unit that Audi already produced, although Porsche considerably modified the engine; the standard KK&K turbocharger was switched for a larger unit, along with a heavy-duty intercooler and higher flow fuel injectors, a newly designed camshaft, a more efficient induction system, and a low-pressure exhaust system replaced the standard fare; a specially modified URS4/URS6 Bosch-supplied engine control unit (ECU) controlled the engine. The RS 2 could accelerate from 0 to 100 km/h (62 mph) in 4.8 seconds, and achieve a maximum speed of 262 km/h (163 mph) (electronically restricted), despite weighing over 1,600 kg (3,500 lb). In a road test conducted in 1995, British car magazine Autocar timed the RS 2 from 0 to 30 mph (48 km/h) at just 1.5 seconds, which they confirmed was faster than the McLaren F1 road car. It could accelerate on-par with the 5th generation Chevrolet Cor
Sections adapted from Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0); text is shortened. Read the full article for the complete history and citations.
Specifications
- name
- Audi RS 2 Avant (8C)
- Manufacturer
- Audi and Porsche
- Production
- March 1994 – July 1995
- Assembly
- Germany: Zuffenhausen (Porsche)
- Successor
- Audi RS 4
- Class
- Compact executive car (D)
- Body style
- 5-door estate car
- Layout
- Longitudinal front engine, quattro permanent four-wheel drive
- Platform
- Volkswagen Group B4 platform
- Engine
- 2.2 I5 turbo limited to 7,500 rpm
- Transmission
- 6-speed manual
- Wheelbase
- 2611 mm
- Length
- 4580 mm
- Width
- 1694 mm
- Related
- Audi 80 (B4) Avant
- sp
- uk
Specification summary from Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0). Measured facts from Wikidata (CC0). Check the linked sources for citations.
More photos
Sources
- Wikidata — https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q730160CC0 1.0 · retrieved 2026-10-01
- Wikipedia — https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Audi_RS_2_AvantCC BY-SA 4.0 · Text © Wikipedia contributors; revision 1322534702 · retrieved 2026-10-01
- Wikimedia Commons — https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Audi_RS2.jpgCC BY-SA 3.0 · Photo: de:User:Timmäää · retrieved 2026-10-01
- Car Model Index — https://models.autoculturesociety.com/Compiled record. Sources that do not permit reuse are not copied; this index is credited instead.