Abt Turns Its Attention to Audi R8

KEMPTEN, Germany — German tuner Abt is planning to celebrate its 110th anniversary with the unveiling of a 530-horsepower version of the recently introduced Audi R8 at the Frankfurt Motor Show in the fall.

The new car, which receives a host of visual and mechanical modifications, is set to form the centerpiece of Abt's Frankfurt Motor Show spread in September before entering production in limited numbers at the company's Kempten-based headquarters in southern Germany.

Distinguishing the Abt R8 from standard versions of Audi's new two-seater is a distinctive body kit, parts of which are fashioned from carbon-fiber-reinforced plastic in a bid to reduce curb weight. Along with aggressively styled bumpers and chunkier side sills, the new car also receives a new hood, widened air ducts behind the doors, a prominent fixed spoiler at the rear, and towering 20-inch wheels in Abt's signature five-spoke design.

Power for Abt's reworked R8 is set to come from a supercharged version of Audi's 4.2-liter V8 engine delivering a claimed 530 hp — some 110 hp more than the standard R8. That's sufficient, according to the German tuner, to provide the Porsche 911 Turbo-chasing two-seater with 0-to-62-mph acceleration in 3.8 seconds and a top speed of 197 mph.

Allied to the sharpened performance is a heavily revised suspension featuring adjustable ride height as well as shock absorbers that adjust in both compression and rebound.