Classic DTM German Touring Racecars
By Brian Jones, Photography courtesy of DTM
To say without a disclaimer that we’re going to start from the beginning is a bit of a misnomer. Europe has had touring car racing as long as, well, there have been touring cars. What we’re out to chronicle is the evolution and formation of the current DTM series, which is set to return for 2010 in April at Hockenheim.
One of the fastest and most competitive touring car series on Earth, DTM (which stands for Deutsche Tourenwagen Masters) racecars are close in formula to the Super GT cars found in Asia. Using silhouette bodies and heavy modifications, the cars have more in common with single-seater formula racecars than their production counterparts.
All are rear-wheel drive, use naturally aspirated 450hp+ V8 engines and have a minimum weight of 1,050kg. For the Americans in the audience, that’s just a little over 2,300lbs.
But despite their incredible speed and high value, this is not a parade series like Formula One. Drivers battle for position with anger and the DTM series features some of the closest racing you’ll find anywhere.
And yet, it almost all disappeared.
The DTM series can trace its roots back to 1984, when the DTM stood for Deutsche Tourenwagen Meisterschaft and all the entrants were production based Group A touring cars. That year, the very first DTM champion was Volker Strycek in a near-stock appearing BMW 635 Csi.
The next year, Volvo would join with the 240 Turbo and the DTM series would become the most popular touring car racing series in Europe. Cars such as the Mercedes-Benz 190E, BMW M3 (E30 chassis), Audi V8 Quattro and Ford Sierra RS500 would all become legendary competing in the DTM series. Drivers such as Hans Stuck and Frank Biela also made their name and appeared in the series in the early 1990s.
In 1993, the original DTM series began what would lead to its eventual demise. FIA Class 1 rules were put into place, allowing the use of max 2.5-liter six-cylinder engines, carbon fiber bodies, all-wheel drive, anti-lock brakes, driver aids and heavier aerodynamics. Although Audi and BMW left the series, Alfa Romeo’s legendary all-time record (38 wins) winning 155 V6 TI was born from these new rules.
Mercedes-Benz’s 1994 car, the C-Class, debuted with a very aggressive look similar to today’s DTM cars and the arms race had begun. Racing alongside the International Touring Car (ITC) series in 1995, the DTM would eventually become swallowed up by the ITC in 1996. As worldwide races meant higher travel costs and the racecars themselves had budgets spiraling out of control, factory supported teams did not get the return on investment that they were looking for. As Alfa Romeo and Opel left the series, only Benz was left standing. With nobody else left to race, the series was officially done.
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