Report: ABT Unleashes 600hp Audi R8

Audi tuner ABT Sportsline has just unleashed a 600hp version of the V10-powered R8. The German tuner isn’t saying much about how it got an extra 75hp from the 5.2-liter V10 engine, other than with the addition of an exhaust system.

We wouldn’t doubt ABT though. This is, after all, the very same company behind last year’s DTM Championship-winning A4.

In addition ABT used its motorsports know-how to design a new set of aerodynamic body panels for the R8, with a new front bumper, new side skirts and a rear diffuser with four integrated exhaust pipes. In addition there is also a new rear spoiler.

ABT claims its R8 can hit 62 mph in 3.8 seconds and blast on to a top speed of 201 mph!

Official release after the jump:

ABT Sportsline 2009 – press release CW 35
Ten cylinders. 600 HP. The Abt R8 5.2 FSI

These figures make the hearts of sports car drivers beat faster: 600 HP (441 kW), acceleration from 0 to 100 km/h in just 3.8 seconds, top speed of 322 km/h. The car to which these impressive performance figures belong is the ABT R8 5.2 FSI. Its V10 engine draws plenty of power from its large 5,204 cubic centimetre capacity – all the more if ABT POWER gives it an extra boost. 75 extra HP or 55 more kW provides a powerful trust at all speeds as well as increasing the torque.

The fact that the medium-engine super sports car becomes a winner on any track is not just due to its excellent performance characteristics, but also the perfectly coordinated bodywork package. It has been designed by the DTM crew of ABT Sportsline according to the latest motorsport knowledge, including the use of high-end carbon materials. The focus was above all on the optimum distribution of weight and a systematic light-weight construction. “The 600 HP is not just intended to exist on paper, but also be available on the road”, says Christian Abt. At the same time the ABT R8 thereby looks extremely dynamic. The front spoiler, side sills and rear apron outline the bodywork and give it a more powerful presence even when at a standstill. They form one unit with the distinctive rear wing and the typical ABT 4-pipe exhaust system.

The super sports car is presented on BR-type 20-inch wheels which suit the classic design. The ABT R8 5.2 FSI is a design milestone and is of course very, very fast. This is because the 600 ABT horsepower contain, what the dynamic design of the car promises.