The XGT combines two worlds: born as a thoroughbred GT2 vehicle, the DTM racing team and vehicle tuner created the most exclusive vehicle that has ever left the ABT factory in Kempten in a two-year, extremely complex development process. With 640 hp at 1,400 kg, a limited edition of 99 units and the simply breathtaking look of a racing machine, the road-legal racer is aimed at sporty drivers and motorsport enthusiasts. This uniqueness gives the XGT a special appeal that will also delight collectors.
As a traditional racing team, ABT Sportsline has contested more than 300 races in the DTM since 2000, achieved dozens of individual victories and over 250 podium finishes and is currently the most successful active DTM team. The best prerequisites for an ambitious project like the XGT. But it is more than just a project: “It was the challenge itself that spurred us on to develop this unique complete vehicle. The XGT is the quintessence of our heritage,” explains Hans-Jürgen Abt. Because it was not easy to get the GT2 racing car on the road – the requirements of motorsport and road traffic are too far apart. Actually.
“Two highly intensive years have passed from the idea to completion,” says ABT Sportsline Managing Director Thomas Biermaier, who came up with the idea for the XGT together with Ernst Christian Scherer, Managing Director of Scherer Sport, after an exciting and successful race. They had been harbouring the dream of tackling such a project for some time. “Our engineers and mechanics had some tough challenges to overcome.” With around 40 individual approvals, the months-long approval process went beyond the scope of conventional vehicle development. The highlight: visually, the road-going version differs only marginally from the Audi R8 LMS GT2 racing car. The XGT is not a super sports car with a racing look, it is a road-legal racing car.
The technical modifications in the areas of thermal management, software and the highly complex vehicle diagnostics system have been carefully implemented in order to preserve the character of the racing car. For everyday usability, the fuelling system from the series was integrated, the instrument cluster was modified for civilian use, and the handbrake, central locking and even a reversing camera and immobilizer were added.
The control panel was adapted to road use and controls the electrically adjustable exterior mirrors, air conditioning and indicators.
