Simultaneously squashing imperfections in the tarmac and holding a tightening radius deep into triple digits is a skill in itself and Abt's motorsport experience shines through in the near-perfectly damped car that hasn't resorted to cheap tricks like epic camber or toe-in on the wheels. It's frighteningly composed and keeps its cool long after mine starts to exit stage left.
As for the looks, the carbon-fiber kit is vastly expensive, but isn't there to increase downforce. Abt didn't want to plant the car to the deck and instead focused on feeding air to the engine and brakes.
Most of the truly special interior touches actually don't come from Abt at all. The optional carbon pack comes from the factory and it looks absolutely stunning. Abt felt the Audi interior was strong enough and there was no reason to meddle for its own sake. So there's lots of brown leather to match the exterior paint, which looks black from a distance, but is actually saddle brown. The show car came in black with red carbon-fiber aero add-ons, and looked pure evil, but production costs sadly ruled that out for the mass market.
I can't see many folks opting for the unusual engine bay treatment. The chromed effect on the supercharger that makes it stand out like a wrestler's six-pack is one thing, but the Nappa leather trim is quite another. Apparently it won't burn, but animal skin engine cladding isn't likely to win any fashion awards.
Abt has targeted fitting its tuning kit to 0.1 percent of Europe's R8s, an ambitious target considering the conversion costs the equivalent of about $44,000. But then it turns the everyday sports car into a 200-mph hypercar, and while the Mig might be a touch much, it might slaughter a Lamborghini on the strip, which is all that really counts. Next time, maybe we can test that too.
Abt Sportsline R8 R
*Layout
Longitudinal mid-engine, all-wheel drive
*Engine
4.2-liter V8, Opcon-Lysholm supercharger, Abt stainless steel exhaust and software
*Transmission
Six-speed manual
*Suspension
Abt sport springs and dampers
*Brakes
Eight-piston calipers, 15-inch carbon-ceramic rotors (f),Four-piston callipers, 14-inch carbon ceramic discs (r)
*Wheels And Tires
ABT BR20, 9x20 (f), 11x20 (r)Dunlop Sport Maxx XL, 245/30 (f), 305/25 (r)
*Exterior
Carbon splitter, side skirts, rear wing, diffuser, sideblades
*Performance
Peak Power: 523 hp @ 7800 rpmPeak Torque: 406 lb-ft @ 4500 rpm0-60 mph: 3.7 sec.Top Speed: 200 mph *Abt Sportsline data
Contact
ABT Sportsline
www.abt-sportsline.de