autoevolution
 

ABT Helps Audi SQ8 Discover Its True Potential

In our day and age, it goes without saying the revered magicians over at ABT Sportsline are your go-to guys when it comes to spicing things up inside your precious Audi’s engine bay. I’ve said it before and I will say it again; the Kempten-based tuner certainly isn’t playing around!
Audi SQ8 9 photos
Photo: ABT Sportsline
Audi SQ8Audi SQ8Audi SQ8Audi SQ8Audi SQ8Audi SQ8Audi SQ8Audi SQ8
In fact, instead of listing all the models you’ll find under this firm’s roof, it’d be a hell of a lot easier to name the Audis that aren’t housed in ABT’s inventory.

Not only do they go about developing some feral performance enhancement modules, the German auto gurus also specialize in sculpting majestic body kits that’ll have your ride looking seriously rad. I mean, you’ve got to add some sexy visual pizzazz to complement that extra oomph, right?

Over the years, we explored a plethora of staggering four-wheeled masterpieces found in ABT’s almighty range, such as their RS4 Avant-based venture and a downright monstrous RS Q8 with no less than 730 hp on tap, to name a couple. Long story short, there’s some surreal mechanical wizardry at hand here.

Audi SQ8
Photo: ABT Sportsline
Sure enough, not even Ingolstadt’s SQ8 TDI escaped this tuner’s swarm of aftermarket steroids. Don’t get me wrong, though; this ferocious SUV doesn’t necessarily need any sort of upgrades to make gearheads weak at the knees. On the contrary, it is a drool-worthy piece of machinery straight out of the box.

This bad boy is put in motion by a mild hybrid 4.0-liter turbodiesel V8 leviathan that’ll happily produce as much as 435 hp. On the other hand, the engine is good for up to 664 pound-feet (900 Nm) of fierce twisting force at optimal revs.

An eight-speed automatic transmission is tasked with feeding the mill’s ruthless power to each and every one of SQ8’s hoops by means of a Quattro all-wheel-drive system. Ultimately, this whole shebang leads to a staggering 0-62 mph (0-100 kph) acceleration time of no more than 4.8 seconds.

Suspension duties are taken good care of by a multi-link setup on both ends. The beast crawls on a set of 21-inch aluminum wheels that wear disc brakes on all four sides. Last but not least, its wheelbase measures just under 118 inches (2,995 mm).

Audi SQ8
Photo: ABT Sportsline
As to ABT Sportsline’s aftermarket magic, the very first feature you’ll notice is a vicious body kit that keeps thing looking sinister. At the front, you will find a menacing splitter, which contributes to improved aerodynamics by creating an additional air inlet.

On the opposite end, the tuner installed a roof-mounted spoiler and tweaked the rear fascia to achieve a meaner aesthetic. Customers are able to pick between four sets of custom wheels, their diameters ranging from 22 to 23 inches. Needless to say, these hoops do a sweet job at making it all come together as a complete package.

Last but not least, the tuner massaged the turbodiesel V8 to extract its true potential. As such, the 4.0-liter animal is perfectly capable of delivering up to 503 unholy ponies and 715 pound-feet (970 Nm) of twist. This will have the SQ8 accelerate 0-62 mph in just 4.6 seconds.

And that concludes it, my fellow petrolheads. What’s the next machine in Audi’s lineup you’d like to see tuned by ABT?
If you liked the article, please follow us:  Google News icon Google News Youtube Instagram X (Twitter)
About the author: Silvian Secara
Silvian Secara profile photo

A bit of an artist himself, Silvian sees two- and four-wheeled machines as a form of art, especially restomods and custom rides. Oh, and if you come across a cafe racer article on our website, it’s most likely his doing.
Full profile

 

Would you like AUTOEVOLUTION to send you notifications?

You will only receive our top stories