Video: Audi RS2 | Future Classics

03rd October 2024

Simon Ostler

The Audi RS2 was the first car to carry that now very famous and sought after RennSport nameplate, the car that began a long lineage of performance cars that sit today at the top of Audi’s entire range, from SUVs to estates and electric GTs.

It was a concept borne from a collaboration between Audi and Porsche, and was built upon the foundations of the Audi 80 Avant’s B4 platform. Audi provided the chassis, and Porsche honed the engineering to produce the ultimate performance estate.

At the time it was powered by Audi’s most potent five-cylinder engine, modified by Porsche with a larger turbocharger, a new intercooler, a new camshaft and a new exhaust system, all controlled by a new ECU to produce 315PS (232kW) and 410Nm (302lb ft) of torque.

There’s an upgraded suspension system, more powerful Brembo brakes and Audi’s quattro system that all combine to deliver a hugely capable car with seriously impressive handling. That experience is further enhanced by a pair of Recaro bucket seats that add a sense of occasion.

In this episode of Future Classics, Becky Evans caught up with one very passionate Audi RS2 owner, Nina Palenta, to find out more about what it's like to live with a car like this, and of course to head out on the road to experience this remarkable bit of engineering for herself.