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How to Ruin an Iconic 1994 Audi RS2 Avant by Turning It Into a Race Car (Not Life-Sized)

It’s very difficult for carmakers these days to give birth to new vehicle segments. After all, there are only so many ways one can design a car, and pretty much all of them have been covered by now. But things were a bit different just a few decades back.
1994 Audi RS2 Avant Hot Wheels race car 16 photos
Photo: Jakarta Diecast Project
1994 Audi RS2 Avant Hot Wheels race car1994 Audi RS2 Avant Hot Wheels race car1994 Audi RS2 Avant Hot Wheels race car1994 Audi RS2 Avant Hot Wheels race car1994 Audi RS2 Avant Hot Wheels race car1994 Audi RS2 Avant Hot Wheels race car1994 Audi RS2 Avant Hot Wheels race car1994 Audi RS2 Avant Hot Wheels race car1994 Audi RS2 Avant Hot Wheels race car1994 Audi RS2 Avant Hot Wheels race car1994 Audi RS2 Avant Hot Wheels race car1994 Audi RS2 Avant Hot Wheels race car1994 Audi RS2 Avant Hot Wheels race car1994 Audi RS2 Avant Hot Wheels race car1994 Audi RS2 Avant Hot Wheels race car
Traditionally speaking, station wagons have always been considered family cars. They needn’t be insanely powerful, they don’t have to look good, and no one cares if they don’t become collectibles as time goes by. They just need to haul the average 3.15-people strong American family to and fro, safely and with groceries crammed in the back.

At least, that’s what the general idea was until back in 1994, when German carmaker Audi, with significant help from Porsche, gave birth to a special variant of the 80 Avant called RS2 Avant. In doing so, it also gave birth to the performance station wagon segment so greatly enjoyed nowadays in many places around this world.

The RS2 Avant was not around for very long, being made for just over a year, between March 1994 and July 1995, but that was enough to make history for the four-ring brand in more than one respect, and far beyond birthing a new breed of cars and redefining a genre.

This particular Audi was the carmaker’s first RennSport (RS) vehicle, a breed that lives on to this day. It was also home to the most powerful version of the brand’s 2.2-liter inline-five engine, spitting out in excess of 300 horsepower with ease. In the year it was introduced, the car became the world’s fastest station wagon, reaching a top speed of 250 kph (155 mph), also being the first ever Audi to do that.

With under 2,900 examples made, the Audi RS2 Avant is thus highly appreciated by collectors, and those who still keep hold of one rarely take them out to risk damage, let alone allow them to go through some insane customization process.

So imagine how we felt when we heard about one of these things getting transformed into a race car. Yet the scare didn’t last for long, as we were soon clear on the fact this is not a real-life RS2, but a Hot Wheels one customized by Jakarta Diecast Project (JPD).

Hot Wheels introduced the diecast replica of the wagon back in 2021, with a somewhat scrambled name, 1994 Audi Avant RS2 instead of the official 1994 Audi RS2 Avant. Regardless, it enjoyed enough success to be made in two series, Factory Fresh and Hot Wheels Wagons.

It’s a Factory Fresh example that fell into JDP’s hands for modification purposes, and we must admit, they are extensive. After a lot of stripping, cutting and gluing, the car came out the other end as the racer it could have easily been had Audi thought bigger back in the 1990s.

For the purposes of a race car, be it diecast or otherwise, the project looks about right, as shown in the video below, but for the goals of some collectors of purebreds with a soft spot for this car, it could be nothing short of sacrilege.

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About the author: Daniel Patrascu
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Daniel loves writing (or so he claims), and he uses this skill to offer readers a "behind the scenes" look at the automotive industry. He also enjoys talking about space exploration and robots, because in his view the only way forward for humanity is away from this planet, in metal bodies.
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