A lot of manufacturers refers to motor sports when marketing sporty large-scale production cars. But one should always beware. After all, stickers and alloy wheels alone do not make for a real racer. ABT Sportsline, however, takes a more challenging approach, and visitors to the Essen Motor Show will be able to see it at Booth A155 in Hall 3.0 when checking out the RS5-R. The Audi it is based upon is one of the company’s best to begin with, but the Bavarian tuners have been able to tune this too.
After having been subjected to a proper ABT tuning, the eight-cylinder car shows 470 hp (346 kW), which suffices to let it reach 100 kph in 4.3 seconds. Its top speed is 303 kph, when the electronic limiting sets in. The huge performance triggered by revving up is very, shall we say, sound-variable, because ABT has indeed mounted an amazing sidepipe, ending shortly before the rear axle on the driver’s side.
“In the RS5-R, we combine our motor sport competences and the development of roadworthy vehicles in an ideal fashion,” says Hans-Jürgen Abt, ABT Sportsline’s CEO: “On the race track, power isn’t everything. Balance and weight are equally decisive.” Therefore, the ABT RS5-R not only has a very strong engine, but also a racy and light carbon body. The body parts are made of carbon-fibre materials, as are the assertive front skirt with side flics, the front splitter, side skirts, rear wing, rear skirt and bonnet with its impressive air outlets. Weight-optimised super sport-type wheels round it all off. The wheels also combine a top design with sportiness: ABT uses the elegant forged ER-F in 9.5 x 20 inches – what else – with Continental tires in 275/30 R20.
The ABT RS5-R’s motor sport DNA is also revealed in the interior of black and red Alcantara. Racing stripes on the sport-type bucket seats, carbon door panels, 4-point safety belts and a roll cage adorn the driver’s “work station”. The sport-type steering wheel is ergonomically perfect and features an LED shift indicator and a carbon-Alcantara mix of materials.
The BMW M Performance Power Kit available for the BMW 220d Coupé creates perfect starting conditions, increasing the output of the 4-cylinder diesel engine by 12 kW/16 bhp to 147 kW/200 bhp and maximum torque by 40 Nm to 420 Nm. The increased sprint capacity achieved has no impact on fuel consumption and exhaust emission figures. A BMW M Performance silencer system is available for the BMW M235i Coupé which reduces exhaust gas pressure to produce a striking, sports-style sound. In addition BMW M Performance tailpipe trim elements are offered in chrome or carbon, bearing the M logo.
A highlight in the suspension area is the BMW M Performance limited-slip differential available for the BMW M235i Coupé. When the dynamic stability control function DSC is deactivated, the torque-sensitive mechanical limited-slip differential in the rear axle ensures traction-optimised distribution of drive torque between the rear wheels. It reduces the slip that occurs on the wheel with less grip by transferring more drive power to the other wheels using a blocking effect. This converts engine power into forward momentum as effectively as possible so as to be able to accelerate out of a bend even more dynamically, for instance.
Products available for all model variants include the BMW M Performance sports suspension including a lowering of 20 millimetres as compared to the standard version, as well as specific dampers and shortened coil springs finished in red, and the especially light and high-capacity BMW M Performance brake system with brake calipers painted in a choice of red, yellow or orange. 19-inch forged BMW M Performance light alloy wheels are also available in two design versions.
The exterior components created to optimise aerodynamic properties have been developed with characteristic M precision. As a supplement to the M sports package available ex works and in conjunction with the BMW M Performance rear spoiler in carbon there is a BMW M Performance Aerodynamic Kit available for the front apron which has been tailored specifically to this model. The combination of air ducting elements at front and rear guarantees an ideal aerodynamic balance and can be supplemented with a diffuser insert for the rear apron as well as attachments for the side sills. Other individual accents to the outer appearance of the BMW 2 Series Coupé can be added by means of a black decorative grid for the BMW kidney grille, exterior caps in carbon, side sill foils with M Performance inscription and BMW M Performance accent stripes in two colour versions.
An cockpit ambience inspired by motor racing is created by the BMW M Performance sports steering wheel in Alcantara/carbon finish with red central marking and Race Display in 12-o’clock position, a gear lever and handbrake handle in carbon and an Alcantara gaiter. A carbon finish is likewise available for the gear selector switch of the automatic transmission. Other features available for a highly sporty and individually designed interior include interior strips in carbon and Alcantara, high-grade steel pedals and a driver footrest in corresponding design.
