ABT Sportsline has given Audi’s new plug-in hybrid RS5 a sharper edge with the RS5-R, a limited-run package aimed at buyers who want more pace and more visual intent without stepping outside the Audi orbit.
Available for both the saloon and Avant, the RS5-R lifts output to 720 hp and adds a full carbon-heavy styling and chassis package.
The run is capped at 130 cars worldwide, a number tied to ABT’s 130th anniversary.
At a glance
- ABT Sportsline has introduced the RS5-R package for the plug-in hybrid Audi RS5 saloon and Avant.
- Output rises from 639 hp to 720 hp, with torque increased to 905 Nm while the electric motor remains unchanged.
- Production is limited to 130 cars worldwide, with prices from €62,000 for the saloon package including German VAT.
Power comes from the petrol side
The headline figure is a combined 720 hp, up from the standard RS5’s 639 hp.
Torque also climbs from 825 Nm to 905 Nm, or from 608 lb ft to 667 lb ft.
ABT’s changes focus entirely on the 2.9-litre twin-turbo V6, leaving the electric motor untouched.
That detail matters because it keeps the character of the upgrade rooted in the combustion side of the car, rather than turning the RS5-R into a broader hybrid-system overhaul.
Carbon and stance give the RS5-R its identity
The RS5-R is not only a power upgrade.
ABT has added a more assertive body kit that includes a front spoiler, side skirts, a diffuser, wheel-arch louvres and mirror caps.
Buyers can specify the exterior parts in gloss exposed carbon or ABT’s new matt Carbon Camouflage finish.
The Avant receives an additional roof spoiler, which gives the wagon version a little more visual weight at the rear.
Suspension upgrades and 22-inch forged wheels complete the package, pushing the car further from the standard RS5 without abandoning its original proportions.
A 130-car run with an anniversary link
ABT will build 130 examples of the RS5-R worldwide.
The number marks 130 years since Johann Baptist Abt took over a blacksmith’s and coachworks in Kempten in 1896.
That historical thread gives the RS5-R a cleaner reason for existing than a typical appearance-and-power package.
It’s also available as an upgrade for an existing Audi RS5, which broadens the appeal beyond buyers ordering a fresh build.
Details & Specifications
| Brand | ABT Sportsline |
|---|---|
| Model | RS5-R |
| Base car | Audi RS5 plug-in hybrid |
| Body styles | Saloon and Avant |
| Engine | 2.9-litre twin-turbo V6 with plug-in hybrid system |
| Power | 720 hp combined |
| Torque | 905 Nm / 667 lb ft |
| Standard RS5 output | 639 hp and 825 Nm / 608 lb ft |
| Key exterior upgrades | Front spoiler, side skirts, diffuser, wheel-arch louvres, mirror caps |
| Additional Avant feature | Roof spoiler |
| Wheel size | 22-inch forged wheels |
| Production | 130 cars worldwide |
| Price | From €62,000 / $69,013 for the saloon and €65,000 / $72,352 for the Avant, including German VAT |
| Optional finish | Matt Carbon Camouflage for €3,000 / $3,340 |
The RS5-R will make the most sense to buyers who already like the dual character of Audi’s plug-in hybrid RS model but want the car to feel rarer, harder-edged and more visually distinctive.
With its limited production run, meaningful power increase and choice of saloon or Avant bodies, it’s a focused anniversary piece rather than a simple badge-and-trim exercise.
