Abt Sportsline is an auto racing and auto tuning company based in Kempten im Allgäu, Germany. Abt mainly deals with Audi and the related primary Volkswagen Group brands—Volkswagen, Škoda, and SEAT—modifying them by using sports-type suspensions, engine power upgrades, lightweight wheels, aerodynamic components and more. It has been active in DTM for more than a decade. After the death of their father Johann in 2003, the company with 170 employees in their headquarters in Kempten was run by the brothers Hans-Jürgen Abt (born 1962, Managing Director) and Christian Abt. Since 2011, Hans-Jürgen Abt has run the company.
From 2014 to 2021, they ran a team under the Audi Sport banner in the FIA Formula E World Championship for drivers Lucas di Grassi, Daniel Abt and René Rast. At the 2014 Beijing ePrix, di Grassi became the first driver to win an open-wheel motorsport race in an all-electric car. Ultimately, the team finished third in the first teams' championship. After leaving the championship in 2022, they returned without the Audi partnership for the 2022–23 season.
History Johann Abt (20 December 1935 – 11 October 2003) continued a horseshoeing and blacksmithing tradition of his family, started by his father Johann Baptist Abt, with motor cars. He was a motorcycling and hillclimbing racer for the Abarth factory team until 1970. He is the father of Hans-Jürgen Abt and Christian Abt. He later entered cars with his own team, winning the "Trophée de l'Avenir" and many other series. Johann Abt's father founded the first Abt company in 1896.
In 1991, Abt Sportsline GmbH was founded following "Auto-Abt". The headquarters moved to Daimlerstrasse in Kempten-Leubas and first offered about of space. In October 2002 an extension building was opened offering about extra of work space. Since November 2013 there is a third building giving the Abt Motorsports Department a new home.
In summer of 2011, Abt celebrated their 115th anniversary since the first formation of the company in 1896. About 170 employees are working in the company's headquarters in Kempten, Germany, the products are sold in more than 50 countries worldwide. Since 2011, the Abt Lifestyle GmbH, run by Daniel Abt, organizes events for private or business customers.
Motorsport
After participating in a motorcycle race the company's founder Johann Abt started his racing career and the motorsports career of the company in general. Today Abt Sportsline is one of the most successful motorsports teams and has won several championships in the most important German racing series, like the Super Touring Car Cup (1999), the Deutsche Tourenwagen Masters (DTM; titles in 2002, 2004, 2007, 2008, and 2009) and the ADAC GT Masters (titles in 2009 and 2010). Since 2004, Abt Sportsline is one of the official factory teams of Audi under the name of Audi Sport Team Abt Sportsline.
The most successful year in motorsports for Abt Sportsline was 2009, receiving honors in three racing series at once: the DTM with Timo Scheider, the ADAC GT Masters with Christian Abt and the ADAC Formel Masters with Daniel Abt. In 2013, Daniel Abt was active in the GP2 Series and – beginning in September 2014 – he joined Lucas di Grassi as the second driver in the FIA Formula E Championship, where Abt participated.
The German squad left Formula E after the 2020–21 season. In May 2022, Abt announced they would be returning to Formula E for the 2022–23 season with Cupra as Abt Cupra Formula E Team after a season away, sourcing powertrains from Mahindra Racing. In April 2024, it was reported that Abt Cupra's powertrain deal with Mahindra will end at the conclusion of the 2023–24 season and will be using Lola-Yamaha powertrains for the 2024–25 season onward. The team entered the season as Lola Yamaha Abt Formula E Team with Lola taking over Abt's Formula E entrants' licence. Abt ran the team operationally until the 2025–26 season.
Abt partnered with Cupra to enter the electric off-road racing series Extreme E as Abt Cupra XE in 2021. The team left the sport at the end of 2023 but are open to entering the new hydrogen-based off-road racing series Extreme H in 2025.
Aftermarket Abt has taken much of their racing knowledge and adapted it for the street, making the company a tuner for the full Volkswagen Group line of products.
Abt Sportsline has announced in 2015 that they are going to introduce their new tuning program for the European Volkswagen Passat at the Geneva Motor Show. While hosting the new Passat, their goal is to showcase a more aggressive kit that includes a front lip spoiler, revised side skirts, a tailgate-mounted spoiler, Abt-branded floor mats, 20- or 21-inch alloy wheels with Continental "sport-type" tires, optional mirror caps, sport springs and sports exhaust system, and a body kit that is more aerodynamic than the standard model.
Aesthetics aside, changes in the Passat's performance include limited yet different 2.0-liter TDI four-cylinder engine with the capacity to be tuned to produce – an increase of over the previous model.
