What The RS Badge Stands For On Audi Cars

When talking about top performing Audis, the RS moniker comes to mind. Just like BMW's M cars and AMG on the Mercedes side of things, the RS badge denotes the fastest and highest performance models in their lineup, and some of the most legendary cars to come out of Germany have adorned this badge.

RS is short for RennSport, which literally means Racing Sport in German. The RS badge comes on the spiciest of cars from Audi, and there are a number of changes over the regular variants. This not only includes unique aesthetic additions, but also enhancements to the engine, chassis, suspension and brakes. 

There is a whole range of RS cars, from the pocket rocket five-cylinder RS3, to the mighty RS6 Avant with its twin-turbocharged V8 station wagon, and it even extends to Audi's latest EV models like the RS E-Tron GT. These cars are rigorously tested on the Nürburgring to deliver the best performance, and also to showcase the brand's rich motorsport history. 

That's not all, though. There have been some other legendary machines created by the German brand under the RS badge. There was the Audi R8, which was the brand's flagship halo car and at one point of time, and Audi was also once selling a family station wagon with a twin-turbocharged V10 engine in it, the C6 RS6 Avant. Other honorable mentions go to the RS4 Avant, and also the TTRS, but there was one car which started it all.

One of the most interesting Audi RS cars is also the very first one, the RS2 Avant, launched back in the mid '90s and jointly developed by Audi and Porsche. It's a station wagon, which alone makes it instantly cool, but it was also one of the first fast wagons.

What Audi had made was the fastest station wagon in the world at the time. It featured a 2.2-liter turbocharged five-cylinder engine which produced 310 hp, and it could reach a top speed of 162 mph. It had a six-speed manual transmission, and also featured Audi's Quattro AWD system, a version of which also appeared on the iconic Audi Quattro rally car. 

Eagle-eyed enthusiasts will also notice some parts directly off the Porsche 911, specifically from the 964 and 993 generation. This included the mirrors, turn signals, fog lights, and even the brakes. It also featured lightweight 17-inch alloy wheels from Porsche's Cup car. Only 2,891 units of the RS2 were produced, but that was not the end, as the RS line would go on to become one of the most legendary performance brands to come out of Germany.