Audi Sport celebrates 25 years of RS with new specials

Audi has announced it will offer a new 25th anniversary pack across its RS model line-up to celebrate a quarter of century since the 1994 Audi RS 2 Avant wagon was introduced.

Available on six models including the current TT RS, RS 4 Avant, RS 5 Coupe, RS 5 Sportback, RS 6 Avant and the RS 7 Sportback, the pack comprises the same Nogaro Blue pearl paint as seen on the original RS 2 – although buyers also have the choice of Glacier White, Mythos Black and Nardo Grey.

As well as reintroducing the retro paint, all models aside from the TT RS will also get matte aluminium trim for the front splitter, bumper intakes, side skirts and rear diffuser.

The baby Audi coupe, meanwhile, gets gloss black badges, door mirror caps and rear wing. And instead of the regular puddle lights, the TT RS Coupe gets 25th anniversary graphics.

Inside, all of the RS 2 tribute models get small reminders of the 25th anniversary, including cobalt blue piping on the floor mats, a blue 12 o'clock steering wheel marker and Alcantara and black leather sport seat trim that mimics the original, although the RS 6 and RS 7 miss out on those and get perforated full leather covers.

It's not known if the RS 25th anniversary packs will be offered on the Audi RS range in Australia, but in Europe the special-editions don't come cheaply, with the commemorative pack costing buyers between €9350 ($A15,100) and €14,500 ($A23,500).

Back in 1994 the Audi RS 2 Avant made quite the impact on the performance car scene. Developed by Audi in co-operation with Porsche and based on the humble Audi 80, the fearsome RS 2 came with a heavily modified 2.2-litre 20-valve turbocharged five-cylinder engine that produced 232kW and 410Nm.

At the time, that was enough for supercar-rivalling 0-100km/h acceleration of 4.8 seconds and a top speed of 267km/h.

Perhaps more remarkably, thanks to its quattro all-wheel drive system, the little RS 2 Audi was quicker than the McLaren F1 over the 0-50km/h dash.

To cope with the extra power, the RS 2 wore a set of Porsche-branded Brembo brakes and even rode on Porsche Cup 17-inch alloy rims.

Perhaps even stranger, the Audi RS 2 Avant was assembled by Porsche itself at the Zuffenhausen plant. Audi reportedly made just 2891 RS 2s over a 16-month period in 1994-1995.