Tuner News – Pulpaddict

Tuned Audi S8 Plus Hits the Autobahn for Some Testing

The already potent Audi S8 Plus gets even more so with a simple upgrade and the flip of a switch.

A few years ago, the Audi S8 Plus debuted for those that didn’t think that the regular S8‘s 520 horsepower output was quite enough, upping that ante to a cool 605 raging ponies. The Plus model also received some chassis enhancements with a stiffer suspension and bigger brakes to make the best of that extra power, along with unique interior and exterior treatments, but let’s be honest – the main draw here is the car’s twin-turbocharged 4.0-liter V8, which in stock form, can propel the sedan from 0-60 in just 3.3 seconds. However, as we can see in this video from AutoTopNL, a tune can also unleash even more power from this already potent offering.

Recently, the crew behind this particular YouTube channel – which routinely tests different vehicles’ top speeds on Germany’s Autobahn – installed a RaceChip in their Audi S8 Plus, and were quite pleased with the results of that upgrade. Soon, a viewer reached out to see if they could install the same part in his own car and do some testing, and who wouldn’t agree to something like that, honestly?

For this particular scientific experiment, AutoTopNL started out with the car in stock form to get a baseline, while also discussing the gains that the RaceChip adds to the mix – around 95 horsepower and 100 pound-feet of torque. In terms of acceleration, the stock Audi S8 Plus accelerated from 100 kilometers per hour to 200 – or 62-124 miles-per-hour – in eight seconds flat, while the tune slashes that number to just 7.27 seconds.

That number places the tuned Audi S8 Plus just behind the Porsche Cayenne Turbo with PP Performance upgrades and in front of vehicles like the Lamborghini Urus from Mansory, the Nissan GT-R Nismo, BMW M3 Competition, and Audi e-tron GT, to name just a few – impressive company, indeed. On a corresponding top speed run, the team manages to get the car up to 198 mph – higher than the stock car’s governed limit of around 190 mph, too.

The beauty of this particular combination is that the tuned S8 Plus isn’t just absurdly quick, but it’s also quite comfortable to cruise around in, plus, the tune can be turned on and off with the push of a button, in the event that one wants to do so. Truthfully, it’s hard to imagine a better daily driver, one that’s equal parts civilized and capable of outrunning even some exotic machinery when called upon.

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1016 Industries Body Kit Makes Audi RS6 Avant Look Like an Exotic Supercar

For those that want their Audi RS6 Avant to look more like a Lamborghini, this new carbon fiber body kit is for you.

The Audi RS6 Avant is a beloved thing in the automotive world, and for good reason – it’s one of the very few super fast wagons on the market today. This once burgeoning segment has its loyal followers, of course, but not enough of them, as most folks (as least in the U.S.) long ago ditched wagons for crossovers and SUVs. Thus, we must celebrate the Audi RS6 Avant while it’s here, because fast wagons are clearly going the way of the dinosaur – at least in ICE form. Regardless, for those that don’t think the RS6 Avant is quite aggressive looking enough to match its incredible performance, 1016 Industries has just the thing – a new, rather exotic looking body kit.

The new 1016 Audi RS6 Avant aero kit consists of a variety of carbon fiber components including a front splitter, side skirts, hood scoop, roof spoiler, and rear diffuser, each of which is rather aggressive in terms of appearance. Heck, these goods look like they came straight from a Lamborghini of some sort, which is fitting given this brand’s family lineage. Better yet, all can be installed without any cutting, which is great in the event that the owner wants to remove them later.

As for this particular car, 1016 also fitted it with a set of spoked RDB wheels and blue brake calipers to further enhance that look, with impressive results. As for cost, the carbon fiber body kit itself starts out at around $20,000, but that isn’t the only thing 1016 is selling. Rather, those that want an entire, turnkey car can also get it from the U.S.-based company in the form of the 1016 Industries RS6, which already comes equipped with all these goodies and retails for $142,995.

“1016 Industries is incredibly pleased to showcase our new custom carbon fiber RS6, which offers a sharp, completely unique look for what we see as the finest high-performance wagon in the world,” said 1016 Industries CEO Peter Northrop. “The 1016 Industries RS6 is an opportunity for our company to introduce something completely fresh to an underserved category of enthusiasts that love the four rings. Personally, my career in auto design began working with Audi and Volkswagen, so the RS6 project in many ways feels like coming home.”

Photos: 1016 Industries

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Prior Design Audi RS Q8 Widebody Kit Gives SUV Lambo Looks

The new RS800 widebody kit for the Audi RS Q8 gives the SUV a far more exotic appearance for far less coin than the Urus.

