25 years of Audi RS

It's a quarter of a century since Audi first launched its RS performance variant, the RS 2 Avant that had a massive 311hp pouring from its 5-cylinder petrol engine, writes Brian Byrne.

The Quattro division that developed the RSs is now Audi Sport, and some 24 RS models have since been introduced.

The 2.5 engines used today are directly evolved from the unit that pumped rally and touring competition cars with the distinctive Audi badge first across many finish lines. There have also been 4.0 V8s in the motors lineup, and the RS 5 Sportback from 2018 has a 444hp 2.9 V6 under the hood.

Why so much power? Because they can.

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