Audi RS2 (Porsche)

[911teo]

Thinking of selling the pepper-wagon and getting an Audi RS2.

Has anybody had any experience with them?

Right now I can only find very high mileage (80-100k) ones.
Do you know of any recurrent problems?

Any tips/suggestions would be appreciated!

[NICKG]

we don't have those in the USA...great car.

[TGTIW]

I'm sure someone must have some first hand experience. From what I can remember from Performance Car and Evo magazines, the RS2 were quite solid. Clutches obviously took a beating, as they encouraged owners to try a full throttle launch at least once, and only once. But other than that, I've never heard of any reccuring problems. The 2.2 ltr is a pretty durable engine, but with those mileages I imagine to turbos would be close to needing a rebuild or replace.
The RS4's on the other hand, had a habit of easily bending their rims.

[mjshira]

Teo you kill me mate, always on the hunt for the next 'cool car'. I love it.

[911teo]

Hey james...

I alays loved the RS2... but 100k mile for what should be the reliable family car is a bit scarey.

Also my wife is not really keen on the lines... I guess it is a little bit of a 90s icon...

PS
got your PM.. will reply to you tomorrow. i also need yours...

[johndglynn]

I've only ever had one drive in an RS2 - no doubt about their ability. I would definitely have one in the right colour with the right trim and history.

I wouldn't worry so much about miles on that era of Audi, I have sold 80 Avants (same shell) with 200k miles on and they have been nice & squeak-free. My last one was 188k miles, sold the day it went in the Autotrader.

I think a lot of sellers ask daft money for them though. I say budget 6 to 12 months to find the right car: don't buy overvalued trash just 'cos there's nothing else out there - it'll only upset you mate.

[k9handler]

From Wikipedia

With so much power available, the RS2 could run from 0 to 62 mph (100 km/h) in 4.8 seconds and achieve a maximum speed of 163 mph (262 km/h) [restricted], despite weighing over 1600 kg (3527 lb). In a road test conducted in 1995, British car magazine Autocar timed the RS2 from 0 to 30 mph (48 km/h) at just 1.5 seconds, which they confirmed was faster than both the McLaren F1 road car and also Jacque Villeneuve's Formula 1 car of that time.

really....WOW!!

Had a real nice ride in an RS4 when in Germany, nice cars!

[MFAFF]

Mateo,

Hmmmm...a bit of a lottery.

I have an S2 (the little brother) and aside from a full head rebuild and turbo rebuild at 125K and more bore wear at 150K which will require an engine rebuild and rebore...
they are great...

Seriously tho... if you are thinking in that mileage range budget for a full engine rebuild and gearbox rebuild.. its 2.3 engine afterall... getting 315bhp out of it is a tall order, even the 230 standard is good for the age.

In other terms such as the body work, interior fittings etc they are exceptionally good...electrics work aside from the back lit OAT guage on the dash, you do get brake accumulator failures ( a bit like Wayne's 959 accumulators) and its a pain to get new ones (and expensive). But essential.. if you have a duff one and you stall at speed you will have no brakes and be wrestling with a ton and a half gorilla (BTDT).

On the other hand overall they can be great cars.. sleepers in every sense of the word, as nobody, but nobody expects an older Audi wagon to be as quick.. even in the S2 the odd P-car is easily surprised...I believe mine is not standard so there is a big step as the turbo kicks in, its even larger on the RS2, but certain companies can provide remaps which raise power (380bhp for the RS2) and reduce the turbo lag...they really do reprogramme the ECU, not a increase max boost jobbie...

The down side is that the engine is way out there in front of the front axle line, its nose heavy machine and whilst very fast its not one to be taken down the UK country B roads for a fun drive.. simply not what its there for.. however on some of the wide open A road sweepers in Scotland its in its element...very very fast and once it gets damp or muddy there is practically nothing (new C4s excepted) that can keep up.. even motor bikes give way....(apparently)

So an overall budget of say £20K (10-13K purchase with a 6k float; engine rebuild is 4K, plus bits an pieces) and you will have a stunning unobtrusive fast car that gets far less abuse than a Pepperwagon....and if you do get it remapped then its possibly faster too....

PM if you want.

[911teo]

Originally Posted by MFAFF

So an overall budget of say £20K (10-13K purchase with a 6k float; engine rebuild is 4K, plus bits an pieces) and you will have a stunning unobtrusive fast car that gets far less abuse than a Pepperwagon....and if you do get it remapped then its possibly faster too....

PM if you want.

This is exactly what we are after. The problem is that I do not want to get involved AGAIN with a project.

I need a reliable car (after all it's the one we'd use for longish trips to see the granparents) and if we decide to do the trade I'd like it soonish.

I need someone that has recently sunk 10k in it and now needs to sell it... Tricky.

I might move on to an E55 wagon or a C32K (C55) Wagon.

Hell I might get a 320 CDI wagon....

This won't really be the hooligan car... I just want something a little less ostentatious (!?) and big than the Cayenne.

[MFAFF]

M,

In that case......go for an E39 530D Sport Touring Auto...or even an E60 535D if the looks agree with you....

Seriously these are the fast cars on the road in the UK....the torque allied to the gearbox, plus they are ubiquitous on the m-ways here...very low key, in diamond black metallic with black dakota leather....very nice.. all the whistles and bells and discrete...go for an approved used BMW, less than 60k miles and you are home and dry..You could get an E60 within the 20K budget and the best E39...aesthetics aside opinions vary as to which is better...

