Abt Sportsline have debuted the final version of their re-worked Audi R8 sports car, introducing a number of modifications both over the production vehicle and the preview illustrations shown earlier this year. Boasting a drivetrain aimed at inducing faster heartbeats and design elements evoking a sense of dynamism even when standing still, this R8 is a sports car to stir the soul.

Producing no less than what Abt describe as an automotive marvel of engineering and design, the Abt R8 features a carbon-fiber dominated body kit consisting of front, side and rear skirts, rear wing and two-piece side blades. Since the release of screaming orange R8 illustrations, a major styling revision is the change from horizontal to vertical slats sported on the front end's side air intakes.

With regard to technical excellence, the Abt R8 has undergone fine-tuning to suspension upgrades for improved road holding, featuring Abt springs and car lowering, while an Abt sports brake system with discs of 380 mm diameter sets new standards in responsiveness. Previous talk of a 530 hp Abt supercharged 4.2-litre V8 has disappeared from the specsheet, with nothing as yet alluded to in the new press release. Based on previous reports, a top speed of 317 kph and 0-100 kph acceleration in 3.9 seconds is to be achieveable.

Two new equipment versions will be available dubbed 'Extravagant' and 'Exclusive', adding new options such as lighter body panels to further customise the R8. Read on for further details.


Design milestones of sports car construction do not only come from Sant' Agata Bolognese or Maranello but also from Kempten. Because there, in the picturesque Allgäu region, Abt Sportsline, the greatest tuner for vehicles from the Volkswagen group, is based. With the new Abt R8, the term "improvement" is set one level higher as this car combines technical competence and brilliant design from Abt and results in an automobile masterwork. Not more and not less. The Abt R8 is a fantastic super sports car, playing in the same league as Lamborghini Gallardo or Ferrari F430.

No doubt, even the basis model of the R8 is something special - and therefore a real challenge, emphasizes Hans-Jürgen Abt. "The fluently dynamic form of the car is unique, it looks like having a lot of power, even when standing still," admits the managing director and therewith he raises the bar for his engineers and designers. As it is usual for Abt, the result is quite respectable and can be driven with fascination. The light and sporty high-tech material Carbon well visibly shapes the rear skirt, the side blades and the side skirts. The exciting body kit of the two-seater was developed by the motor sports professionals from Kempten who also optimized the car in reducing weight and in distributing mass evenly. That optical features do not obviate technical sophistications but, on the contrary, lead to perfection clearly show the contours of the Abt R8. Front skirt, side skirts, and rear skirt form a unit in which the rear wing, the side blades and also the exhaust system are harmonically integrated. A special highlight is the front skirt partially made of sight carbon. It is a component of the equipment version "Extravagant". The customer is able to provide his Abt R8 with attachment parts, at his own option with elements of sight carbon. A two tone structure is also possible by request. Another alternative is the equipment version “Exclusive”, which offers the customer the possibility to beautify his R8 with an Abt body kit made of high-quality GRP (glass fibre reinforced plastic). Also the new BR wheel from Abt with its bi-colour paint perfectly fits the car. The front axis presents it in the size 9x20 inch, the rear axis in 11x20 inch. Thus the R8 appears much more dynamical. With Abt suspension springs and car lowering the team from Kempten improves the road holding even more as Christian Abt and his specialists exactly adjusted the suspension. With the Abt sports brake system (380 millimeters diameter), the fast super sports car from the Allgäu sets standards also in matters of delay.

The new Abt R8 is a car which makes hearts beat faster. It perfectly brings the magic of speed onto the road even when standing still.