My 20 valve Coupe quattro was (and no doubt still is) a good car. It never let me down, it covered long journeys with easy and, even in the depths of winter, never failed to get me home. However, good as it was, it was not the pinnacle of Audi's 5 cylinder engineering and I always wanted a "proper" quattro (Ur). Looking into this made me think deeper. Years of watching the rally quattros etched them deep into my soul but they had very little to do with practicality. Yes the road car will carry 5 up but you can only take a lunch box each for luggage!

A good friend of mine owned an S2 Coupe. I already liked the shape, it's not that different to the CQ20V, but had never really thought about their performance. My first journey was a short run when we met up for a coffee and a chat regarding Audi Owners Club issues. I was impressed. The next journey was a much longer acquaintance when we travelled from Scotland to Tatton Park for a show. I was amazed how secure the car felt even though it was chucking it down and we weren't hanging about. Could this be even better than a Ur (and yes I have driven a Ur....or should that be an Ur?).

Now I know the discussion can rage for days about is the Ur better than the S2 and yes I accept the S2 will never be the icon that the Ur is but does that mean it's not a better car ? I think not. The ABY engine in the S2 represents the last evolution of the 5 cylinder 20v turbo motor and Audi do not do things by halves so is, for me, the ultimate engine.

As for the car itself, it has not aged and does not look out of place in today's era of computer generated cars. It will carry 5 comfortably along with a reasonable amount of luggage thanks to the hatchback. The 6 speed box is notchy (a feature I like) for some but 6th on the motor way is so smooth and simply eats up the miles whist the 230bhp motor driving all 4 wheels will return a whisker over 30mpg!

Like many older cars it has it's faults but technology moves on and we tend to forget just how far ahead of it's time it was when new. Even the famed Mr Clarkson deemed the Audi S2...."the best car in Britain" (Clarkson on Cars - page 166) and I do not consider him to be Audi's greatest fan (until he drove the new RS4 anyway).

In conclusion, and this is only my opinion (well it is my website), I say the S2 is a better car than the Ur and I am extremely happy I chose to go for one rather than the Ur. This does not mean the Ur isn't a great car, just the S2 is better!

What have I done to my S2 ?

Work Done

Date

Sold - 29th February 2008

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