I know its a bit of a clique but they are good.

If you do want a complete stonker try for an RS6 Plus from Audi. Based on the RS6 they tweeked it up a bit...monster machine and mean looking as hell..A tad bigger than the RS2 but still reasonable...and at around 25K for one its good(ish) value.

All of this is not to say that a decent 14K RS2 is a 'project' car...it could give you years of easy service, but be aware of the potential issues... I was seduced by talk of 200K etc to get a high miles car and it has bitten me hard financially....however if you image you are buying a 160+mph, under 5 secs 0-60 car then imaging its going to cost 20k which ever way you cut it is a good start.

There are a couple fo really good places that do RS2 and S2 work around...so getting the work done is not going to be difficult.

[911teo]

I want a LHD car...

I have driven lots of UK cars and I just can't get used to them. I can't put the car where I want to....

This is why the RS2 was perfect.... you find more LHD cars than RHD...

The RS6 is cool too.... but I don't know where to go to find LHD cars.

The E60 is not pleasing aesthetically for me... And the E39 is the obvious choice hence the one I want to move away from...

I want a car that is a little different, the car you won't see with the Foxstons colors... I don't want the car every 20 something that made a little money will buy.

I know it's perversed...

Where we live we don't get too much beef for driving the P-wagon. All the mums go to school in their Volvo or Land Rover SUVs. The Cayenne nealry disappears (our is black with black int)...

[beepbeep]

RS2's are excellent but really a bit cramped (being built on Audi 80 chassis) and usually quite worn as owners bought them for their power and not practicality. There is also a P-car tax on the top of it.

If I was at your place, I would bought a first generation S4 Avant. It's bigger, has roughly the same engine, same 4WD system, has probably lived less turbulent life and is cheaper to boot.

Later S6 is almost the same car, but built on A6 chassis (shich is just revamped C4/A100 chassis).

[911teo]

I just found a 2002 E55 AMG (354HP) LHD wagon with 20k miles for 19k pounds and a 2004 E55 AMG (469HP) LHD Wagon with 20k miles also for 34k gbp.

I reckon my Cayenne is worth around 27-28k gbp...

Will look up the Audi S4 avant and S6!

[MFAFF]

M,

LHD RS2s are around in the Uk....

http://www.mcpmotorsport.com/CurrentStock/8%20Audi-RS2-Silver/8details.asp

Silver with black leather....mmmmmm

Or hang here
http://www.rs246.com/index.php?name=PNphpBB2&file=viewforum&f=11

There a few for sale...

Autotrader in also good...

Or try:-
http://www.autoscout24.ch/AS24Web/List.aspx?lng=fra&wl=1&make=9&modellike=Rs2&yearfrom=&yearto=&pricefrom=&priceto=&gear=&fuel=&radius=&zip=&searchsubmit=chercher&from=Default&view=&sort=&allmakes=&carsperpage=&cur=CHF&zipcountry=CH

OK they are in Switzerland but chances are they are all pretty good quality cars...

I don't know if you saw the Top Gear test of the E55... or the CAR Magazine test...both came to the same conclusion... it was faster than the BM or Audi but not a better car.. the power was too much for the chassis...and so whilst when dry it was a hoot in day to day work the others were more fun....as the speed was more accessible and tractionless of an issue...

But is does have nice toys...

[johndglynn]

Teo, you know Nick Moss has a nice RS2 for sale - looks like an honest car with 385bhp. RHD mind but worth a look:

[MFAFF]

I've had my eye on that car for a while..

It 'should' be a good car...Nick's had it a while now but having had AMD look after my S2 for a number of years I think a very thorough PPI by A.N. Other is in order...my experience with them has been very very variable...and shall we say that they will not see it again...

[onewhippedpuppy]

One of the coolest cars Audi has made, we were of course deprived of it. Why must we always get screwed?

I can't speak about the RS2 specifically, but I nearly purchased a UrS4. The 5 cylinder turbos seem to easily go 300k, and often times a head-refresh makes them like new. When I was doing research on the S4, there were numerous pictures of owners that had torn down for rebuilds at 300k+, only to find the original cross-hatching still intact on the cylinder walls. The important bits last forever, it's just the electronics and brake "bomb" that cause problems. Still, very overbuilt, very cool cars. The RS2 even more so.

[MFAFF]

Originally Posted by onewhippedpuppy

One of the coolest cars Audi has made, we were of course deprived of it. Why must we always get screwed?

I can't speak about the RS2 specifically, but I nearly purchased a UrS4. The 5 cylinder turbos seem to easily go 300k, and often times a head-refresh makes them like new. When I was doing research on the S4, there were numerous pictures of owners that had torn down for rebuilds at 300k+, only to find the original cross-hatching still intact on the cylinder walls. The important bits last forever, it's just the electronics and brake "bomb" that cause problems. Still, very overbuilt, very cool cars. The RS2 even more so.

300K......wow and 'if only'...seriously tho unmodified cars can and do get good mileage that figure must reflect the different type of driving over the water......nobody I know on the S2/RS2 boards gets to that figure....I guess that a good few thousand miles at a decent clip on freeways isn't nearly as wearing as the average UK journey...

[beepbeep]

My UrS4 has covered 16k miles and I consider it "low mileage" as most of them in market are in 20's or even 30's.

If LHD is OK then I guess you could shop in Germany as well? They are plentifull there...

Check here for availability and pricing:

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