25 years of Audi RS versions: sports cars for the road and the track

It has been 25 years since Audi unveiled the first Audi RS 2 Avant, the model that launched the saga of high-performance vehicles from the four-ring brand, identified by the RS initials.

For 25 years, Audi Sport GmbH has been launching models that stand out for their high performance, prepared even for track driving, but also characterized by a versatility that makes them suitable for everyday use.

Perhaps to solve that difficult equation between sportiness and practicality, Audi opted for an estate body for the first RS. Although the engineers who developed that first Audi RS 2 Avant, with its powerful five-cylinder engine producing 315 CV and for which Porsche collaborated in some aspects, probably did not know that with this car they were starting something more than a new segment: high-performance estates.

Audi RS 2 Avant

The Audi RS saga: always at the forefront of technology

So far there have been 25 RS models across the different Audi ranges launched over these years. The current range includes seven RS versions, and new variants will continue to be added.

At present, the catalogue includes RS versions of the Audi TT Coupé and Roadster and the Audi A3 Sedan and Sportback, both with the multi-award-winning 5-cylinder inline engine. The Audi RS 4 Avant, Audi RS 5 Coupé and Audi RS 5 Sportback are also offered, all with the powerful twin-turbo V6.

Audi RS 4 Avant (Typ B5)

It is worth remembering that Audi has also marketed RS versions of SUVs, such as the RS Q3. Over recent years, the Audi A7 Sportback, launched in 2013, also received an RS version with a twin-turbo V8 that reached 605 CV in 2015. There was also an Audi RS convertible, the RS 5 Cabrio presented in 2012. At that time, the A4 and A5 family used the 4.2-litre V8 in their RS versions, until the arrival of the 2.9-litre twin-turbo V6 in 2017, which, with two fewer cylinders, produces the same power: 450 CV.

Among the technical innovations that Audi has introduced over the years in its RS versions, the high-performance engines stand out. In 2005, for example, the second generation RS 4 was the first road car to combine a high-revving V8 with FSI direct petrol injection, which had already proven its worth in competition by winning at Le Mans.

Audi RS 6 Avant (Typ C5)

The 2002 Audi RS 6 also introduced an ingenious suspension system called Dynamic Ride Control, which reduced body roll and pitch through a diagonal mechanical connection between opposing dampers. Also, the RS 6 Avant, in 2008, became the most powerful Audi of its time, as engineers managed to fit a 580 CV twin-turbo V10 under its bonnet.

The RS badge reached the compact series in 2011, with the first RS 3 Sportback, featuring a 5-cylinder engine and 340 CV. In 2013, the RS Q3 became the first high-performance compact SUV on the market. It launched with 310 CV, but its 2.5 engine later evolved to 376 CV.

Audi RS 4 Avant (Typ B8)

All the Audi RS versions throughout history

For the most curious, the following list shows, in chronological order, all the RS versions that Audi has launched over these 25 years.

• Audi RS 2 Avant (1994): 2.2 turbo, 5 cylinders, 326 CV
• Audi RS 4 Avant (2000): 2.7 twin-turbo V6, 380 CV
• Audi RS 6 saloon and RS 6 Avant (2002): 4.2 twin-turbo V8, 450 CV; from 2004, RS 6 plus, with 480 CV
• Audi RS 4 (2005), RS 4 Avant and Cabrio (2006): 4.2-litre V8, 420 CV
• Audi RS 6 and RS 6 Avant (2008): 5.0 twin-turbo V10, 580 CV. From 2010, RS 6 plus
• Audi TT RS Coupé and TT RS Roadster (2009): 2.5-litre 5-cylinder, 340 CV; from 2012, plus version with 360 CV
• Audi RS 5 Coupé (2010) and RS 5 Cabriolet (2012): 4.2 V8, 450 CV
• Audi RS 3 Sportback (2011): 2.5-litre 5-cylinder, 340 CV
• Audi RS 4 Avant (2012): 4.2 V8, 450 CV
• Audi RS Q3 (2013): 2.5-litre 5-cylinder, 310 CV; in 2016, the high-performance version reached 367 CV
• Audi RS 6 Avant (2013): 4.0 twin-turbo V8 with 560 CV; from 2015, a 605 CV version
• Audi RS 7 Sportback (2013): 4.0 twin-turbo V8 with 560 CV; from 2015, a 605 CV version
• Audi RS 3 Sportback (2015): 2.5-litre 5-cylinder with 367 CV
• Audi TT RS Coupé and TT RS Roadster (2016): 2.5-litre 5-cylinder with 400 CV
• Audi RS 3 Sedan (2017): 2.5-litre five-cylinder with 294 kW (400 CV)
• Audi RS 5 Coupé (2017): 2.9-litre twin-turbo V6 with 450 CV
• Audi RS 4 Avant (2017): 2.9-litre twin-turbo V6 with 450 CV
• Audi RS 5 Sportback (2018): 2.9-litre twin-turbo V6 with 450 CV

Audi RS image gallery