Notable cars AS4-R – A highly modified B7 A4 Avant, the ASR-R makes use of the bi-turbo 2.7L V6 to produce at 6800 rpm, and of torque at 3300 rpm. Modified Luxury & Exotics magazine called the AS4-R, "a grocery getter that delivers," and said it, "handles like a toy..."Modified Luxury & Exotics RS4 Renaissance, PP. 88 to 94, By Colum Wood. Photos by Joost Demuynck. May 2007 TT-R – A supercharged second generation V6 Audi TT. R8-R – Not yet released, Abt's R8 will feature a supercharger mated to Audi's 4.2L V8 for a total horsepower output of . R8 GT R – A highly modified version of the Audi R8 V10 turning it into what Abt Sportsline calls a "motorsport champion for the road." The Abt R8 GT R features a tuned version of the 5.2-liter V10 engine, boosting the power from to . Many new exterior parts are made from carbon fiber, dropping the car's weight by . The interior features many modifications to make it more like a race car, including racing seats, a fire extinguisher, a 4-point seat belt, a rollover bar, and new steering wheel. Various other modifications make this a high performance road-legal race car.
Racing results
Formula E Year Chassis Powertrain Tyres No. Drivers1234567891011121314151617 Points Audi Sport Abt Formula E Team 2014–15 Spark SRT01-e SRT01-e BEI PUT PDE BUE MIA LBH MCO BER MSC LDN 165 3rd 11 Lucas di Grassi 1 2 3 Ret 9 3 2 DSQ 2 4 6 66 Daniel Abt 10 10 15 13† 3 15 Ret 14 5 Ret 11 Abt Schaeffler Audi Sport 2015–16 Spark SRT01-e ABT Schaeffler FE01 BEI PUT PDE BUE MEX LBH PAR BER LDN 221 2nd 11 Lucas di Grassi 2 1 2 3 DSQ 1 1 3 4 Ret 66 Daniel Abt 11 7 8 13 7 3 10 2 Ret 2 2016–17 Spark SRT01-e ABT Schaeffler FE02 HKG MRK BUE MEX MCO PAR BER NYC MTL 248 2nd 11 Lucas di Grassi 2 5 3 1 2 Ret 2 3 4 5 1 7 66 Daniel Abt Ret 6 7 7 7 13 6 4 14 Ret 4 6 Audi Sport Abt Schaeffler 2017–18 Spark SRT01-e Audi e-tron FE04 HKG MRK SCL MEX PDE RME PAR BER ZUR NYC 264 1st 1 Lucas di Grassi 17 14 Ret Ret 9 2 2 2 2 1 1 2 66 Daniel Abt 5 DSQ 10 Ret 1 144 7 1 13 2 3 2018–19 Spark SRT05e Audi e-tron FE05 ADR MRK SCL MEX HKG SYX RME PAR MCO BER BRN NYC 203 2nd 11 Lucas di Grassi 9 7 12 1 2 15† 7 4 Ret 1 9 5 18† 66 Daniel Abt 8 10 3 10 4 5 18† 3 15 6 6 6 5 2019–20 Spark SRT05e Audi e-tron FE06 DIRSCLMEXMRKBERBERBER 114 6th 11 Lucas di Grassi 13 2 7 6 7 8 3 8 6216 66 Daniel Abt Ret 6 14 Ret 14 René Rast 10 13 Ret 163G4 2020–21 Spark SRT05e Audi e-tron FE07 DIR RME VLC MCO PUE NYC LDN BER BER 165 4th 11 Lucas di Grassi 9 8 Ret Ret 7 10 10 1 18 3 14 6 DSQ 1 20 33 René Rast 4 17 6 Ret 5 6 Ret 2 10 10 20 5 Ret 9 9Abt Cupra Formula E Team2022–23Formula E Gen3Mahindra M9Electro MEXDRHHYDCAPSAPBERMCOJAKPORRMELDN2111th4 Robin Frijns Ret141417 13 9 1310RetRetRet 17 Kelvin van der Linde 16 18 Ret WD 51 Nico Müller14 Ret Ret 11WD Ret 159 Ret1112Ret610 Ret82023–24Formula E Gen3Mahindra M9ElectroMEXDIRSAPTKOMISMCOBERSHAPORLDN569th11 Lucas di GrassiRet191813Ret101111Ret111019111711951 Nico Müller171813Ret7114Ret15155666 Kelvin van der Linde1115Lola Yamaha Abt Formula E Team2024–25Formula E Gen3 EvoLola-Yamaha T001SAPMEXJEDMIAMCOTKOSHAJAKBERLDN3211th11 Lucas di GrassiRet20DSQ16213Ret17518913181217922 Zane Maloney12151618192114161419111816RetRet162025–2026Formula E Gen3 EvoLola-Yamaha T001SAPMEXMIAJEDMADBERMCOSANSHATKOLDN910th11 Lucas di GrassiRet13131615121716891022 Zane Maloney101611Ret18201517131011
Notes – In the inaugural season, all teams were supplied with a spec powertrain by McLaren. – Driver was fastest in group qualifying stage and was given one championship point. † – Driver did not finish the race, but was classified as he completed over 90% of the race distance. * – Season still in progress.