As keen enthusiasts are already well aware, the Audi RS Q8 is essentially just a slightly less powerful and less audacious version of the Lamborghini Urus with a more attractive price tag. This makes is a bargain of sorts with a starting MSRP of around $127k versus $230k for the Lamborghini, even though it gives up a bit not only in terms of its more subdued looks, but also 50 horsepower – though that sort of thing can be fixed with little more than a tune. In the styling department, those that want to make their Audi RS Q8 look more exotic can also do so courtesy of this new widebody kit from Prior Design, too.

Prior Design originally debuted its RS800 widebody kit for the Audi RS Q8 at the 2022 Essen Motor Show, and now, it’s available for purchase. The kit is quite comprehensive, consisting of front air intake frames, a front lip, a “power bulge” hood, side skirt extensions, fender arches, a rear roof spoiler, and a trunk spoiler. These parts are sold either individually or as a kit, with the entire array stickering for around $18,200 USD.

All of these goodies are made from high quality fiberglass certified by TÜV Rheinland that’s reportedly both flexible and stable, and require no additional modifications to install, with great fitment right out of the box – save for the fender extensions, which require some cutting, as one might imagine. Regardless, the results pretty much speak for themselves, transforming the Audi RS Q8 from a handsome crossover to a head-turning exotic machine in one fell swoop.

Of course, it wouldn’t make a lot of sense to install a widebody kit on the RS Q8 and call it a day, so in this case, Prior Design has also stuffed a larger set of wheels and fat tires on this example, as well as an Akrapovic exhaust system to unleash more of its glorious twin-turbocharged 4.0-liter V8 sounds. Given the fact that it’s still far cheaper than buying a Urus, those that desire its exotic looks without the exotic price tag will certainly find this combination appealing, we imagine.

Photos: Prior Design

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Goodbye to Ken Block, Automotive Icon for the Ages

RIP Ken Block

The 55-year-old rally driver, Gymkhana superstar, and Audi partner was killed while snowmobiling in Utah. RIP Ken Block.

On January 2, the enthusiast world received a gut punch, when news broke that superstar driver Ken Block had been killed in a snowmobile accident. In a post confirming his death, Block’s company Hoonigan wrote “Ken was a visionary, a pioneer and an icon. And most importantly, a father and husband.”

The outpouring of grief was immediate, and “broke the Internet” in the way that Block was known to do. Except for outrageous stunts, tire smoke, and unbridled automotive excess, there was only heartbreak. The 55-year-old action sports phenomenon leaves behind a wife and three children.

In an official statement from Ingolstadt, Oliver Hoffmann, Member of the Board for Technical Development at AUDI AG said, “Ken was a pioneer and in recent years also a member of the Audi family. He was valued and warmly welcomed by all. We have lost a great person and respected sportsman, who will always have his place in the history of Audi Sport.”

Fittingly, one of Block’s final Instagram posts was congratulating his 16-year-old daughter Lia on finishing her 1985 Audi Ur Quattro project car.

RIP Ken Block

As fans of the Four Rings know, Block began his partnership with Audi in September of 2021, and in just over a year, it produced an amazing cache of content. While he was tapped primarily to help develop electric vehicles, there was also plenty for fans of classic Audi iron to drool over.

Here are some of our favorite moments from that too-short period.

Ken Block Hoons Audi V8 DTM Car & the e-tron Vision GT!

Here, Block travels to Audi headquarters in Ingolstadt, Germany. Once there, he gets to choose two ridiculous Audi racecars to hoon around in. They are both crazy fast, but they approach their speed in two very different ways.

The first car is Hans Stuck’s championship-winning DTM car. The second is the Audi e-tron Vision GT. Are you not entertained?

Ken Block Reveals Elektrikhana Hero Car

This is a reimagined version of the legendary Audi Sport quattro S1. Dubbed the Hooniteron, this beast will sport a carbon fiber chassis, an electric motor at each axle, and lust-inspiring bodywork that looks at once both evolutionary and futuristic.

The name is a mash-up of Hoonigan and e-tron, and as Audi design chief Marc Lichte describes, “the project was about creating a modern, all-electric interpretation of the S1 Pikes Peak.”

Dakar on Ice: Ken Block Drives the Audi RS Q e-tron

Mattias Swedish driver Ekström, who brought his RS Q e-tron to a ninth-place finish at Dakar, had kind words for Block, stating “It only took three turns for Ken to get fully up to speed.”

Now, at this point, it’s a given that Audi Sport’s hybrid racer will return to Dakar next year, and given his experience with the desert race, it’s not outside the realm of possibility that Block could claim a driver’s slot. But in Austria, the focus was on fun.

