Ingolstadt, January 6, 2004
The preparations for Audi’s comeback in the DTM (German Touring Car
Masters) continue in full swing and exactly according to plan. Audi works
driver Frank Biela completed a successful roll-out with the new Audi A4
DTM just before Christmas. The next phase of the DTM project begins for
the Audi Sport team after three months of intensive development work:
Following the successful maiden outing, the Audi touring car with
approximately 460 PS will now be prepared for its race debut on 18 April at
Hockenheim by an extensive test programme at various European race
tracks.
“It was our goal to have the new A4 DTM up and running before the New
Year, to be able to test extensively before the start of the season”, explains
Head of Audi Sport Dr Wolfgang Ullrich. “That our team managed to keep
the extremely tight schedule for roll-out, speaks volumes for Audi Sport
and our partners. This gives us an advantage as far as time is concerned
when compared to our competitors.”
The Audi A4 DTM is the first car that conforms to the new DTM technical
regulations, which now stipulates the use of four-door saloons and has
also changed in many other details. “The A4 DTM is therefore a completely
new development, only the uprights and the prescribed DTM standard
components originate from the Abt-Audi TT-R”, explains Wolfgang Appel,
Director of Vehicle Engineering at Audi Sport. “The DTM regulations are
very restrictive. Nevertheless, we were able to incorporate several things
that made the Audi R8 so successful in the sport prototypes over the last
few years.”
The Audi A4 DTM V8-engine is a development of the power unit already
used in the TT-R. “The DTM engine regulations also only allow a small
amount of latitude, that’s why we paid a lot of attention to detail”, says
Ulrich Baretzky, Director of Engine Engineering at Audi Sport. Immediately
recognisable to the untrained eye are the V8 power unit’s exhaust pipes
that end on car’s flanks and were moved as close as possible to the
centre of the car. The driver’s seating position located extremely towards
the rear is also very striking.
“The seating position is excellent, as is the field of vision”, noted Frank
Biela after the roll-out. Although he completed the first laps in dark, foggy
and ice cold conditions, the former German Touring Car champion and
three-time Le Mans winner was all warm inside: “It was a very
Christmassy feeling. The A4 looks absolutely fantastic and felt good from
the word go. I didn’t expect anything different: I’ve been lucky enough,
during the 13 years in which I have driven now for Audi, to complete a fair
amount of roll-outs. It was business as usual: You sit in and everything
works as it should, which is not always the case in motorsport and shows
just how professionally Audi works. Now I can hardly wait for the first
proper test.”
|