Special Feature - Audi ABT AS5 Sportback

This isn't my first encounter with a German sled hopped up with ABT parts. It was barely five months ago that Autovox sent me knee-deep into depression after I spent an entire day in an ABT tuned Mk6 Golf GTI. No, don't get me wrong. The Golf wasn't bad. Not at all. It was specifically because it was anything but that drove me to madness the next couple days cause of how much I wanted one.

Naturally, I could hardly contain myself when Brighid, Autovox's Marketing Manager, rang me up with an invitation to review their latest ABT tuned Audi A5 Sportback. Of course my reply was an over exuberant (bordering on juvenile) "Hell yeah!".

You'll have to excuse my seemingly unprofessional outburst of emotion. My exuberance stems from my lengthy love affair with most things Audi. Of course my love for 911s still casts a deeper and wider gorge in my heart but Audi's long history of motoring greatness has me pretty smitten too. It all started after a close friend of mine bought himself a standard B7 Audi A4 1.8T and turned it into a sinister looking Bahn cruncher within a year.

Audis for me are a refreshing breakaway from the staid design of other German rivals. It seems that the design language of nearly every Audi in the range is heavily influenced by the elements of power and performance.

The muscular lines belie a caged beast under its white collared exterior. It is a fine balance of power and elegance with a bias towards the former.

Keeping that balance when tuning a car like the A5 Sportback requires great restraint and understanding of the market you're aiming for. Improving upon a car like the Sportback is much different from your run of the mill import models. Lest you end up with a garish looking Audi that would cause Ingolstadt designers to drop dead from the desecration of their work. Rather than slapping on random go-faster bits like what so many of the local import tuners do, ABT approaches the project with thorough research and fore planning. In which the end result is as much a compliment to the Audi designers as it is for ABT's design team.

Brilliance in perfection

The A5's powerful muscular lines have been improved with subtle changes using ABT's body-styling bits. In the front, the A5's once smooth and unassuming front end has been replaced with ABT's slightly edgier looking front skirt. The large mesh grilled intakes and splitter have combined to give the car in front of you a more menacing image to contend with. This pants-wetting aura is further accentuated with Audi's built-in daytime running lights.

The front fenders too weren't spared the ABT treatment. A small portion of the panels were cut out for the fender inserts. This goes to show ABT's seriousness on form and function. You won't find any of those stickered on nonsense here.

In the rear, a skirt insert has been added to the stock bumper with nacelles for the LTA approved chrome quad tailpipes. These quad pipes have given the bombproof 2.0-litre heart a much livelier grunt when you mash that throttle.

Of course with such a powerful exterior, the AS5 deserves an equally impressive set of alloys. This tricked out bahn-storming machine rides on 20 inch ABT BR Special Edition diamond cut wheels. These alloys have been diamond machined with alternate spokes finished in matt black to add to the Audi's sinister road presence. In keeping with ABT's seriousness with function, the spokes on these beautiful alloys do serve a practical purpose too. The spokes are designed to improve brake cooling efficiency as you drive along.

Here comes the storm

Having chiselled the Sportback's powerful looks further, ABT moved on to its heart. In factory form, the 2.0-litre TFSI powerplant churns out 211bhp supported with 350Nm of torque. I tested the stock A5 Sportback some time ago and found the drive a lot more engaging compared to other German mid-size sedans. The sportiness of the Audi's coupe underpinnings were unmistakable. But despite that, there was a nagging feeling at the back of my head that told me this car was capable of so much more.

I guess that it is with the same sentiments that the ABT tuning wizards approached the Sportback. After an ECU re-flash, the A5 Sportback has suddenly been availed with 64 more ponies and 40Nm more torque. The new power figures now stand at 275bhp with 390Nm of torque. After the remap, the drive in the Sportback has raised the thrill level up several notches. What was most obvious to me was the new found agility of the AS5 which is contributed by the torque being spread more evenly over the rev range. Combined with the quad exhaust, the drive with the new found power now has a soundtrack similar to that of VW's latest Golf R. That intoxicating 'pop' you get as you downshift through the gears before the apex makes you want to take the car further and faster.

Greater power comes with greater responsibility and in this case, the duty falls to the brakes that now sport larger vented rotors (at 345mm) than the original despite retaining the two piston setup. The ABT brake kit also includes steel-braided hoses that provide optimal braking pressure. During the drive, the firm and constant braking force provided by this setup was reassuring. Giving me the confidence to brake harder and later into a bend.

Conclusion

The ABT AS5 Sportback proves that you can still have an exhilarating drive without the garishness of an all out performance machine. The whole upgrade package does a great job of upping the thrill and performance levels without compromising on the elegance of its original design. This is definitely a performance machine that we could all look forward to. If we should be so lucky™

Oh bring on the madness™

Engine