Wanderlust

Tag: S2

  • EU Market Find: Box-Flared 1991 Audi S2 C5 by ABT Sportsline

    EU Market Find: Box-Flared 1991 Audi S2 C5 by ABT Sportsline

    What: 1991 Audi S2 Coupé C5 by ABT Sportsline
    Color: Laser Red (laserrot; non-metallic; H1; Audi)
    Chassis #: N/A
    Mileage: 140,000 km / 86,991 miles
    Price: €52,900
    CarFax: N/A
    Window Sticker: N/A
    Location: Kaiserclassic, Bromma, Sweden
    Dealer Listing: Link and Link

    Why We Love It:

    When Audi retired its iconic quattro in 1991, replacing it with the all-new S2 Coupé, the now loved 90s-era 2-door wasn’t exactly well received. Sure, it had an updated version of the brand’s turbocharged 20-valve 5-cylinder engine, but it was a bit heavier and… let’s face it… it was missing a certain something… a je ne sais quo as the French say.

    Well, some people were pretty sure they knew. Those box flared fenders on the so-called “ur quattro” may have started as a budgetary decision since they could be stamped into the steel [1], but by the time Audi’s original quattro had been retired, they’d become the go-to element on only the coolest cars – cars like the BMW M3 E30 or the Lancia Delta Integrale. Now, here was the new S2 and it ditched that muscular look for a more efficient and aerodynamic form (as did BMW with the E36 M3 for what it’s worth).

    By 1991 though, German Audi tuning haus ABT Sportsline had figured it out. They’d designed their own box flares and built just 40 examples, of which an estimated ten were turbocharged S2s. Most of the cars were delivered straight to ABT’s headquarters from Audi’s plant in Ingolstadt and were converted based on customer demand, a project managed by Christian Abt. Monaco’s Prince Albert [2] famously took delivery of a pearl white example believed to be a non-S2 Coupe quattro based on its early B3 unframed grille.

    Another known example is the C5 S2 imported to the U.S.A. by Rotiform co-founder Jason Whipple. Whipple imported the car several years ago, and famously chided Hoonigan co-founder Brian Scotto with it on YouTube. That car, very similar in specification to this one including the Laser Red paint, is believed to still be in the U.S.A. and may very well be the only C5 that’s made it to America… at least that we know of.

    The car you see here has always been a Swedish example. We’ll let the dealer’s description pick it up from here:

    “This car, original Abt, was shipped brand new to the Abt-agent in Stockholm. It was used as a showroom and demo car for some time and thereafter sold to the sales manager, Johan Lind. It was used for daily driving a few years with good maintenance. Thereafter it was garaged for a period. In 2001 the car was sold to the Chairman of “Audi Club Sweden”, Lars Jern.

    “In 2002-2004, the new owner got in contact with the famous Audi driver and engineer Anders Carlsson and his tuning-workshop, Ace Competition in Borås, Sweden. The Audi got an upgrade with the tuned 20v engine. The engine was built with the most well known parts and lots of experience. It was built to last long as the greatest legal road-car engine to an output power of 350+ hp.

    “In 2017 the current owner took the Audi back to the famous Anders Carlsson, Ace Competition in Borås Sweden. His company was at this time more like an exclusive private workshop since his old business was sold. A lot of parts were changed and updated, with his expertise. Complete new kits of brakes, pumps, belts, bushings, mounts as well as coil-overs were fitted. The 5-speed gearbox was carefully overhauled. A new front windshield was installed. The original Abt wheels were restored and put back with new Michelin tires. A brand new stainless steel exhaust system including a new catalyst was tailor made by the famous Swedish stainless steel workshop tuner Ferrita AB.

    “A professional paint-job was done in 2019 / 2020, original color. The last years the car has been driven only a few days per year, in between it was stored in a warm garage. Oil and filter has anyhow been changed yearly. Brake fluid is changed in 2021. During the winter 2023 the turbo charger, Borg Warner, was sent to SL-turbo in Degerfors, (Ace Competiotion partner) for a complete overhaul. The turbo got a new original Borg Warner housing. The hydraulic servopump was changed to a newly rebuilt RS2 pump bought from Autewo GmbH in Germany. This replacement work was done by certified Audi workshop at Möller Bil, Västerås

    “The headlights are replaced and converted to xeon in 2020. They turn on automatically, even in daylight (the law in Sweden), but with moving the control one step upwards you could drive without headlights.”

    Worth Noting:

    This is one of our Euro market finds, so the usual caveats apply for our primarily North American readership. For Europe and other markets, we focus on cars older than 25 years, meaning a relatively easy import into the USA. This is often done by working with firms such as our friends at Orchid Euro, you can have the car purchased, transported to port, shipped to America and cleared through customs for clients seeking this sort of service.

  • EU Market Find: Nogaro Blue Audi S2 Avant?

