The history of the RS 4 family began in 1994 with the Avant RS 2. It established the high-performance station wagon segment – which comprised sports cars with large luggage compartments. Audi developed the high-flier on the basis of the Audi 80 Avant in cooperation with Porsche. The car was assembled at Suffenhausen in Stuttgart. Porsche contributed several components, including the wheels and the internally vented brake discs with the red, four-piston calipers. The front bumper included spectacular air inlets.

The engine was Audi’s classic five-cylinder turbo in its last production development stage. The 2.2-liter engine used a large turbocharger, high boost pressure and expanded airways to produce 232 kW (315 hp). 410 Nm of torque (302.40 lb-ft) was available at 3,000 rpm. The Audi Avant RS 2 sprinted from zero to 100 km/h (62.14 mph) in 5.4 seconds and reached a top speed of 262 km/h (162.80 mph).

A six-speed transmission delivered the power to the quattro drive system, which in addition to a Torsen differential included a manually activated locking differential at the rear axle.

The chassis with its transverse links was based on the suspension of the Audi S2. The dampers were made even tauter and the springs shortened. 245/40-series tires were mounted on the 17-inch wheels. The interior was lined with leather and Alcantara, and the Recaro seats included some power adjustments. 2,908 Avant RS 2 units were built during the production run of just under two years.