Audi certainly has a rich history in the Deutche Tourenwagen Masters, the German touring car championship, more commonly known as the DTM. From the 1990 V8 quattro until today’s A4, the four-ring brand has raced only four-door models.
This is about to change as Inglostandt's new contender in the DTM is based on the A5 Coupe. Making its debut at the Frankfurt Auto Show this week, Audi’s 2012 racer was developed around three principles: maximum safety, 40% reduction of costs and an impressive bodywork design.
The last goal has undoubtedly been achieved, but this wasn’t such a difficult task since the donor model was already one of the most elegant coupes on the market. The A5 DTM’s carbon fiber shell builds on that with a wide body kit, a ground-hugging stance and a huge rear carbon wing.
Audi Motorsport has created a hybrid chassis, combining a carbon fiber monocoque with a steel cage that, it claims, ups the ante of safety for touring cars. The chassis is just one of the more than 50 components the new rules stipulate that will be identical to all DTM racers. This may restrict both designers’ and engineers’ freedom in developing the car, but it is what made the 40% cost reduction feasible.
Under the hood is a 460 HP V8 engine mated to a new, pneumatically operated six-speed transmission with steering wheel-mounted paddle shifters. This new type of gearbox is not only more precise but also sturdier compared to conventional units, quadrupling its life expectancy to 24,000 km (15,000 miles).
The R17’s task, as is the A5 DTM’s codenamed inside Audi Motorsport, has a tough act to follow: the A4, which it replaces, has won four titles in the past seven years.
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