Audi A5 DTM

For the 2012 season, Audi will be ditching the successful A4 DTM touring car in favor of an all-new car based on the A5 coupe. The car, which is internally designated the “R17″, will be replacing a car which has won the DTM championship four times since 2004 – so its got some pretty big boots to fill.

The 2012 Audi A5 DTM car has been designed to comply with the new DTM technical regulations which have been brought in to improve safety. Dr Wolfgang Ullrich, Head of Audi Motorsport, said of the new car: “In 2012 new Technical Regulations will come into effect in the DTM. We’ve got exactly the right model for that in the A5. We’re convinced that we’ll be able to continue Audi’s success story with it in the DTM. Our engineers have been involved in bringing up safety in the DTM, which had already been high before, to the highest possible level. At Le Mans this year we learned again that our concept of designing safety structures is a very good and appropriate one. This is exactly what we’ve been trying to feed into the DTM’s safety concept together with our colleagues from BMW and Mercedes-Benz. This new principle is an outstanding example of what is possible when employees of three premium manufacturers try to achieve a common aim: to get the best possible, lowest-cost and safest vehicle – and a fantastic car in general – off the ground.”

The Audi A5 DTM car, like all cars in the championship, is based around high-strength carbon-fiber monocoque chassis, which is complimented by a steel tube rollcage for added safety.

In addition to the A and C-pillars, the new regulations mean a B-pillar must be installed alongside the driver’s head. The sidewalls of the A5 DTM car features a hybrid design which is considerably stronger than the previous car. In case of a side impact the walls have to be able to withstand a static load that is about four times higher than before. “The sidewall has been reinforced so that the new DTM vehicle can be exposed to a side impact (T-bone crash) without the wall failing,” explains Dr. Mühlmeier, Head of Technology at Audi Sport. “Up to now, a bearable side force of 80 kN at a specified point has been required whereas for the 2012-specification vehicles 360 kN across the whole length of the sidewall is now required. This means that the monocoque has not only been reinforced at a certain point but across the entire length.”

The first prototype of the R17 Audi A5 DTM car is currently being constructed at Audi Sport in Ingolstadt. The official unveiling is scheduled for the  Frankfurt Motor Show in September

The V8 engine with a power output of about 460 hp (340 kW) will be carried over from the A4 DTM car with only minor changes. The proven six-speed transmission will continue to be used as well. Characteristic features of the 2012-generation of DTM cars, including the A5 DTM, are a larger rear wing and a reduction of the permitted aerodynamics components.