1995 Audi S2 Coupé – Classified of the Week

For Audi, following up the Quattro must have been akin to going on stage after Michael Jackson at the height of his popularity, or trying to film a sequel to The Shawshank Redemption. So legendarily iconic was the original Quattro that any car that came next was going to have some pretty big shoes to fill, but as the ’80s ticked over into a new decade, the German giant needed a fresh approach. Its answer? The S2. But did this svelte new model hit the spot or miss its mark entirely?

On paper at least the S2 ticked a lot of boxes. It came with a fruity 220bhp turbocharged five cylinder engine, four-wheel drive, a sleeker, more rounded aesthetic with an improved drag co-efficient over its predecessor, and that very special “S” badge on the boot – the first production car to do so after Audi’s hugely successful S1 rally weapon. And we all know how good that thing was.

In reality the S2 never hit the heady heights of the Quattro, but then what could have? To be fair to the S2 it was never marketed as a direct successor (despite that badge) so if you look at it on its own merits, it remains a handsome and incredibly capable car that is now ageing like a fine Riesling and makes not only a superb choice as a well-built modern classic, but also as a potentially shrewd investment opportunity.

Arriving in ’91 and originally available as a two-door coupé only, ’93 saw the introduction of a saloon and an Avant estate, the latter of which would be the basis for the much storied RS2. This was also the year that the engine receive some fettling, increasing power to 230bhp, alongside a six-speed manual replacement instead of the original five, as well as a bunch of styling updates. Unfortunately, despite this facelift, the S2 would only survive for a further few years before being discontinued in ’95.

If you do fancy a bit of five-cylinder German goodness though, we have just the ticket in the form of this rust-free 1995 Audi S2 Coupé. Complete with face-lifted exterior and later, ABY engine, this particular S2 has been further fettled to boost power to around 360bhp, making it a much more exciting proposition than a boggo Coupé.

Before we get into the spec list though we will manage your expectations by letting you know that this car was involved in an accident in 2014, making it a Cat D classified example. Now for those of you not au fait with the different insurance terms, a Cat D car (now known as Cat N) is classed as “non-structural repairable”, whereby the vehicle is perfectly repairable with the costs being less than the vehicle’s worth, meaning, as is the case here, that they can be bought back from the insurer, repaired and driven on the roads once more.

OK, so with that out of the way let’s talk about this car’s performance mods. Thankfully it’s all been done tastefully, keeping the car well in the realm of drive-ability and without sacrificing its inherent characteristics in favour of out and out face-melting performance. For instance, the owner hasn’t just dropped a whopping great turbo in and called it a day, far from it. Yes the whirly boy has been replaced with a larger Garrett GTX 3071R but supporting mods have also been installed alongside, with uprated injectors and an Wagner intercooler, along with larger capacity injectors and better fuel pump – both Bosch. A coil conversion and full 3″ stainless custom exhaust with racing cat also join the party.

To cope with the hike in power the brakes have been upgraded to Brembo Audi B7 RS4 eight pots larger VW Phaeton 360mm discs and new pads and the car now rides on 18″ Avus alloy wheels shod in Toyo Proxes supported by coilovers and Koni shocks all round, with the addition of polybushes for the front and rear wishbones. Like we said, tasteful.

A standard S2 is rapid enough for most but this one, complete with all of its performance upgrades, makes for a rather intriguing S2 for those who enjoy their cars on the more lively side of things. We like that on the face of it at least, this S2 appears to be standard, but bury your right foot into the carpet and all will be revealed. Yes it’s covered a fair few miles but as long as the service history is there then it shouldn’t be a deal breaker because decent examples of these cars are becoming harder to find by the day.

Significantly cheaper than a Quattro but with the same power plant and a build quality commensurate with the best Germany had to offer at the time – which for those that don’t know, is excellent – the S2 remains a stylish modern classic that we would most definitely recommend picking up.