2002 Abt AS8 review

Abt AS8 review:

With the new A8, that will be presented all across Germany this fall, Audi brings a new definition to sporting appeal in the luxury car segment. Ingolstadt’s new flagship represents the claim of “Vorsprung durch Technik” with a clear design, innovative technology, the highest level of quality and a sporting appeal unseen so far from a limousine. Thus, for Abt Sportsline, the world’s leading tuning company for cars from the Volkswagen-concern, taking on the new Audi A8 was a question of honour. With the Abt sports wheel S2 and the first ideas for suspension and bodywork, the company from Kempten gets off to a good start.

In the development of the new Audi A8, the focus was on design and light-weight construction, dynamics and electronics. Lightness is the buzzword in all these four elements: lightness in form, that, with its long rear windscreen almost looks like a coupe rather than like a limousine. Lightness in acceleration, almost reaching the time of a sports car at 6.3 seconds from 0-100 km/h. Lightness in drive, unique with the standard air suspension of the aluminium chassis. And not in the least, lightness in handling, for which Audi has developed a new innovative system, MMI (Multi Media Interface).

Christian Abt is a devout A8-Fan. Throughout the season, the DTM-driver completed the often long drives to and from the race tracks with the Audi. At a recent presentation, Abt meanwhile also had the chance to drive the successor of the model, that has been built over 100,000 times. “It is especially impressive how sporty and light the car can be driven, in spite of its size”, he reports. His judgement is accordingly clear: “The new A8 is just a great car. I am already looking forward to give it a little fine-tuning at our home base, that will make it to a genuine Abt A8.”

The first step is called SP2 and marks the new highlight in Abt Sportsline’s wheel portfolio. The one-piece wheel with the wheel rim declining to the inside is a new, fascinating interpretation of the classic five-spoke design, for which the designers from Kempten are known. Premiere: with the SP2, Abt Sportsline is presenting a 20 inch wheel for the first time – and what car would be better to put it on than the new A8? The wheels are fitted with ContiSportContact 2-tyres.

Further refinements are already being prepared. For instance, the engineers are working on refinement of the suspension at the headquarters of the DTM championship-winning team in Kempten, in order to make the originally rather comfortable limousine stiffer, even further emphasizing its sporty appeal. Moreover, the A8 will get decent modifications of the bodywork, enhancing the noble silhouette with its clear lines and making the short rear section look even more dynamically. An exhaust silencer caters for the right sound of the 3.7 or 4.2 litre V8-engine, that get their power on the road with the quattro all-wheel drive. End of Abt AS8 review.