Other teams supplied by Audi Sport Abt Year Team Chassis Powertrain Tyres No. Drivers Points Source 2018–19 Envision Virgin Racing Spark SRT05e Audi e-tron FE05 191 3rd 2 Sam Bird 4 Robin Frijns 2019–20 Envision Virgin Racing Spark SRT05e Audi e-tron FE06 2 Sam Bird 121 4th 4 Robin Frijns 2020–21 Envision Virgin Racing Spark SRT05e Audi e-tron FE07 4 Robin Frijns 165 5th 37 Nick Cassidy 2021–22 Envision Racing Spark SRT05e Audi e-tron FE07 4 Robin Frijns 194 5th 37 Nick Cassidy
Extreme E results
Racing overview YearNameCarTyresNo.DriversRoundsPts.Pos.2021 Abt Cupra XESpark Odyssey 21125.F Claudia Hürtgen Jutta Kleinschmidt(1–2)(2–5)1005thM Mattias Ekström(1–5)2022 Abt Cupra XESpark Odyssey 21125.F Jutta Kleinschmidt Klara Andersson(1–4)(4–5)466thM Nasser Al-Attiyah(1–5)2023 Abt Cupra XESpark Odyssey 21125.F Klara Andersson(1–10)816thM Nasser Al-Attiyah Sébastien Loeb Adrien Tambay(1–4)(5–8)(9–10)
Racing summary YearSeriesRacesWinsPod.Pts.Pos.2021Extreme E501001005th2022Extreme E50101466th2023Extreme E100210816th
Complete Extreme E results (Races in bold indicate best qualifiers; races in italics indicate fastest super sector) YearEntrant12345678910Pts.Pos.2021Abt Cupra XEDESOCEARCISLJUR1005th2022Abt Cupra XEDESISL1ISL2COPENE466th2023Abt Cupra XEDES1DES2HYD1HYD2ISL1 R1ISL1 R2ISL2 R1ISL2 R2COP1COP2816th
List of models
Abt Sportsline Golf GTi (1976-1978) Abt Sportsline Scirocco (1977-1981) Abt Sportsline Golf GTi 1800 (1982-1983) Abt Sportsline Coupé GT (1983) Abt Sportsline 80 Quattro (1985) Abt Sportsline B300 (1987-1991) Abt Sportsline 200 Quattro (1988-1991) Abt Sportsline C5 (1989) Abt Sportsline S2-C4 (1992-) Abt Sportsline VS4 (1998-2003) Abt Sportsline TT-R DTM Prototype (1999) Abt Sportsline S3 (1999-2001) Abt Sportsline A3 (2000-2003) Abt Sportsline Passat Variant (2000-2005) Abt Sportsline AS4 (2001-2004) Abt Sportsline A2 (2001-2005) Abt Sportsline VS3 (2001-2005) Abt Sportsline AS6 Allroad Quattro (2001-2006) Abt Sportsline AS3 (2002) Abt Sportsline AS6 (2002) Abt Sportsline TT Limited (2002) Abt Sportsline TT Limited II (2002) Abt Sportsline TT Limited Wide Body (2002) Abt Sportsline TT-R (2002) Abt Sportsline RS6 Avant (2002-2004) Abt Sportsline AS4 Cabriolet (2002-2005) Abt Sportsline Fabia (2002-2005) Abt Sportsline León Cupra (2002-2005) Abt Sportsline Superb (2002-2006) Abt Sportsline TT Sport (2002-2006) Abt Sportsline TT Sport Roadster (2002-2006) Abt Sportsline New Beetle Cabriolet (2003) Abt Sportsline S4+ Avant (2003) Abt Sportsline Octavia (2003-2004) Abt Sportsline AS8 (2003-2005) Abt Sportsline Touran (2003-2006) Abt Sportsline VS10 (2003-2007) Abt Sportsline AS400 (2004) Abt Sportsline T5 Sporting Van (2004) Abt Sportsline Octavia Combi (2004-2008) Abt Sportsline VS4 (2004-2008) Abt Sportsline AS4 Avant (2005) Abt Sportsline AS4-R Avant (2005) Abt Sportsline Passat (2005) Abt Sportsline Toledo (2005) Abt Sportsline AS4 (2005-2007) Abt Sportsline RS4 (2005-2007) Abt Sportsline AS3 Sportback (2005-2008) Abt Sportsline AS8 (2005-2008) Abt Sportsline VS4-R (2005-2008) Abt Sportsline Altea (2005-2009) Abt Sportsline AS7 (2005-2009) Abt Sportsline Fox (2005-2009) Abt Sportsline VS4 (2005-2009) Abt Sportsline Jetta VS4 (2005-2010) Abt Sportsline VS4 (2005-2010)