Photo by Dustin W. Johnson
We love to see automotive enthusiasm among the next generation of car collectors. One of the many standout vehicles showcased at the Future Collector Car Show (FCCS) this past October was a 1993 Audi 90CS Quattro owned by a young Arizona resident named Max. Not only was his car eye-catching – there was no mistaking its Bugatti Blue paint job – but it also had a one-of-one configuration!
A letter displayed with the car from Volkswagen of America explained: “This special Audi 90 Quattro Sport was designed by the Audi Design Center in Simi Valley, California and manufactured in Ingolstadt, Germany. Pearl Ultramarine paint coats the exterior, while matching hand-sewn leather covers the interior. This prototype Quattro Sport’s color combination was chosen for the Porsche / Audi joint project, the RS2, [and was] shown at the Frankfurt Auto Show in 1993. Numerous refinements went into improving handling, instrumentation, audio, and performance. The total number (worldwide) of the Audi 90 Quattro Sport RS is 1.”
The Audi RennSport (or “RS”) nameplate has historically been reserved for vehicles that Audi’s performance division has taken to new levels of handling, performance, and style. Max’s car was built as an early pioneer of that division. The Audi 90, which itself was an upmarket version of the Audi 80, was an executive car that shared the “B-series” platform and many engineering components with Volkswagen vehicles of the time. The “B4” went into production in 1991 and was intended to compete in the same mid-sized luxury vehicle segment as its fellow German brands BMW and Mercedes-Benz.
The “Ultramarine” Bugatti Blue paint on Max’s Audi was the first thing to catch my eye when I saw Max’s car at FCCS. But the closer I looked, the more details set it apart from mainstream Audis of the era. Noteworthy exterior features of the car include RS2-sourced ellipsoid headlamps, headlight washers, fog lamps, a sunroof, and a decklid spoiler. The five-spoke wheels are 17-inch Azev units wrapped in 235/40 BFGoodrich G-Force tires – a nice meaty combination that, when combined with Audi’s signature Quattro all-wheel drive system, enable to car to skillfully grip in any terrain or weather conditions.
On the interior, the blue and black two-tone color scheme works well, although the leather seats show some wear consistent with 30-plus years of use. An RS2 shift knob was added, and the door panels have black material place of the original woodgrain inserts. The sound system is all-Alpine, consisting of a head unit, a trunk-mounted compact disc changer, and a cell phone (which, while period correct and fun to look at, is unfortunately not compatible with today’s mobile wireless networks). The white-faced instruments were sourced from an S2 model and are displayed in metric increments – the odometer shows over 300,000 kilometers, but the car looks like it could be a much lower-mileage specimen.
Service records obtained from a prior sale of the car show that it received a replacement 2.8-liter V6 back in 2003 – an engine that Audi rated when new at 172 horsepower and 184 lb-ft of torque. By today’s standards, those numbers aren’t remarkable, but 30 years ago it was a big deal for a sport sedan to be able to accelerate from zero to 60 in about eight seconds. A five-speed manual transaxle sends power to all four corners of the car – “Quattro” style, of course. There is no doubt about it – Max’s unique 90CS is a future collectible if we’ve ever seen one. We are excited to see the car at upcoming community events. Thanks for bringing out your one-of-a-kind Audi!
