Audi S2 Coupe
Unwanted expert
Audi S2 Coupe
© press-inform – the press office
The Audi S2 Coupé entered the heavy legacy of the original Quattro in 1990. There were a number of hurdles to overcome during development, which doesn’t detract from the fun that the all-wheel-drive car is 31 years later.
The Audi S2 was actually not planned. The presentation at the 1990 Motor Show in Birmingham was just as unemotional as with an unwanted pregnancy. In contrast to gloss fairs like the IAA in Frankfurt or even Geneva, the rendezvous in the West Midlands was just as glamorous as Castrop-Rauxel compared to New York. In order to understand this neglected treatment of the Audi S2, one has to look at its development history.
The original Quattro was an identity giver for Audi, a first-class driving machine. Steering wheel artists like Walter Röhrl drove the competition around the ears in the sport versions and transformed the image of the brand with the four rings into a sporty one. But the time of the original Quattro was also over. So a successor had to be found. The Ingolstadt engineers stated that transplanting the modified drivetrain of the original Quattro into the Coupé of the B3 series would not be feasible or would cost a lot of money. Above all, the financial aspect was a killer argument. Because the forecasts of the sales figures fell far short of expectations.
“Let others try this task”, the Ingolstadt technicians probably thought and placed the order with Konrad Schmidt Motorsport GmbH, with whom they also worked in the DTM to make what was difficult to do possible. The specialists from Cadolzburg immediately got to work and built a coupé with the five-cylinder four-valve engine from components from an Audi 200 Quattro. So it was also true here: it doesn’t work, doesn’t exist. This solution also convinced the skeptics in Ingolstadt and led to an official development contract.
There was still enough to do before it was ready for series production. Especially in view of the limited financial resources. “A feasible packaging solution was developed here,” summarizes Audi historian Ralf Friese. The budget for the S2 was tight. Feasible also means cost-effective. The gear was a ride on the knife edge. There was definitely no room in the center tunnel for a more powerful transmission, so the tried and tested B80 gearshift had to be used. The problem was the torque of the 2.2 liter engine, which had to be limited to 390 Newton meters so that the gears didn’t fly around your ears. Incidentally, the technicians also made the intercooler smaller so that it could fit into the engine compartment. But Audi didn’t have a hedgehog in its pocket for all components: the tailgate was elaborately made from several all-plastic parts.
After the solutions had been found, the test drives began. In order to catch up, test manager Fritz Naumann really let the prototype of the S2 fly in Africa. Even today, those involved tell each other about the full throttle orgy and the standing ovations for the manager when the car arrives at its destination. We are sitting in a coupé from 1990, recognizable by the polished five-star rims, while the successor was fitted with the Avus show car modeled on the rims of the same name. With the S2 Coupé, the badge radiator grille familiar from the V8 was introduced in the B segment. The other coupés received it as part of a facelift in the spring of 1991. The lively Audi came on the market in September 1990 for 72,450 DM.
The seats are comfortable and the steering requires less muscle power than is the case with the original Quattro and the chassis signals that it does not harm the back of the occupants on long journeys. Even if the torque is a bit poor, the turbocharged five-cylinder is the icing on the cake of the Audi S2 Coupé. With all its strength, this unit is anything but a screamer. The five pots fill the interior with wonderfully sonorous sounds and signal to the driver “I’m ready whenever you are”. From 2,000 revolutions the turbocharger becomes noticeable, which then provides full propulsion from 3,000 revolutions. No sudden onset of a steam hammer as was the case in the past, this turbo can be seen in the upbringing of a decent behavior. The S2 Coupé, which weighs just 1,290 kilograms, accelerates smoothly up to a top speed of 248 km / h. says Ralf Friese. We are not only enthusiastic about the top speed, but above all how easy it is to steer the coupé around the bends.
A total of exactly 7,370 copies of the coupé had been built by December 1990. The S2 sedan and the S2 Avant came onto the market later and already had the facelift engine with 230 hp and six-speed gearbox. Nevertheless, both models did not reach the coupé’s popularity. Only 300 of the sedan were built and 1,818 of the Avant.