From S2 Coupe to B7 RS4: Four Audi Legends That Built the Fast Estate

Introduction

After the original Quattro rewrote the rules of rallying and gave the whole Audi range a serious halo, the company had to figure out what came next. The answer played out on two fronts: on the track, where the four-wheel-drive technology went IMSA GTO racing in America with a world champion driver lineup and promptly lapped the field; and on the road, where Audi slowly built a whole new subgenre of performance car, the fast estate.

This is the story of four cars that trace that line, from the tricky post-Quattro transition to what many still consider the definitive fast estate of its era.

Audi S2 Coupe: The Difficult Second Album

Replacing the legendary Quattro was never going to be easy, and the S2 Coupe had exactly that unenviable task. Today, its legacy is less about what the car itself was and more about what came from it: the technology that Audi used as the basis for an entirely new breed of performance cars.

On its own terms, the S2 takes a little patience. Give it time rather than judging it in the first few minutes, and it grows on you in a way that few cars from this era do.

Audi RS2: The First RS

The 1994 RS2 was the very first Audi RS production car, revealed at the 1993 Frankfurt Motor Show. It was the product of a joint venture between Audi and Porsche, and the Porsche influence shows in more than one place: the wheels, the mirrors, and the style of the gaping front vents are all recognizably born and bred.

It is not quite as raw as its numbers and reputation suggest. The engine is quieter than the early 10-valve Quattro, and the steering is light without much feel, so on an ordinary road it can almost underwhelm by modern standards. But on the move it shows its class. There is some turbo lag to contend with, yet once you are on the boost it remains a very, very quick car, staying laser planted at speed. The growly five-cylinder soundtrack and abundant torque are pure 1990s, and people went mad for this car back in the mid-90s for good reason.

Audi B5 RS4: The Formula Refined

Unveiled in 1999 and on sale just after the turn of the millennium, the B5 RS4 took the fast estate formula Audi had invented with the RS2 and refined it. Roughly 6,000 were eventually made, each producing 375 hp from a heavily reworked bi-turbo V6.

This is the point where the fast estate went from low-volume curiosity to a genuinely credible performance formula, setting the stage for what followed a few years later.

Audi B7 RS4: The Benchmark Fast Estate

In 2006, Audi took the formula to a new level with the B7 RS4: a very special high-revving 4.2-litre direct-injection V8 wrapped in a beefy but sophisticated estate body, complete with a muscle car soundtrack. The wide arches give it latent menace without being overdone, and it has aged beautifully, especially in original form without the rear wing.

The engine revs to 8,000 rpm and is connected to a rather delicate manual gearbox. With the engine still mounted well out front, you can feel it in the handling balance; there is a bit of familiar nose-led character, but it does not spoil the car. The steering is poised and accurate, with wonderful stability and real adjustability. Ride quality is a genuine highlight: it is a beautifully comfortable cruiser, yet on a circuit it is remarkably capable for a relatively heavy estate. Under power you can feel the four-wheel-drive system shuffling torque around, and it is hard not to want to take the V8 right past 8,000 every time.

Few at the time recognized just how good this car was going to be. Even with quicker alternatives available now, many still regard it as something of a benchmark, and it remains an all-time favorite for good reason.

Buying Advice

These four cars suit very different buyers. If you want the historical foundation of the RS line and a characterful five-cylinder classic, the S2 Coupe and the RS2 are the ones to hunt down, with the RS2 adding the Porsche joint-venture pedigree. If you want the fast estate formula in a more modern, usable package, the B5 RS4 delivers the bi-turbo six, while the B7 RS4 remains the pick of the group for those who want a high-revving V8 that doubles as a genuinely capable cornering tool.

Buy the newest you can justify and the best-maintained example you can find, because these cars reward condition more than spec sheets.

Conclusion

From the S2 Coupe’s tricky second-album task to the B7 RS4’s near-perfect execution, these four cars chart one of the most compelling arcs in performance car history. Each one moved the formula forward, and together they explain why the fast estate became a genre of its own.