Audi tuner ABT Sportline has released its latest take on Ingolstadt's 2011 lineup in the form of the R8 GTS, a worked-over version of Audi's R8 5.2 FSI V10 Cabrio.
In ABT guise, the V10 has been boosted to 620 horsepower – a 95-hp gain over the stock mill. To accentuate the power just a little more, ABT has gotten liberal with the carbon fiber and carbon fiber-reinforced plastic, shaving some weight off the R8's frame. The result is a 3.6-second 0-60 sprint.
The exterior has been dipped in a "self confident" red chrome paint, and new composite pieces include the front and rear skirts, the engine cover, the air intakes, and the windshield frame cover. The 2011 ABT R8 GTS rides on a set of 19 or 20-inch custom ABT wheels. Inside, the dress-up kit continues the red carbon fiber theme on the steering wheel, console and door panels.
If you're a fan of the extroverted, check out the gallery below for the official images as well as our live shots from the show floor, and hit the jump for the official press release from ABT.
Related GalleryABT R8 GTS: Geneva 2011
Related Gallery2011 ABT R8 GTS
Live photos copyright ©2011 Drew Phillips / AOL
[Source: ABT]
The dream car from Bavaria now brings 620 HP (456 kW) onto the road thanks to ABT POWER. This is compared to 525 HP (386 kW) on standard models. A performance improvement of almost 20% is a statement in the super sports car class: the ABT R8 GT S sprints from 0 to 100 km/h in 3.6 seconds and has a top speed of 320 km/h. The cabrio with the 5.2 litre V10 engine is fully compatible for everyday use and is real fun for cruising on country roads. After all the "hot open-top sports car" is open to anything. And thanks to the ABT Suspension the setup is optimal at all times. The Sports exhaust system provides good acoustics and is an important part of the design concept, it harmonises with the diffuser, rear wing and trapeze-shaped rear skirt. The car is not just extremely quick, but also looks like it is. It makes hearts skip a beat, especially when the light metal alloy ABT BR in 20 or the CR Superlight in 19 inch announce the car's inherent power even when stationary.
With the ABT R8 GT S the love of detail continues in the interior: ABT Sportsline has "dressed" the sports steering wheel, the centre console, the shifting gate and parts of the door panels in red carbon. As a contrast the remaining parts of the doors and the dashboard were covered with new leather. The texture of the material is expressive and elegant. The red and black leather of the seats perfectly harmonises with this styling. Red safety belts and illuminated door sill panels round off the powerful appearance of the ABT R8 GT S.

