In the light of recent Abt Sportsline announcement that it will bring a number of power upgrades specifically tailored for Audi and Volkswagen vehicles to the U.S. car market, I am giving you a list of awesome Abt Sportsline tuned cars. Only the ones they tuned over the past couple of months. These will prove just how effective Abt Sportsline is with its modifications, and it will give you a glimpse into what this company is capable of. After all, Abt Tuning roots can be dated all the way back to 1967. Granted, the work they do usually circles around an ECU remap but, every once in a while, Abt Sportsline takes things to a whole new level. To a level of reinventing an entire tuning principle, just like they did with the Audi RS6-E Prototype revealed only a few weeks ago.

Audi RS6-E Prototype

I reported earlier that this may well be the most important tuning project of this generation. See, Daniel Abt, a gearhead, a Formula E driver, and a guy who tunes cars managed to make a hybrid Audi RS6 with his team. It is the first Audi RS6 hybrid ever, and the electric engine inside was not installed to improve fuel efficiency or lower harmful particle emissions. It was installed to make the RS6 as fast as possible. The results are quite amazing as Abt first tuned up the 4.0-liter in the RS6 to 695 horsepower, then mated an electric motor good for 284 horsepower and 234 pound-feet of torque to the transmission. This way, the combined power output surged to astonishing 1,004 horsepower.

That's more than what you’d get in a Bugatti Veyron. With 13.6 kWh batteries, the electric motor can be activated only above 62 mph. Not below, as the power could smash the transmission to pieces.

Although just a prototype, Abt Sportsline will most definitely do all it needs to do to create a basis and a platform for electric motor installation. Imagine scaling this down and, say, installing a new electric motor with 150 or so horsepower in a Golf R or something like that.

Read our full review on the 2018 Audi RS6-E Hybrid Concept by ABT.

Audi RS3 Edelweiss and Audi RS3 Sedan Abt

Based around the same architecture, the RS Sportback and the RS3 Sedan received much the same upgrades from Abt. Not only did Abt form a fantastic ECU remap for the 2.5-liter, five-cylinder engine, but they contributed to the power with a number of hardware updates. After installing what is called the ABT Engine Control (AEC) unit, Abt Sportsline managed to integrate an Abt designed intercooler and an all-new Abt stainless-steel exhaust system. The Abt Engine Control Unit alone will increase power output from 400 horsepower to 460 horsepower. Add the hardware and the power surges to 500 horsepower and 420 pound-feet of torque. Now, these are some serious numbers for a car like the RS3. The Edelweiss and the RS3 Sedan also received a subtle body-kit package as well as 20-inch wheels. With all the improvements, these machines can tackle the 60 mph challenge in 3.7 seconds and reach a top speed of 186 mph.

Remember, I am talking about compact cars here.

Read our full review on the 2018 Audi RS3 By ABT Sportsline.

Audi A7 55 3.0 TFSI

An Abt Engine Control Unit landed on this one as well. The 3.0-liter, turbocharged, six-cylinder engine with 340 horsepower is no slouch, but a short Abt Sportsline ECU job will release untamed potential easily to send power as high as 425 horsepower and 406 pound-feet of torque. Honestly, with such simple remaps one could ask just how far the turbocharged petrol engines can be tuned. Only two decades ago, having this much power from a three-liter was incredible. Now, it’s almost mandatory.

Nevertheless, Abt rigged the A7 with fine 22-inch wheels. If you ask me, they are a bit too big for the Audi A7. Abt even offers a 36-month warranty on its Abt Engine Control Unit job taking all the tuning prospects to a whole new level of sophistication. While this A7 hasn’t been garnished with exterior mods (except these wheels), or some hardware engine upgrades, Abt does have them in store.

VW T6 Bulli Bigfoot

No, we do not have this one here, and all of us should be ashamed because of that. The Volkswagen T6 is one of the best vans of this generation, but Volkswagen obviously figured out that Americans wouldn’t buy it in sufficient numbers and the T6 remained in Europe. That does not mean that you cannot read about this exceptional Bulli Bigfoot tuned by Abt Sportsline. As with many other cars on this list, its 2.0-liter TSI or BiTDI received an Abt Engine Control Unit. It seems that I could call it Abt Engine Magic Unit as well. For the petrol engine, it increased power output to 240 horsepower. For the diesel, the power is at 235 horsepower.

Honestly, if you ever drove any of these “chipped out” TDIs you’d fall in love with all the torque that suddenly surges above 2,000 rpm. I am sure this Abt tuned T6 can give the same thrills. Nevertheless, the car here gained a number of other features including a coilover suspension and a full exterior body-kit. It includes things like “front skirt, new front grille details, side skirts for short or long wheelbase, a rear skirt set, new rear muffler, and even a rear wing.”

Seat Leon Cupra 300 ST Carbon Edition

Only days ago I wrote this: “For me, the Seat Leon Cupra 300, or the more hardcore Leon Cupra R, are possibly the epitomes of what a hot hatch truly is. They are not as expensive as many of the other hot hatches, yet the Leon Cupra offers staggering performance with its 306-horsepower, 2.0-liter, engine.”

Then, I saw that Abt released this gem - a tricked-out version of the Seat Leon Cupra 300 ST Carbon Edition, which benefited from the most intensive ECU tuning program Abt ever developed for the 2.0-liter TSI. In this case, the engine has been lifted to a staggering 370 horsepower. Aside from that, Seat offers a comprehensive tuning program with a new less restricted catalyst, coilovers and suspension upgrades, new wheels and new exhausts. This one here is a special one. It is a Carbon Edition, only 300 of which have been produced.

Conclusion

Sure, you can find a multitude of other tuners, from Germany, or elsewhere, that will have some more exaggerated results with their tuning efforts. However, the thing about Abt Sportsline is that they don’t go overboard with power, or with exterior additions. If I didn't know better, I would not be shocked to find out sometime in the future that Abt has become close to an in-house tuner of the Volkswagen Group vehicles. You know, similar to what Alpine is for BMW, or what Lister wants to become for Jaguar. All in all, the cars I revealed here appeared at one point in the past two months. Abt works their magic every day on a new Volkswagen Group car. Now with the Abt Engine Control Unit, their work has become even easier. Out of all the cars here, I find the T6 Bulli awesome and that RS6-E simply incredible.