Super sports cars are an exciting and highly emotional world of their own. Only racing cars can give you even more goosebumps. With the XGT, ABT Sportsline combines the two worlds into a total work of art: 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,” Hans-Jürgen Abt proudly explains. Because it was not easy to get the GT2 racing car on the road – the motorsport requirements and road traffic are too far apart.
“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. Biermaier and Scherer had been harboring the dream of tackling such a project for some time. Now things were getting serious: “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. Now 99 rolling chassis are waiting to be hand-built into one-offs according to customer specifications.
Anyone who has always dreamed of sitting behind the wheel of a real racing car will get their money’s worth in the ABT XGT. Because the XGT is steered with a steering wheel specially made for the racing version. The technical modifications in the areas of thermal management, software and the highly complex vehicle diagnostics system have been carefully implemented 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. At the same time, the special exhaust system including aftertreatment components had to fulfil the KBA’s emission specifications. Of course, the focus was also on safety: a complete XGT vehicle was used in the demanding side and front crash tests and all KBA specifications regarding brakes and noise levels were met in extensive tests.
In addition to the extensive road tests, there was another maxim in the development of the ABT XGT: as much racetrack feeling as possible. To this end, the XGT completed thousands of kilometers on the Nürburgring Nordschleife, the Sachsenring, and the Hockenheimring to find the perfect setup. In addition to DTM driver Kelvin van der Linde, DTM driver and Scherer brand ambassador Ricardo Feller – both of whom will also be racing for ABT in 2024 – ABT Motorsport Director Martin Tomczyk and racing driver and Scherer brand ambassador Frank Stippler were also used as development drivers.
Their unsurprising conclusion: “The road handling, steering behavior and acceleration cannot be compared with any road car”. Thanks to the dual-adjustable suspension with modified springs, ambitious drivers have the opportunity to find their perfect setup for every racetrack.
Scherer Sport is the exclusive distributor and service provider for the XGT. This cooperation is based on a long-standing partnership and a shared passion for motorsport, which is why it was only natural to bring this unique project to the road together. Customers can choose from four different color concepts; individual solutions and variants are possible thanks to the handcrafted implementation. The price of the ABT XGT starts at 598,000 euros incl. VAT.
Anyone who wants to see the unique ABT XGT in the flesh: In Mainz, about 20 minutes from Frankfurt Airport, the ABT showroom of Scherer Sport will open its doors on November 23. In addition to the Star XGT, other ABT special models will be on display there. Additionally, the XGT will, of course, also be showcased at ABT Sportsline in Kempten.
