First Audi ABT RS7-R in North America

by Jason R. Sakurai

Published: December 16th, 2020

The first new ABT RS7-R Limited Edition version of the 2021 Audi RS 7 has been completed by GMP Performance in Mooresville, North Carolina, at their facility in Lake Norman.

This performance Sportback joins an exclusive club of just 125 units worldwide from ABT. The RS7-R has an abundance of carbon fiber body parts to enhance the already expressive Sportback design. The ABT front lip with side blades, front lip extension with red RS7-R logo, and an ABT grille create a striking appearance. Fender inserts with a carbon fiber fin, 1 of 125 ABT logo badges, and rocker panel additions blend in with the car’s sleek lines.

Carbon-fiber parts on the rear of the car include a trunk spoiler, diffuser, and glossy black rear bumper inserts with a carbon-fiber fin. Part of the kit is a resounding ABT muffler system consisting of a middle muffler replacement pipe, and a rear muffler with double carbon fiber exhaust bezels.

The limited quantity of the RS7-R is noted throughout the car, with several badges and logos in the interior, such as door sills that mention this is 1 of 125 units, a badge on the dashboard, and a carbon-fiber shift knob cover. The very first ABT RS7-R in North America takes on the road with ABT GR 22-inch wheels in glossy black.

The RS 7’s engine is a turbocharged 32-valve DOHC 4.0-liter V8 that produces 591 horsepower and 590 lb-ft of torque. An eight-speed Tiptronic automatic transmission connects the Quattro rear differential through Quattro all-wheel drive. A stock RS 7 can go from 0-60 in 3.5 seconds, and its top speed is 174 MPH, or an unrestricted 190 MPH when equipped with ceramic brakes.

ABT is a leading tuner of Audis and VWs. Since 1986, the company has competed in the German Touring Car Masters and other series, while providing European quality aftermarket products for street cars. Sold in more than 50 countries, in North America ABT is based in Miami, Florida, to cater to the needs of car enthusiasts in the US, Canada, and Mexico.

With the base price of the RS 7 starting at $114,000, ABT also offers their optional Power Upgrade for the RS 7, which boosts the performance to 690 HP and 649 lb-ft. Who else wants one?

[Images: GMP Performance, ABT North America]

#ABT #Audi #European #German #RS7 #RS7-R

Jason R. Sakurai

With a father who owned a dealership, I literally grew up in the business. After college, I worked for GM, Nissan and Mazda, writing articles for automotive enthusiast magazines as a side gig. I discovered you could make a living selling ad space at Four Wheeler magazine, before I moved on to selling TV for the National Hot Rod Association. After that, I started Roadhouse, a marketing, advertising and PR firm dedicated to the automotive, outdoor/apparel, and entertainment industries. Through the years, I continued writing, shooting, and editing. It keep things interesting.

More by Jason R. Sakurai

Comments

Join the conversation

3 of 6 comments

Flipper35 on Dec 17, 2020

Whats the deal with the two tone in pic 2?

Like Reply
- Rnaboz on Dec 17, 2020
  
  I think that it is just dark gray, the light above is making the hood lighter gray. there does appear to be darker gray stripes, like spider web.
  
  Like
Inside Looking Out on Dec 17, 2020

Is it a new Camry?

Like Reply

Recent Comments

Jbltg Had a rental like this once, stock of course. NYC to Vermont. Very smooth and quiet, amazing fuel economy. Not the best for interior space though. Back seat and trunk barely usable.
MKizzy I suppose this means most GM rentals will be Trailblazers and/or Traxes with Encore GX's and Envistas considered an upgrade.GM stopped trying with the Malibu years ago and was merely waiting for its opportunity to swing the axe. Any U.S. sedan GM introduces in the future will probably come from China barring a trade war escalation. At least the plant producing the Malibu it won't close; at least not until GM finds a way to move production of the next Bolt across the border or offshore without touching the UAW third rail.
OA5599 Yes, I will miss it because it is the demise of another sedan. We need people driving sedans instead of dangerous SUV's and unsafe monster-sized pickups. That is, dangerous and unsafe to pedestrians and those in sedans on the receiving end of being t-boned by SUV's and pickups.
EngineerfromBaja_1990 When I was in the market for a new car back in 2015 I test drove one of these, a base, facelifted 4dr sedan. The 5spd manual made a lot of difference, couldn't believe you could have that much fun and decent acceleration from a $16K MSRP car.
Slavuta Nah. the only interesting part is when they replace tires. If I want to see crashes, I can go to youtube and watch dashcam videos