First Audi ABT RS7-R in North America

Jason R. Sakurai
by Jason R. Sakurai

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]

Jason R. Sakurai
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.

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  • IBx1 “Dare to live more”-company that went from making the Countach and Diablo to an Audi crossover with an Audi engine and only pathetic automatic garabge ”live mas”-taco bell
  • Pianoboy57 Not buying one of these new when I was a young guy was a big regret. I hated the job I had then so didn't want to commit to payments. I did own a '74 Corona SR later for a short time.
  • FreedMike This wasn’t unpredictable. Despite what the eV HaTerZ kLuBB would like you to believe, EV sales are still going up, just not as quickly as they had been, but Tesla’s market share is down dramatically. That’s the result of what I’ve been saying for a long time: that the competition would eventually start catching up, and that’s exactly what’s happening. How did this happen? It boils down to this: we’re not back in 2019 anymore. Back then, if you wanted an EV that wasn’t a dorky looking ecomobile like a Leaf or Bolt, it was pretty much Tesla or bust, and buyers had to deal with all the endemic Tesla issues (build quality problems, bizarre ergonomics, weird styling, and so forth). That’s not the case today – there is a ton of competition, and while these newer models aren’t quite there when it comes to EV tech, they’re getting closer, and most of the Tesla weirdness just doesn’t apply. And then there’s this: stale product is the kiss of death in the car biz, and aside from the vanity project known as Cybertruck, all of Tesla’s stuff is old now. It’s not as “bleeding edge” as it used to be. For a company that made its’ bones on being on the forefront of tech, that’s a big problem.I don’t think Tesla is out of the game – not by a long shot. They’re still the market leader by a very wide margin, and their EV tech is the best in the game. But they need to stop focusing on stuff like the Cybertruck (technically fascinating, but it’s clearly an Elon Musk ego trip), the money/talent suck that is FSD, and the whole robotaxi thing, and put product first. At a minimum, everything they sell needs a very heavy refresh, and the entry level EV is a must.
  • OA5599 Been there, done that--Fordlandia.
  • MaintenanceCosts I love urban condos, but the idea of sharing an association with 50 Aston owners makes me break out in hives.
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