ABT is well known for applying its special treatment to Audi and VW products. You can check out one of its wild Audi creations at this link. When it comes to VWs ABT has been at it since the very first generation of Golf GTIs debuted. Its first was the white Mk1 GTI as pictured above. Today the company works its magic on the Mk8 iteration of the Golf, as feature is the range-leading ABT Golf R.

Follow Double Apex on Facebook and Instagram, where we share more car content.

Order from our online store and take advantage of free delivery in South Africa on orders over R349.

Plenty of options

The ABT Golf R is just the top of the food chain when it comes to modded Mk8s. The company offers its own ECU, called the ABT Engine Control (AEC) to boost power levels in the various GTI derivatives and even the diesel-fed GTD. 

Watch a Golf R drag race a Merc-AMG A45S in this video.

In stock form the Mk8 Golf R produces 235 kW of power and 420 N.m of torque from its turbocharged 2,0-litre inline four. As with all R versions before it, the latest generation puts down its power through all four wheels. The ABT Golf R benefits from the AEC as well as a bespoke exhaust system. The end result is 282 kW of peak power and 470 N.m of torque. Those numbers are bound to drop the Golf R’s claimed acceleration times, which have already proven to be somewhat conservative, as you can see by clicking here. 

Check out the world’s fastest Mk2 Golf at this link.

The ABT Golf R rides on 19-inch ER-C alloys in matt black and they offer a size larger for those who wish. Soon enough the company will also offer a set of springs to drop the ride height of the potent hatch. Read more about the standard Golf R by clicking here.