Audi A8: Please welcome the ABT Sportsline AS8-R

ABT gets the Audi 4.2 V8 to threaten the 6.0 W12 and 5.2 V10.

When you can take a 4.2-liter 330-hp V8 that can get to 62 mph in just 6.3 seconds and presto, change it into a 443-hp V8 good for the same 62 mph in just 5.9 seconds, you have our attention. Torque also alters in the process, the stock V8 peaking at 317 lb-ft at 3500 rpm and the AS8-R stretching to 383 lb-ft between 4500 and 5600 rpm. The speed limiter was removed on our tester, so on the autobahn we saw 179 mph as opposed to the standard motor limited to 155 mph.

Chief culprit in the power/torque climb is the 6.5-psi supercharger and high-performance intercooler from ASA. With a centrifugal clutch mechanism that keeps things idle until the engine hits 1500 rpm, the unit isn’t leeching power and wasting energy before it is needed. Where you really feel the benefits is in that 4500-to-5600-rpm span where all 383 lb-ft of torque is available. Overtaking traffic was simple.

Though AS8-R torque is just below that of the 6.0-liter W12 also in the A8 and 5.2-liter V10 for the new S8, horsepower is the same. Plus, with a V8 instead of a V10 or a W-anything, there’s more space for modifications under the hood.

Related news: GermanCarBlog, P4MR, Audi A8, Abt AS8

Source: AutoWeek via GermanCarZone

Audi A8: Please welcome the ABT Sportsline AS8-R

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