Time moves fast at Abt when there are turbos to be tuned. Just last month it debuted its new take on the Audi SQ8; thanks to an Abt Power S upgrade, it was producing 650hp - more even than the Nurburgring record-breaking RS Q8 Performance. Now, already, it can significantly best that power figure again, with a 700hp, 642lb ft Abt SQ8.
As well as an ECU interrogation that now qualifies for Abt Power R status, the Q8 benefits from a superior intercooler and revisions to the intakes. Cooler air going into and out of the engine is always going to help out a heavily turbocharged engine. Abt hasn’t confirmed what improvements have been made in acceleration over standard (previously 0-62mph was 4.1 seconds), though this is surely going to be a meaningfully faster SQ8 across the board. And it wasn’t exactly slow to start with, thanks to 507hp and 568lb ft.
For those who need a car to look fast as well as go fast, Abt has them covered. Check out the 23-inch wheels, larger quad exhausts and new aero parts for ‘an uncompromising symbiosis of performance and design.’ Enough to make an RS look almost discreet. Perhaps most interesting is the addition of ALC, or Abt Level Control, which allows for more tweaking of the air suspension. It includes something called a Coffee mode, which is essentially for showing off at meets and drops the car another 10mm lower than the lowest level (which is -25mm) at speeds of less than 3mph. A mid-way minus 15mm setting is also offered. Inside the SQ8, there’s added Abt goodness in the form of a branded wheel, start-stop switch and gear knob. There are even Abt floor mats and entry lights, should you or anybody else onboard ever forget this Q8’s special status.
It’s probably fair to say that this SQ8 is unmistakably Abt; a familiar raft of modifications that ought to find favour with those already keen on its work. Gotta give the people what they want, right? The entire package is available to order now (it’s not clear whether anything will be offered individually), with an RRP of €35k, or a smidge under £30,000. Big money, then, but Abt is offering pretty big power. And this 2024 SQ8 already has more than £25,000 off its new price - that’s 700hp almost paid for itself already…
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