Teamwork makes the dream work, as they say. For proof of concept, you need only to look at the Audi RS2 Avant. The story of its creation is remarkable – and so is the car itself.
In the early 1990s, Audi wanted to build a performance car that would boost its image and keep BMW’s M division awake at night. It had an estate car, the 80 Avant, to base it on, along with the S2’s five-cylinder turbocharged engine and Quattro four-wheel drive system to work with. However, all of this wasn’t enough to make Audi’s idea into a reality.
So it looked for outside help. Porsche answered the call and agreed to co-develop what became known internally as the P1. Audi would get its performance car and, in return, Porsche would get an influx of money. It might be hard to imagine, but the sports car maker wasn’t swimming in cash back then.
Among Porsche’s hardware contributions, you will find wheels, fog lights and wing mirrors from the 964- and 993-generation 911s.
The firm’s expertise was also harnessed to redesign the existing suspension and braking systems. The S2’s 2.2-litre engine was upgraded, too, including the addition of a much larger turbocharger, which helped result in 311bhp and 302lb ft.
The RS2 was then assembled at Zuffenhausen, the facility responsible for both the Porsche 959 and the Mercedes-Benz 500E, remaining in production from 1994 to 1995. A total of 2891 RS2s were built – more than the 2200 originally planned, due to high demand.
All these years later, you can understand why. Take one for a spin today and straight away the driving experience is more modern and refined than you might expect. The steering is light (more so at speed) yet somewhat communicative, while the ride feels firm feels firm but fait. It isn’t uncomfortable.
However, there is considerable turbo lag: floor the throttle and little happens below 3000rpm. Get past that point, though, and it’s just as if this German shepherd just spotted the ball you threw.
