DTM German Touring Racecars
By Brian Jones, Photography courtesy of DTM
In a way, the DTM (which stands for Deutsche Tourenwagen Masters) can be seen as the NASCAR of Europe. It’s not that Europe’s fastest touring racecars do ovals or superspeedways, it’s that DTM cars are incredibly popular, tube-framed, silhouette-bodied and all the drivers have accents.
With 1.33 million TV viewers and 70,000 spectators per race, DTM is by their own calculations the most popular international touring car series. In addition to races in Germany, DTM visits Great Britain, Spain and France. To us empty-handed Americans, it would seem prudent for a series claiming true international fame to at least visit other continents. That’s not likely to happen anytime soon, especially on account of the death of the original DTM series because of cost.
Currently the field is comprised of Mercedes-Benz C-Class and Audi A4 racecars. But underneath the wings, dive planes, carbon fiber and chopped bodies lies a distinctively non-production tube-framed chassis. The chassis design is left open to the teams and manufacturers and has nothing to do with the car with which it shares its name.
The Audi A4 DTM uses a space frame chassis with a CFRP driver safety cell and CFRP crash structures front and rear. The AMG Mercedes C-Class, on the other hand, is a tubular frame chassis with a steel roof and sides. The doors, hood, fenders, trunk and other body pieces are made from carbon fiber.
In order to keep costs relatively low, all DTM cars are regulated in their use of transmission, ECU, tires, brakes and driveshaft. Only Hewland or X-trac sequential transmissions, Dunlop slicks, AP Racing carbon brakes and Bosch ECUs are allowed. Rear-wheel drive is also standard. Despite the A4’s main selling point, it races in the DTM in rear-wheel drive form.
Engine design is left up to the manufacturers, although all cars must use a 90-degree V8 engine with a maximum displacement of 4-liters. A max of only four valves per cylinder can be used and two air inlet restrictors are used with each engine. Teams are allowed only three engines per two registered drivers for the entire season.
Needless to say, the cost of each engine and the development is not cheap. In the DTM, you’re talking about a 470hp V8 race engine that can go endurance distance at sprint race speeds, all while breathing through two straws. We’d love to see an uncorked 600hp+ DTM car fly through the high banks of Talladega or Daytona. That’s NASCAR worlds colliding.
The rest of the 2,300lb racecars are equally high-tech and big dollar. Similar to Japan’s Super GT cars, DTM cars are pretty much prototype racers with production-style bodies on them. The suspension is inboard and uses pushrods for movement. The drivetrain consists of triple-plate carbon clutches and six-speed sequential transmission. Even the forged wheels and 18-inch slick tires are out of our reach.
But that’s just what makes the DTM series so much fun to watch and the car so impressive in appearance. Filled with Le Mans drivers and ex-F1 guys like Ralf Schumacher, the DTM series sees these million dollar cars crash and bang doors with some of the closest racing around. Throw in some support series like Formula 3 Euro Series (which Lewis Hamilton and Sebastian Vettel came through) and the Porsche Carrera Cup and you’ve got yourself a race event.
Now, if we could just figure out how to get over there.
