It’s never easy to succeed an icon; just ask Chris Evans or David Moyes. So, when Audi eventually retired its Quattro flagship, the S2 Coupe had a huge weight of expectation placed upon its shoulders. On reflection, that’s probably why the S2 was never officially marketed as a successor to the German marque’s ‘rally car for the streets’, but instead as a car with its own identity.
However, if that really was the plan, then giving it the ‘S’ moniker might not have been the wisest choice. After all, that badge had gained fame while attached to Audi’s revered S1 rally monster of yesteryear, making the S2 the first production-spec vehicle to have it adorned upon its boot lid. No pressure then.
On paper, it looked as though the new car might be up able to live up to those lofty standards that the outside world had set for it. Although it utilised the same 2.2 litre turbocharged five-cylinder engine found in the Quattro, its drag co-efficient had been reduced to 0.32cd (significantly better than the corresponding figure for the original car). So, when this more aerodynamic shell was accompanied by a slightly longer top end gear ratio, the maximum speed now peaked at around 150mph whereas the old Quattro topped out at 140 in its final guise. Plus, once the 1993 facelift was introduced, an extra 10 brake horsepower and sixth gear widened the performance gulf even further.
The gearbox itself was light and rewarding to use, at the time being praised by road testers as one of the best that Audi had ever produced. The new B3 chassis platform and suspension was a tangible upgrade on the old car as well, offering a noticeably more refined cabin experience.
However, for some, that is where the S2’s identity issues were compounded. Accompanying the softer feel was Bosch’s Servotronic steering, a performance-sensitive system which adjusted the weight of the steering in line with the speed of the car. Some felt as though the end result wasn’t well-executed enough for spirited use, and as such, severely hampered the amount of feedback that the car could give to its driver.
For that reason, the S2 is not a particularly great B-road machine, perhaps reflected by its toned-down outward appearance, which was another point of derision for the car in period – but its styling has matured nicely as the decades have gone buy.
