IS THE AUDI RS2 AVANT A SLIGHTLY FORGOTTEN CAR? Carnews.

Sometimes the classic car world baffles me?? 3 years ago, I remember standing at a car auction watching a Tornado Red Audi UR Quattro 20V sell for over £70,000! Everyone at the time seemed to be mad for an Audi Ur Quattro, especially after the TV series “Ashes to Ashes”.

The Audi UR Quattro is one of my childhood hero cars (if you haven’t seen me driving one just click on the link below).

Audi UR Quattro driving my childhood hero car

The reason why I have written this blog is that I believe there is another great classic Audi – The RS2 Avant and that the classic car world isn’t giving it the love and praise it deserves (prices currently are clarifying this). Please don’t get me wrong, this car isn’t cheap to buy now (and it wasn’t when it was new) but I think there is still a lot of room for the price to rise further so now could be the time to own one.

The savvy car enthusiast will straight away say that it doesn’t have the game changing rally history of the UR Quattro – a fair point, well made…but it has its “own history”.

So to the reasons why I think this:

The Audi RS2 Avant was produced for just over a year. Not many where made – making this car a rare model (especially in right hand drive form). It was a joint venture between Audi and Porsche. Audi RS2 Avants were built at the Porsche factory in Zuffenhausen Germany.

It was the first Audi to wear the RS badge and we all know what those two letters mean on an Audi now?

It was powered by a 2.2 litre 5-cylinder, turbocharged engine that produced 311 bhp and 410 Nm of torque.

0 to 62 mph only took 4.8 seconds and it could hit a top speed of 163 mph.

Porsche replaced the braking and suspension but the modification didn’t stop there….. they even added 17 inch Porsche Cup alloy wheels, door mirrors, front indicators and fog lights straight off the 911 (993). They somehow incorporated the (new at the time) Porsche 911 front indicators and fog lights into a redesigned front bumper. All those Porsche exterior parts added to its fabulous look. Inside, front Recaro Sports Alcantara seats where added.

In the last couple of weeks I have been checking the used prices of RS2 Avants and they are between £42,500 – £50,000. There are a few around with POA prices with very low mileage.

If you can find one that has been used but not modified (unless you want to restore it back to factory spec) and in a good body colour… I would recommend that this is the way to go.

So to sum up (purely for its rarity) this is the first Audi to wear the “RS” badge and include the phenomenal rework that Porsche did. I think that history is going to look very favourably on this very fast, superb handling, 4-wheel drive estate car.

They are out there, you might just have to be patient to find the right one but I’m sure it will be well worth it in the end.