2011 ABT R8 GT S

What does it take to transform a good looking car into an amazing piece of fiery carbon fiber goodness? Well, for starters, it takes tons of carbon fiber (a given), a red exterior paint job, and an engine update fit for a street king. Potential suitor, meet your mate in the Audi R8 Spyder made over by ABT Sportsline. Their package, called the R8 GT S, made its world debut at the 2011 Geneva Motor Show and instantly grabbed hold of our hearts.

For this project, ABT took the standard V10 engine and updated its output to an impressive 620 HP, up from the standard 525 HP. The result is a 0 to 60 mph sprint time of just 3.6 seconds and a top speed of 198 mph. But the most impressive feature for the new R8 GT S is its exterior and interior look. ABT has chosen to dress up the Audi R8 in full carbon fiber garbs, from the bonnet to the rear wing, and then doused it with a sleek red paint finish. The same treatment has also been applied in the interior.

Exterior

We like...no scratch that...We love the Audi R8 Spyder and we’re guessing most people feel the same way. Now add the most impressive tuning package ever offered for the Spyder R8 and it’s an instant match made in heaven. ABT Sportsline uses carbon fiber from the bonnet all the way to the rear wing, including carbon fiber goodness at the front skirt, rear skirt, windscreen frame cover, red air scoops, engine bonnet, and exterior mirrors. The car sits on new light metal alloy ABT BR in 20 or CR Superlight in 19".

Interior

For the interior, the R8 GT S continues the same exterior treatment: the center console, the shifting gate, and parts of the door panels are covered in red carbon, while the remaining parts of the doors and the dashboard were covered with new leather. The sports seats are covered in red and black leather.

Engine

In its standard version, the Audi R8 Spyder is powered by a V10 engine that delivers a total of 525 Hp. Impressive, but it’s just not enough and ABT Sportsline concurs. Their package includes new ABT Power technology and a new exhaust system that increases the total output to 620 HP. As a result, the sprint from 0 to 60 mph is made in 3.6 seconds while top speed goes up to 198 mph.

Prices

The German tuner has yet to provide any details as far as pricing for this perfect vehicular specimen. However, if anyone loves this package for the Audi R8 as much as we do, then its price will not even come close to mattering.

Competition

This isn’t Abt Sportsline’s first trip around the block with the R8 Spyder. Last year, they released a nice little tuning package that increased the total output to 600 HP. Their previous package delivered the same performance numbers as the R8 GT S: 0 to 60 mph in 3.8 seconds and a top speed of 198 mph, but wasn’t as good looking as the GT S.

However, the most impressive engine update for the R8 Spyder comes from STaSIS Engineering. Their update package delivers an impressive 710 hp and 523 lb-ft of torque. The added power is downright wonderful, but the look of the ABT GT S is perfect, bar none.

First Drive: 2010 Audi TTS Coupe

Finally, Speed Matches Style

By Nate Martinez

In the decade or so it's been on the market, the Audi TT has become world renowned for its avant garde style, but it's never ranked high as a true sports car. That perception changed recently thanks in large part to quattro GmbH -- the performance division responsible for the mighty R8. The result is the new TTS, a potent blend of speed, flair, and livability. Watch out, Porsche.

With the "S" onboard, Audi's small 2+2 has evolved into a mechanical ensemble that delivers as many smiles on its drivers' mugs as stares from passersby. Its 2.0-liter four-cylinder is fortified with a strengthened block, an aluminum-silicon alloy head, a bigger Garrett variable turbocharger, reinforced internals, and a remapped ECU. How does 265 horsepower sound?

Audi says a sprint to 60 mph in the TTS only takes 4.9 seconds. That's just a couple of ticks off the Porsche Cayman S PDK (4.4 seconds), putting the TTS squarely in the legitimate sports car neighborhood. Unfortunately, we weren't able to put the TTS through our usual barrage of instrumented testing, but there's no doubt this thing is fast. It's a point-and-shoot type of ride with boatloads of grip courtesy of an intelligent quattro all-wheel drive system and aluminum-bred suspension. And that's with the electronics set in "Normal."

Slide the S-tronic dual-clutch lever down into the more aggressive "S" mode, and the throttle's responsiveness noticeably steps up. Like in its R8 big brother, the TTS's magnetic variable-rate dampers can be stiffened at the press of a button for a considerably sturdier ride. We ran our Solar Orange tester on some rain-soaked serpentine byways of San Diego County, and it easily devoured pavement with a level of poise and eagerness not found on the standard model. Even with the hard mountain rain creating mini-skidpads ahead of us, the quattro all-wheel drive setup kept us out of the berms and pegged on the proper line.

The TTS is a capable all-arounder -- not just a straight line missile. In full-on sport mode (dampening and transmission in "S"), the dual-clutch 'box holds each of its six gears to high revs and shifts at the 6800-rpm max with a palatable "braap! braap!" from its quad pipes. Its 258 pound-feet. of torque is available between 2500 to 5000 rpm. Linger in this sweet spot, and heads will get sucked into their leather buckets with each seamless upshift.