    EU Market Find: Nogaro Blue Audi S2 Avant?

    What: 1994 Audi S2 Avant
    Color: Nogaro Blue (nogaroblau; pearl effect UNI; Z5M; Audi)
    VIN: Unknown
    Mileage: 78,000 km / 48,467 miles
    Price at Time of this Writing: €35,000
    CarFax: N/A
    Window Sticker: N/A
    Location: Private Seller, Wünschendorf, Germany
    Listing: Link

    Why we love mention it:

    Wait, it’s a low mileage Nogaro Blue S2 Avant and it’s an “Acquired Taste” car? What gives. Okay, yes, it’s perfect spec color choice and modifications that are there appear to be tasteful, but if our translation tool is reading that ad correctly, it’s a color change to Nogaro Blue from the original color listed as Burnt Orange for which the seller states and Apple translated “according to Audi only three vehicles in the color were delivered”.

    We’re not entirely sure what “Burnt Orange” is. We’ll keep looking, though it’s listed in English so we’re not translating there. Perhaps they mean Audi’s Glut Orange (a.k.a. Solar Orange) where “glut” translates from German to “embers”. Even still, the rarity of it is kind of less impactful when the car has received a color change. It makes you wonder why they didn’t change the color on a more common specimen, but who knows.

    Another interesting note about the color, we don’t think Audi was producing Glut Orange at that point, while Audi exclusive builds were largely limited at the time to factory specials or “Lifestyle Colors” that we’ve covered on this site before. If so, that color was likely Inka Yellow Pearl Effect and we’ve seen that on an RS2 from the time period. It is indeed very rare.

    Worth noting, the seller also states that the engine bay still needs addressing regarding the color change, though no photos of that are provided. We also used AI tools to clean up some of the photos, specifically distracting elements in the background. In each of the photos we edited, the only change made to the car was to fix a bent registration plate. However, please use the original photos as the final reference as we’re just passing along this car’s availability.

    So, if we’re translating this listing accurately, technically this is a factory tailored car that was resprayed to a totally different factory tailor color. You don’t see that often. And though it may be a color change car, we suspect it’s also about as affordable as you’ll find a turbocharged Nogaro Blue Audi B4 Avant. RS2s, even in rough shape, always seem to be above €50,000 nowadays. This one looks well kept, low mileage and a bargain way to get an RS2 without stepping up to an RS2.

    This is one of our Euro market finds, so the usual caveats apply for our primarily North American readership. For Europe and other markets, we focus on cars older than 25 years, meaning a relatively easy import into the USA. This is often done by working with firms such as our friends at Orchid Euro, you can have the car purchased, transported to port, shipped to America and cleared through customs for clients seeking this sort of service.

  • EU Market Find: 1994 Audi S2 Avant in Porsche Onyx Green

    EU Market Find: 1994 Audi S2 Avant in Porsche Onyx Green

    What: 1994 Audi S2 Avant
    Color: Onyx Green Metallic (onyxgrün; metallic UNI; LD6V; Porsche)
    Chassis Number: N/A
    Mileage: 284,000 km, 176,469 miles
    Price at Time of this Writing: €30,500
    CarFax: N/A
    Window Sticker: N/A
    Location: Private Seller, Kronstorf, Austria
    Dealer listing: Link

    Why we love it:

    Here’s an interesting specimen that popped up on the European market recently – an Audi S2 in the ’80s era Porsche 924 color Onyx Green Metallic. We’ve never seen an Audi S2 in this color before and the listing doesn’t state that it’s a respray, so we’re guessing it’s a very early example of Audi exclusive paint. In this period, custom paint did happen on these cars though it’s more common (yet still uncommon) on the hotter RS2.

    What’s an S2? Though they never came to America, Audi continued installing its now 20-valve turbocharged I-5 in its B3 and B4-era cars, beginning with the B3-based S2 Coupe and then later the wagon (a.k.a. Avant) and much lower production sedan body styles. Though the Porsche-built and tuned RS2 gets more love from the automotive community, Audi connoisseurs often prefer the more subtle look of the S2. Now, throw on some rare-at-the-time custom factory paint and you have a winner.

    This car is modified in some respects, and it’s also high mileage. From our perspective, that makes it a great candidate for a daily or weekend driver and less attractive as a museum piece bound to tucked away untouched as part of a collection.

    As S2s go, it may be a bit on the high side. Even still, it’s probably half of what the equivalent RS2 will cost, which still makes it a bargain. If its condition is as good as presented and it is actually factory paint in a Porsche color, we’d also argued it’s priced appropriately.

    This is one of our Euro market finds, so the usual caveats apply for our primarily North American readership. For Europe and other markets, we focus on cars older than 25 years, meaning a relatively easy import into the USA. This is often done by working with firms such as our friends at Orchid Euro, you can have the car purchased, transported to port, shipped to America and cleared through customs for clients seeking this sort of service.