A 13-hour journey lay ahead, but at the end of the first seven-hour leg would be a car that birthed Audi’s lineup of fast wagons: the Audi RS2. I was nervous—it felt like a “never meet your heroes” moment. Would it feel slow? Would it handle like a drunk camel by today’s standards?

Thirty years ago, this immaculate blue Audi was just one of 180 right-hand-drive cars to soar out of Porsche’s Zuffenhausen plant. Audi wasn’t sure how to build a hair-on-fire wagon and wanted one to boost its image, so it called Porsche—which needed extra cash—for some friendly advice. A collaboration agreement was penned up and the Audi 80-based RS2 soon arrived with only 2,891 to be built. This wasn’t just a rocket-fueled Audi 80 wagon littered with Porsche tags and RS2 badges. Real effort had gone into the brakes, suspension, and engine to make it as capable, memorable, and profitable as possible. 

To celebrate its 30th birthday, I figured it would be a good idea to get behind the helm of this immaculate example stored within the depths of Audi UK’s heritage vault. The Nogaro Blue car is a rarity, and I was told it’s been in Audi’s safe hands since release. It’s unmodified, and peering at the clocks showed just 6,900 miles—I was honored to be the one that tipped it over 7,000 miles, although adding any more would’ve felt scandalous. 

The Basics

Unlike RS cars of today, which have massive hips and exhausts you could almost fit a soccer ball in, the RS2 is humble and straight-edged. It’s not a gigantic car—it’s exactly as wide as a Honda Fit at just 1,695 mm. From a distance, there’s no real giveaway that it’ll hammer on to 164 mph given enough room, or show a clean pair of heels to some modern hot hatchbacks.

Get up close and you’ll notice the Porsche badging, chunky brakes with red calipers, and the subtle twin exhaust neatly positioned to one side. It’s all still inoffensive—and those who know, simply know. Porsche carefully sprinkled some bits from the 911 parts cupboard such as the wing mirrors, front bumper, and more obviously, the five-spoke 17-inch Carrera Cup wheels. 

The interior peacocks that little bit more, especially as this particular car is a time capsule. That Nogaro Blue paintwork is paired with blue suede door cards and half-leather Recaro seats. The white instrument cluster, which sits slightly offset to the left, goes up to 180 mph: something a young banker in the ‘90s would’ve been thrilled to flaunt to their friends.

Three gauges, positioned below the ol’ fashioned heater and fan controls, show battery voltage, oil pressure, and oil temperature. And there’s a diff lock button between the front seats, complete with a ‘90s differential blueprint. A Casio calculator-like mpg readout reminds you of just how heavy your right foot is, and besides some carbon fiber dash inlays, that’s about it. 

Driving the Audi RS2 Avant

Under the hood is the same turbocharged 2.2-liter five-cylinder found in the Audi Ur-Quattro and S2, although it produces 311 horsepower and 301 lb-ft thanks to some Porsche magic. Even today, that’s not a minuscule amount—I can only imagine how it must’ve felt in 1994. Its power output trumped the Honda NSX’s, it had rear seats, and you could take Max the Great Dane to the park in it. Zero to 62 mph was quoted at 5.4 seconds, which is Ferrari 456 territory—something I didn’t attempt to confirm, as telling Audi I had broken its museum piece is not a phone call I’d like to make. 

Through town, the RS2 feels as civilized as any other ‘90s wagon. You get the odd nod from passersby, but it mostly glides under the radar. With every pothole or road rut, a shudder is sent through the cabin, releasing 30 years of settled dust alongside various squeaks and rattles. On the open road, it’s savage—provided it’s on boost. Sinking the throttle is a bit like watching a Bernese Mountain Dog process that you’ve thrown its tennis ball. It takes a second, but as soon as it realizes, there’s no stopping it. 

There’s little oomph until 3,000 rpm—and then you ride the wave of turbocharged goodness. It pulls until the 7,000-rpm redline and emits ear-pleasing whooshes and flutters whenever you let off the gas. Sure, swapping cogs via the six-speed ‘box isn’t exactly as smooth as it would be in a modern car. It’s clunky, but it’s perfect. Drive it with little restraint and the speeding fines will rack up quickly. The RS2 was recorded by U.K.’s Autocar as being quicker to 30 mph than a McLaren F1, not that you’ll be coming up against one of those every day at the lights.

At first, the brake pedal feels spongey, not surprising in a car of this analog nature. Push that bit further and it impedes the RS2’s power rather quickly. 

Thankfully, all previous handling fears I had were banished as the first tight corner appeared. What was I thinking? It’s not quite as chuckable as a modern RS, or S car for that matter, but it grips corners well enough, despite not quite ironing them out. It’s not an Audi-understeer fest either, as some cynics would have you believe, but you’ll also struggle to conjure any mild oversteer. It’s an odd thing. I’d be lying if I said that the RS2 is a tour de force, but the rate at which it covers ground is still impressive, even more so given it’s a 30-year-old car. It’s easy to see how it carved the future for Audi’s line of bonkers family haulers. 

The Classic Verdict

Hooning around the countryside in the RS2, with or without the family on board, is turbo-laggy retro magnificence. It’s more of a monolith than a milestone in Audi and Porsche history—a dip into unfamiliar waters that would ripple for generations to come. So, here lies the question. Should you smash open your rainy-day jar and spend your hard-earned dollars on importing an RS2 from Europe?

Some cars were already shipped to the U.S. and Canada, as they’re older than 25, and getting one “locally” would save any import costs. For reference, the handful of examples sold on Bring a Trailer over the past few years traded hands for anywhere from $50,000 to $100,000, depending on condition. If you can swing that, this ‘90s legend is definitely worthy of a spot in your garage.