Abt was founded in 1896, when it made horseshoes, but in recent years it has become famous for its work on Audi's TT in Germany's Touring Car series (DTM). Last season it won the series with Laurent Aiello at the wheel, beating works efforts from Mercedes and Opel in the process. Now it has reaped the rewards with a lucrative contract that will see its components sold in all 122 Audi dealerships throughout the UK.
The first step is to fit Abt wheels and body kits, which was already done to the A4 and the Cabriolet version for display purposes. The first kits on display were extremely subtle, with a new front lip spoiler and chrome grille, deeper sideskirts, rear spoiler and deeper boot spoiler, together with 18-in. Abt A25 wheels, all giving the A4 a slightly more aggressive attitude while maintaining the overall Audi feel. Abt also brought a well-kitted out Audi allroad, with tasteful silver zebra stripes and the vital rooftop ski-case.
Once they have been approved by Audi UK, which means going through a rigorous set of tests, Abt brakes, suspension and exhausts will all be options on nice new cars. Audi is currently investigating the company's performance-enhancing chips, with a view to offering them in the near future, so soon UK customers will be able to order the ultimate Audi, with a full factory warranty, direct from the showroom. And if it can happen there, it can happen here.
Back on the racetrack, Lister Cars, the legendary English company that enjoyed such a healthy relationship with Jaguar in the past decades, was talking up its soon to be unveiled Le Mans Prototype. Lister has concentrated on GT racing in recent years, winning the FIA Championship with the Storm. Now it has stepped up to the plate to take on Audi, Bentley, MG and others with its LMP car.
Powered by a Corvette LS1 V8 engine, developed by Lister's own engineers, the first pictures shown of this car reveal an ugly, squared-off duckling, but it has spent serious time in the wind-tunnel and Lister boss Laurence Pearce swears it will fly like an eagle. If all goes to plan it will make its competitive debut at the Sebring 12 Hours in March, before heading to Le Sarthe for the legendary 24-hour ace.
One of the most emotive names in British motor racing made a return at the show, with Tiger resurrecting the English Racing Automobiles (ERA) brand that goes all the way back to the 1930s in F1. The ERA is intended as a one-make series with single-seaters resembling Grand Prix cars of the 1960s.
In fact, it's powered by a standard 1.8-liter Ford Zetec, pumping out no more than 150 bhp, and the Hewland Mark 9 Historic gearbox is more for appearances than performance. The 1,056-lb racing car is geared for no more than 130 mph, but on skinny tires and without wings, this should be enough to provide close slipstreaming action with plenty of big tail slides.
The name and the look may be a bit of a gimmick, but the BARC has already agreed to run the one-make race series in Britain, and Tiger is now looking for foreign agents.