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Essen 2013: VW Golf 7 GTI Dark Edition by ABT

It's a lesser known secret of the VW world that while the Golf R is faster, the Scirocco R is a bit more engaging. Of course, the new R, the Mk7, should be better than ever, but why not have a 300 PS Golf hot hatch without the 4Motion and its added weight?
Essen 2013: VW Golf 7 GTI Dark Edition by ABT 9 photos
Photo: Stefan Baldauf
Essen 2013: VW Golf 7 GTI Dark Edition by ABTEssen 2013: VW Golf 7 GTI Dark Edition by ABTEssen 2013: VW Golf 7 GTI Dark Edition by ABTEssen 2013: VW Golf 7 GTI Dark Edition by ABTEssen 2013: VW Golf 7 GTI Dark Edition by ABTEssen 2013: VW Golf 7 GTI Dark Edition by ABTEssen 2013: VW Golf 7 GTI Dark Edition by ABTEssen 2013: VW Golf 7 GTI Dark Edition by ABT
Volkswagen won't do it, but tuner ABT will and in fact it's already been done. The engine mod has been available for a few months now and to bring out the best of what's on offer, they've created a new body kit as well.

Considering the 230 horsepower Golf GTI and the 300 horsepower Golf R share many components though their EA888-family 2-liter turbo engines, the result of this tuning project is predictable. Performance-wise, the hot hatch is now capable of sprinting from 0 to 100 km/h in 5.8 seconds and reaching a top speed of 258 km/h.

At the Essen Motor Show, this was presented under the guise of the Dark Edition, with a metallic flake paintjob, 10-spoke gloss black wheels, a whole bunch of spoilers and diffusers plus lowered suspension.

The dark treatments covers the taillights, mirror caps and headlights. This ABT package also comprises side skirts, front spoiler and front skirt, the trunk lid attachment and a rear skirt set with a four-pipe that fool you into thinking this is the R.

To ensure those 300 German ponies are well dealt with, the ABT Golf VII GTI "Dark" uses 20-inch wheels shod in 235/30 R20 high-performance tires. New sport stabilizers and above all the intelligent ABT height adjustable suspension kit ensure sweet handling in the corners.

“After all, the GTI has always been part of the family. We have always teased out the best performance from all its generations,” says Hans-Jürgen Abt.

Our verdict: Nobody will mess with this Golf any more, not even some BMWs. It's a nighttime racing machine.
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About the author: Mihnea Radu
Mihnea Radu profile photo

Mihnea's favorite cars have already been built, the so-called modern classics from the '80s and '90s. He also loves local car culture from all over the world, so don't be surprised to see him getting excited about weird Japanese imports, low-rider VWs out of Germany, replicas from Russia or LS swaps down in Florida.
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