This is the third in a series of blog posts portraying those companies which make the most exciting cars in the world … even more exciting. Over the next few weeks, we will continue to present car customizers from all over the world, country by country, segment by segment – from sports cars, to SUVs, pickup trucks and refurbished vintage cars. We have kicked off our series with a handful of customizers from Germany, most which focus on enhancing local car brands such as Audi, BMW, Mercedes-Benz or Porsche. Enjoy the ride!
ABT since 1896
The company was founded 1896 as a blacksmith’s shop in Kempten, Germany. More than 50 years later, in 1950, the founder’s grandson had his first race on the Kempten grass track, followed by more than 300 motorsport victories. Finally, in 1967, ABT Tuning was founded. ABT has been active in motorsports since then, participating in prestigious tournaments such as DTM, the German Touring Car Masters, a silhouette racing car series.
ABT is focused on customizing Volkswagen Group major brands Audi, VW, Seat and Skoda. Its rise began in 1978 when Volkswagen launched Golf, its bread and butter car which has been sold more than 29 million times to date. ABT’s success strongly strongly correlates with Volkswagen’s most popular model since the Beetle. Currently, ABT is the largest tuner of cars produced by the Volkswagen Group. Consequently, ABT remains committed to the mass market, leaving Volkswagen Group’s niche and luxury brands Bentley, Bugatti and Lamborghini to specialized boutique tuning companies.
ABT RS6-R
The early 80s of the last century were a Golden Age for the tuning industry. Tuning companies were outdoing one another in every aspect, including ever broader body kits. Things turned upside down in the early 90s, mainly due to a severe economic crisis in most industrialized regions from Japan, the US to Europe. Showing off one’s wealth became a taboo. In Germany, wearing the proverbial “fur inside out” became the new mantra.
While Germany still remained one of the wealthiest countries on earth, those with the means to afford luxury goods changed their consumption patterns and preferred to drive mid-range cars rather than luxury sedans or flashy roadsters. The automotive industry responded to the changed customer demand by extending their mid-range, bread and butter models by high performance, luxury derivatives.
In 1994 Audi introduced the S6, a bolder version of the A6 sedan and station wagon series, followed by the even more aggressive RS6 series in 2002. To a wealthy individual in Africa, driving a station wagon might sound like an outlandishly odd idea, unlike their peers in Europe, many of which value understatement paired with suitability for daily use: “I have enough space for my kids, luggage and golf bags while enjoying the performance characteristics similar to a racing car.”
The ABT RS6-R comes with a 730 hp engine and a top speed of 320 km/h, a dramatic increase in performance compared to the already impressively powerful 560 hp base car Audi RS6. In addition to a custom built ABT Engine Control software module, the ABT RS6-R is equipped with a stainless-steel exhaust system with two double tailpipes for a roaring sound, height adjustable suspension springs, 22-inches FR alloy wheels and high-performance Dunlop tyres. A perfect family car? Oh, yes, it is!
ABT Q3 with 210 HP TDI
The steady rise in demand for SUVs led subsequently to a further segmentation of this category. “The more choices customers have, the more products they buy.” seems to be the credo of the automotive industry. Large and extra-large SUVs are preferably used as family-vehicles or simply as status symbols, while smaller SUVs are better suited for inner cities with dense traffic. Given the wealthy clientele of customized and tuned cars, it’s not a “big SUV or small SUV” but rather “why not having both” situation.
Due to their fuel efficiency, diesel engines gained popularity over the last decades, but also became a household name for peak performance: In 2008 Audi introduced the Q7 V12 TDI with a 500 hp,1,000 Nm torque engine, which accelerates the massive SUV 0-100 km/h in only 5.5 seconds. Hence, nowadays 200 hp and 300 hp diesel engines are standard, even in smaller vehicles.
ABT upgraded the Q3 base car’s engine from 184 hp to 210 hp and increased top torque from 380 to 420. Customers can choose between ABT suspension springs (front axle 25 mm, rear axle 35 mm lower) and an ABT height adjustable suspension kit (front axle 30 – 60 mm, rear axle 40 – 70 mm lower) for utmost flexibility. ABT provides front skirt add ons including a front spoiler, mirror caps, door strip attachments, rear spoiler and alloy wheels ranging from 18” to 21”.
For those waiting impatiently for a customized version of the latest Audi Q7, you can check it here
Source: http://www.abt-sportsline.de/