As long as cars are built down to a price, or manufactured to fill a gap in the market, there will always be space for the aftermarket industry to get involved and help realise the cars full potential. That’s not say that Audi’s ‘bahn-storming’ RS4 Avant is made down to a price or should be recognised as anything less than an exemplary high-speed station wagon, but there will always be a margin for improvement.
Famed Audi and Volkswagen tuner, ABT Sportsline, has treaded carefully with its tuning of Audi’s super-wagon. Offering a mild performance upgrade and an almost imperceptible styling tweak, to give this ABT Sportsline Audi RS4 Avant what every Audi should have: great sleeper appeal.
The Audi RS4 Avant has arrived in South Africa for 2013 and when it was officially launched in Europe last autumn, Audi bequeathed it with 332 kW and 430 Nm of torque from its 4.2-litre naturally-breathing V8. ABT Sportsline has done nothing to the engine but they have removed the 250 km/h electronic speed limiter allowing it to now reach a maximum speed of 290 km/h.
ABT Sportline has also replaced the stock exhaust system with a new stainless-steel unit that provides a ‘loader roar’ to the 4.2-litres high-revving ‘purrr.’ This system replaces everything after the catalytic converter, for the crisper and raspier engine note.
The responsive V8 should still accelerate the RS4 Avant from zero to 100 km/h in around 4.7 seconds, while the engine combines its impressive power with impressive efficiency, consuming on average less than 11 L/100 km, assuming you’re not caning it everywhere.
They’ve given the car a new set of 20-inch two-tone, DR Design, alloy wheels that work with 25 mm spacers on each side to give it an even wider foot print on the road and a slightly more muscular look overall. On the inside, nothing is new aside from get ABT-branded floor mats for the foot wells, as well as the boot floor.
It’s not the most extensive tuning job we’ve ever seen ABT Sportsline undertake, however, for those looking for an imperceptibly subtle, yet aggressive ‘sleeper’ tuning pack for their Audi RS4 Avant, this ABT Sportsline may just be the ticket.
