ABT VW Touareg (2003)

With the Abt Touareg Abt Sportsline has devoted itself to an all-terrain vehicle for the first time. Exactly two years ago the exceptional off-roader in Abt look celebrated its premier. In the meantime the first ideas have been realized into an extensive tuning programme including power upgrade and body parts for the upper class all-rounder. The Abt Touareg VS10 conquers terrain and motor ways with more than 370 HP, high quality suspension technology under the body shell und a fascinating optical package.

Basis for the engineers of Abt Sportsline was the 10-cylinder Diesel engine. In serial condition the power unit with a five litre capacity already disposed of 230 kW (313 HP). After modifying the electronic motor management the Abt Touareg accelerates from 0 - 100 km/h in just over seven seconds, speeds to 240 km/h and releases a power of 274 kW (373 HP). The torque increases to incredible 860 Nm at 2000 rpm. At the same time the engine inherits a considerably improved response behaviour which in equal measures convinces on motor ways and terrain. Abt Sportsline offers a power upgrade from 174 HP to 195 HP (128 kW to 143 kW) for the R5 TDI, the 3.0 TDI power unit is boosted from 225 HP to 265 HP (165 to 195 kW). The Abt sport brake system on the front axis grants the necessary safety with so much power.

Confessing fan of the Abt Touareg VS10 for example is RTL-moderator Sonja Zietlow. She read a test report about the sporty all-rounder and immediately picked up the phone and only a few weeks later was able to admire her new Abt Touareg in Kempten. "It's the ideal car: looks great, has power and lots of space for my two dogs. And even a whole golf bag fits into the boot";, says Sonja Zietlow who has just come back from the Australian jungle and the TV show "I'm a celebrity - Get me out of here".

Best technology - especially the newly developed Abt Level Control (ALC) with which it is possible to combine perfect cross-country mobility and optically appealing lowering stands for this motto. During standstill a lowering of up to 60 millimetres is possible and thus offers a perfect optics. In order to achieve an optimal balance between comfort and dynamics while driving, the vehicle is raised to a lowering level of approximately 30 millimetres. Sporty ambitioned drivers can lower the Touareg by a further 10 millimetres with the adjustment "Sport" and at the same time a tighter damper set-up is provoked.

Great attention of the designers was put on the car body shell of the so-called Sport Utility Vehicle (SUV). Beside front grill, front and rear skirt as well as a discreet rear wing, they also developed wheel arch extensions which even more emphasize the dynamics of the Touareg. The last glance of the viewers lies on the Abt rear muffler with its four pipes.

Instead of the standard 18-inch wheels, Abt offers 19 and 22 inch sport wheels. In Essen the Abt version of the Touareg is equipped with sport wheels in the size 10 x 22 inch inclusive ContiSportContact tyres.