Playing on the Knife Edge: Ken Block in the Audi e-tron

Aside from Rotiform wheels, Toyo all-terrain tires, and a roof rack, the green machine is essentially stock. Of course, that doesn’t stop Block from tackling some of the most gnarly obstacles this gorgeous piece of desert has to offer, and the visuals are absolutely stunning.

This time, producer Neil Cole is the only one riding along, and from some of the expressions he makes in the various parts of the clip? He’s as excited as he is terrified, so it seems like the Hoonigan-in-Chief is earning his money.

Ice Block: Ken Block Hoons Audi Group B Rally Cars

After an all-too-brief walk-through, Block and GP Performance founder GP Kraemer hop into a custom RS e-tron GT and make their way north to the icy circuit, where the real fun begins.

Apparently, the Ice Race used to be held on a frozen lake, but after a competitor plunged through the ice into the frigid water, the organizers wisely decided to move it to terra firma. Watch the video to check out all the action, and stay tuned for an update on the forthcoming Elektrikhana video. It’s certain to be mind-blowing!

Ken Block’s Audi Sport quattro Replica is Bonkers

This car was actually done in time for the SEMA show last year. Thanks to his busy schedule, however, Block hadn’t gotten a chance to test the new whip until now.

It’s basically the same setup that sat in the Borla booth at the big show in Sin City, though there have been some small changes here and there. For instance, the steering wheel has been swapped out, the giant e-brake handle has been relocated, and because Block wants to daily this in his hometown of Park City, there’s an actual parking brake!

VIDEO: Ken Block Returns in ELECTRIKHANA, Sliding Through Las Vegas

The shriek of the electric motors and tortured howl of the tires is just otherworldly. If anything, the electric power of the Audi S1 HOONITRON allows him to do even more incredible things behind the wheel.

Backward drifts, reversing turns in mid-slide, even spinning in place. The nine-and-a-half-minute video includes all of the usual stunts and humor of his other videos. But it will take you at least three tries to watch it because you won’t believe what you just saw…

Image Sources: Audi, YouTube

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Meet the Limited-Edition 500 HP Abt Audi RS3-R (190mph Top Speed!!!)

Making a great car even better… German tuner Abt’s new 500 HP RS3-R can crush a 0-60 run in under 3.3 seconds.

You may know the German tuning house Abt for its Audi DTM German Touring Car exploits. Just as famous as a tuner, the firm has just released its latest limited edition street weapon. Meet the new Abt Audi RS3-R. 500 ponies. Limited to 200 units. And with a breathtaking 190mph top speed.

Abt

Built on a Solid RS 3 Base

To be clear, we already love the new RS 3 in its 400-horsepower stock form. It was a blast to drive and drift on track. But there are always guys and gals out there, who want more in our faster-further-higher world. Enter Abt’s tweaked, tuned and optically enhanced RS3-R.

Abt extracts an additional hundred horses and 75 pound-feet of twist out of the five-pot to muster that 500 HP and 450 lb.-ft. of max torque. And the results. The modified all-wheel-drive wagon slashes a half-second off the stock 0-60 time. And it ups top end from 155 (or 180mph with the Dynamic Plus Package) to 190 mph. But you must dial into your Abt Audi RS3-R app to achieve that. This new rush of speed is acoustically accompanied by a far sportier tone out of the new stainless-steel exhaust’s four matt black tips.

RS3-R

RS3-R Spreads to Suspension, Optics Too

The RS3-R treatment extends to shorter coils and sportier damper settings in search of firmer road-holding. If that’s not enough, Abt will relieve you of a few more well-earned dollars for a stainless-steel coil-over sports suspension. With that, you can drop your RS3-R’s ride height between an inch and an inch and a half on both axles.

Optically enhanced, RS3-R gets a unique aero kit hewn of beautifully crafted high-gloss bare carbon fiber. It spreads from the lip spoiler across the front flics to the mirror caps and onto the rear venturi and spoiler. Add glossy black glossy fender attachments wrapping 20-inch Abt forged alloys in 245/30 rubber.

Abt

Add a Few RS3-R Interior Tweaks

Inside the RS3-R, Abt adds logos on its stock sport seats, mats, and start-stop button as well as a numbered Abt RS3-R plaque on the doorsill and Abt logo paddle lighting. All of this for 35,900 Euros, which is about the same in dollars these days, plus another five grand to fit it.

Which means the Abt RS3-R will set you back more than 100,000 Euros for the privilege of the complete car. As eye-watering as that may seem, Hans-Jürgen Abt suggests that interest in the RS3-R is as extreme as the car. Better you order yours now then!

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Images: Abt