Álvaro Koke

ABT XGT: The Audi R8 says goodbye with a registrationable racing version

99 units of this spectacular supercar will be manufactured, practically for competition.

For nearly 20 years (even longer, when it was still known as Le Mans quattro, the name given to the prototype on which it is based), the Audi R8 has been the favorite supercar of many young and old alike. A spectacular line and performance close to those of names like Ferrari or Lamborghini – given that it originally shared a propeller with the Gallardo – made it a halo model for a brand that has already achieved great sales numbers year after year with such models. successful such as the A3, A4 and others, as well as their respective sports variants. Through two generations, the Audi R8 has remained present to this day. Not only on the streets, but also on the circuits, where it has competed in different types of competitions, especially among GT3s, even having an Evo version.

Unfortunately, times change and many supercars that we have seen at the dawn of the 21st century have disappeared or are about to disappear – the same as happened with many cult JDMs such as the Mazda RX-7 FD, the Nissan Skyline GT-R R34 or the Toyota Supra JZA80. After almost twenty years, the Nissan GT-R is about to say goodbye and the same will happen to the Audi R8 soon. Or disappear because it cannot cope with the increasingly restrictive emissions regulations… or become electric, something that is going to happen with both the Dodge Charger and the Challenger. A terrifying future for purists and many lovers, since it is about completely changing the nature of these cars, the heart of the beasts that, on many occasions, is what characterizes them.

Meanwhile, ABT Sportsline has been on other duties. What was once Auto-Abt in 1991 was converted into a tuning company as well as a street and racing trainer, almost always linked to Audi – although it has also worked with models from other Volkswagen Group brands, such as VW itself, Skoda or SEAT. Above all, it stood out at the beginning of this century in the DTM as one of the reference teams with those Audi TT DTM and Audi A4 DTM, like the one Mattias Ekström used to be champion of the iconic contest (when it was still contested with silhouette cars). before the Swede was world rallycross champion or entered the Audi project in the Dakar together with Carlos Sainz and Stéphane Peterhansel. In all this time, they have also released their own variants based on existing Audi models.

Examples of this are the ABT AS4-T coming from the A4 Avant, a family car with no less than 480 horsepower, its TT-R with a V6 engine and supercharger or the R8 GT R, boosting the 5.2 V10 up to 620 horsepower. and modifications that made it look like a racing car, although it was still registrable.

ABT XGT mechanics

 

In this case they wanted to go one step further, presenting the new ABT XGT. What is this? Well, to be simplistic, it is a registrable version of the Audi R8 LMS GT2 customer racing car. A somewhat strange category, because despite their number and the fact that they are more powerful than the GT3 and GT4, they are situated in terms of performance between the two categories given that they have a less optimized aerodynamic assembly than the GT3. It is a car designed for gentleman drivers with portfolios that can maintain large competition cars given the great professionalization that we see today with GT3 cars. They even run endurance races and compete at the same time, as is the case in the Nürburgring 24 Hours.

On this occasion, it is powered by a 5.2 V10 engine but now reaches 640 horsepower, going directly to the rear wheels through a 7-speed dual-clutch S-Tronic gearbox. To make its homologation and, above all, its civil use easier, a street car refueling system has been added to the ABT XGT, as well as an instrument panel to improve ergonomics with respect to the R8 LMS GT2 from which it is based. Good features such as the handbrake, central locking and immobilizer have also been added, things that a racing car normally does not need.

According to the specifications that ABT has shared, the ABT XGT is capable of reaching a top speed of about 310 kilometers per hour, although this depends on how the rear wing is adjusted (for aerodynamic drag reasons). As standard it comes with Pirelli P Zero Trofeo R tires and has 19-inch or 20-inch forged wheels.

The exterior mirrors, air conditioning and turn signals are controlled through the control panel, in addition to having a modified exhaust system that complies with the KBA (Kraftfahrt-Bundesamt, the German equivalent of the Spanish DGT) emissions standards. . The set weighs about 1,400 kilograms when empty. As an interesting fact, many may be wondering how it is possible that a car with a racing steering wheel that does not incorporate an airbag can be registered today. The answer is very simple: this is possible in Germany as long as the car includes a roll cage.

How much is the new ABT XGT worth?

Depending on how you look at it, it can be seen as a very expensive supercar or a mid-priced racing car: the announced price is around 598,000 euros including taxes. Now, ABT is only going to manufacture a total of 99 units, which are expected to sell out quickly as is usually the case with this class of limited-run supercars or hypercars. This is a very special ABT project on which they have been working for about two years, running thousands of kilometers with test units both on the Nürburgring Nordschleife and at Sachsenring or Hockenheim in the hands of drivers such as Kelvin van der Linde, Ricardo Feller, Frank Stippler and ABT sporting director and former DTM driver Martin Tomczyk.

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