The Verboten RS4
In the early-2000s, if you wanted a fast compact station wagon from Audi, then you were in luck. From 2001 to 2002, the S4 Avant from the B5 generation was made available to U.S. customers. It was a great car, if a little fragile at times, but it was one of the few options available at the time. The other choices were the far more subtle Saab 9-5 Aero Wagon and the much more affordable Subaru Impreza WRX Wagon.
That said, America missed out on the ultimate A4 Avant, and that was the RS4 Avant. It was primarily for Europe, but also sold in select Asian and Latin American countries, but not the U.S. Now that it’s over 25 years old, we’re starting to see a couple take trips across the Atlantic.
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The Backstory
With a short production run and small production numbers, the B5 RS4 was always going to end up becoming a valuable classic. That’s reflected by its current market values, which Classic.com lists at around $51,240. In other words, it’s about the same as a brand new A5.
The one we saw on Bring a Trailer currently up for sale has an interesting story to tell. It was actually purchased in Monaco back in 2000, so it was likely someone’s rapid grocery-getter right up until 2011. It was then registered in France that same year, stayed there for the next 14 years, and was sold on Bring a Trailer back in November 2025 to an American buyer. It has since resided in the U.S, and it’s up for sale again. It’s an unrestored example, so there are a few blemishes here and there. There’s a paint chip on the hood, a crack on the driver’s side door sill, part of the headliner has sagged but it’s held up with pins, and there are some dead pixels on the instrument cluster display.
However, the good news is it has a whole book binder’s worth of service history for peace of mind. A fair bit of work has also been done to it. The front bumper cover, fenders, and hood have been repainted, and the wheels have been refurbished. All brake rotors and pads have been replaced, but the cherry on top has to be the new timing belt. B5 Audi A4s don’t have the largest of engine bays, with everything typically crammed in, and more so in the RS4. The replacement of the timing belt means that spares the next owner of this car a costly and labor-intensive service.
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The Offer
| Specification | Detail |
|---|---|
| Make | Audi |
| Model | RS4 Avant (B5) |
| Year | 2000 |
| Mileage | 133,824 kilometers shown (83,154 miles) |
| Engine | 2.7-liter AZR biturbo V6 |
| Power | 375 horsepower |
| Transmission | 6-speed manual |
| Drive type | All-wheel drive |
| Exterior color | Avus Silver Pearl |
| Interior color | Onyx Valcona leather |
| Wheels | 18-inch 9-spoke RS wheels |
| Suspension | Four-wheel multi-link |
| Brakes | Four-wheel ventilated cross-drilled |
| Steering | Hydraulic rack and pinion steering |
| Current bid | $19,999 |
Interested in this car? View the listing here.
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Why it’s Special
Audi wasn’t the first to make a high-performance German wagon. It was actually BMW that made one first with the E34 M5 Touring in 1992. The RS2 came about in 1994, but while it wasn’t the one that invented the genre, it was the first compact wagon to come with serious performance. The RS4 Avant was the eventual successor that arrived in 1999, and cranked that same formula up to 11.
The B5 RS4 was built from 1999 to 2001, and its 2.7-liter twin-turbo V6 was massaged by Cosworth to make over 100 more horsepower than the S4. That alone makes it special, along with the bespoke bodywork, suspension upgrades, and a total production of just 6,030 cars worldwide. Sure, the RS2 got the ball rolling, but the RS4 formula started with the B5 generation.
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About the author
Anton Andres
News Editor