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German tuner ABT (ABT tunes only Audis, VWs, Seats and Skodas) have come up with their own tuned version of the new ABT Volkswagen Golf GTi Mark VI. ABT has been making pocket rockets out of the hatches coming out of VW’s family. The GTi, which is already an extreme machine, has been given a thorough makeover. A look at the picture will tell you the 300 horse story.

The standard GTi makes a mere 210 bhp (154 kW) which many people were not too happy with. So ABT have gone on and added 50 bhp to a total of 260 bhp (191 kW) using optimised engine management tuning called ABT POWER. Well if you still find it sober and slow, you can get yourself a hotter more powerful Gti with 300 bhp (That’s as much as a rally car but only through the front wheels!). Such raw power from the 2.0l TSI comes courtesy some powerful compression from the special “Made in Kempten” turbocharger.

As a result of all this power, performance is very strong with the Golf hitting 100 km/h in 6 seconds. To handle all that power, ABT has given the Gti new springs and thus lowers the GTi’s centre of gravity by 30mm. This should go some way in tightening the handling. The chassis tuning and setting has been done by Christian Abt which ABT reckons is particularly good on winding roads. We are not quite sure if the front wheels can handle all that power and the enormous torque steer.

The visual part is striking. The front is much more agressive than the normal model which coupled with black paint and red stripes look stunning. The Ferrari California style vertically stacked twin tail-pipes are particularly appealing. Well, this is one GTi that definitely screams about the power under the bonnet. The front bumper is more agressive with wider inlets, probably to cool the massive intercooler and a splitter. It also features LED daytime running lamps. The side skirts round off into a diffuser at the rear. Rear spoiler and rear apron superstructure, side mouldings, front grill and apron as well as the 4-pipe exhaust system form one unit. The exteriors are uplifted by one major factor – the attention to detail. Every piece, on closer examination reveals intricate work which is highlighted by the addition of red paint. Even the masive alloy wheels have them!

The interiors are no different with everything from door panels to the dials to the floor mats being given matching red pin striping. If one could recount, this GTi comes on ABT’s anniversary this year, a firm that’s just been doing this work for over 5 decades! ABT and GTi share their history way back from 1976 (that’s 33 years in all!), so ABT know the Golf like their child and expect the best from ABT, especially for the GTi.

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ABT Volkswagen Golf GTi at the 2008 Essen Motor Show in Germany

[Source: Tuning News]