ABT takes the Audi TT RS Roadster to its most radical level: 500 CV of power

Built for enjoyment. ABT raises the already generous horsepower of the Audi TT RS Roadster to reach 500 CV, 100 more reasons to stay in love with the roadster from the brand with the four rings. ABT Sportsline’s new upgrade thus produces the most powerful version built from the five-cylinder 2.5-litre engine of the Audi. After the tuning carried out by the German specialist, the engine now delivers 368 kW / 500 CV of maximum power and 570 Nm of torque, bringing even more driving pleasure and performance to the convertible.

If the “factory” version of the Audi TT RS was already among the top positions of the world’s fastest roadsters, now, with these additional 100 CV of power provided by ABT Sportsline’s upgrade, the time it takes to go from standstill to 100 km/h drops from 3.7 seconds to a mere 3.4 seconds.

To reassure anyone who may think the guys at ABT Sportsline are pushing the engine too hard, it was Hans-Jürgen Abt, the company’s managing director, who stepped in to reassure potential customers. “We always aim for the maximum in engine performance, but we never go beyond what is technically reasonable. Therefore, despite the high level of power achieved, there is no risk to the vehicle, and our customers have nothing to fear.”

In addition to the technical improvements introduced to the engine of the TT RS-R Roadster, ABT’s engineers have also optimised the exhaust system, now made entirely of stainless steel with double outlets at the rear, which give the model a vibrant and emotive sound that truly does justice to the increase in power achieved.

And alongside the technical improvements introduced—which ABT prefers to keep to itself—there are also significant visual changes to both the exterior and interior finish of the car. On the outside, it receives various carbon-fibre elements which, besides giving it a much more aggressive, elegant and sporty look, reduce the overall weight. Elements such as the new front spoiler, the grille and the aerodynamic profiles that redirect the air not captured by the new large front air intakes. Beneath the new grille, a new and exclusive frame displays, in red letters, the nomenclature identifying the model: TT RS-R.

In side view, it features new skirts in a distinctly sporty style with deflectors at the rear to channel air towards the wheels. These are fitted with very sporty ABT SPORT GR ten-spoke “V”-design alloy wheels, 20 inches in size, in “gloss black” and with diamond-cut finishes that make it clear the ABT RR RS-R Roadster is no ordinary vehicle.

For the interior, ABT has improved the seats with a more refined finish, with the TT RS-R legend engraved. The door opening lights are now ABT’s usual LED type and project the ABT TT RS-R logo onto the asphalt each time the doors open.

The extensive range of optional accessories from ABT Sportsline created for the Audi TT is also available for this version. For example, the catalogue includes an interior in leather and carbon, as well as various alloy wheels and sports stabilisers, and ABT Individual’s technical experts and designers are available to offer and integrate new solutions that allow even greater personalisation of the model.

The price and other specifications of the model will be revealed next September, during the model’s presentation at the Frankfurt Motor Show. We only know for now that just 50 exclusive units will be built.