2,400 sq m of pure racing: ABT motorsport centre opened

[Photos: ABT Sportsline | Words: ABT Sportsline]

ABT Sportsline has got a new home. Right in time before the start of the season, the globally largest tuner of cars produced by the Volkswagen Group has opened its new, state- of-the-art motorsport center next to its headquarter in Kempten, Bavaria. On 2,400 sq m, a staff of about 50 will now prepare the four Audi RS5 DTM’s for the DTM and develop the FIA Formula E activities.

“Motorsport is our great passion and has been a pillar of our company for decades”, says CEO Hans-Jürgen Abt. “With the new complex, we have created the right conditions for our future work. Our team feels good there, enjoys ideal working conditions and has a lot of space to be creative.“

The new centre is impressive within and without: chamfered, matt-black steel plates and red, high-gloss aluminium form the exterior. “The old term ‘manufactory’ played an important role when we were developing the building,” says Marco Hippmann of the Stuttgart-based architectural firm Hippmann Hardegger. The project manager in Kempten was Harald Seyband, whom we have to thank for the short construction period of only 10 months. “The objective was a highly functional building whose exterior was to show that ABT is a high-tech company. This is underscored by the red-black cladding that does without any ornamentation.“

Inside, on 2,400 sq m the staff finds a little motorsport paradise: lavish work areas, modern offices, carbon and transmission workshops, a washing shed, modern equipment, a spacious warehouse and a gym. The truck shed next door can house five trailers, which now can be loaded and unloaded in whatever weather conditions may obtain outside. Even the daily DTM pit stop exercises can be done inside.

As the Audi Sport Team Abt Sportsline, in the DTM the team will use Mattias Ekström, Miguel Molina, Edoardo Mortara and Adrien Tambay’s racers. ABT will also field the former Formula 1 driver Lucas di Grassi and youngster Daniel Abt in the new FIA Formula E, which will premiere in September. As Volkswagen’s exclusive partner, ABT prepares all the cars for the Scirocco R-Cup, which will be held on the DTM weekends.

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