ABT Conjures Up a 620 Horsepower AS8

TheAudi S8is known for its aggressive styling and impressive performance. German tuning firm ABT Sportsline sawAudi's best sedanas a perfect place to begin their latest aftermarket project and the end result is one staggeringly powerful, as they call it, "sports-car limo." Though ABT doesn't get into the particulars of their modifications for what they now call the AS8, they do say that they have cranked up the 4.0-liter twin-turbocharged V8 engine substantially.

Output has been boosted from a respectable 512 horsepower and 480 pound-feet of torque to an even more impressive 620 horsepower and 572 pound-feet. The huge power package impacts performance greatly, as the AS8 now runs from 0-62mph in only 4.0 seconds, down from a former time of 4.2 seconds. ABT says it can reach 124mph in only 13 seconds and tops out at an electronically-limited 180mph. "For us, the new AS8 is the best of both worlds, that is, the best in terms of both comfort and acceleration and agility," says ABT managing director Hans-Jurgen Abt.