Photo: Guido ten Brink / SB-Medien
Motorsport is big business in Europe. Not accounting for F1 and the World Endurance Championship, the Deutsche Tourenwagen Masters offers some of the greatest racing action in the Old Continent. Audi won the 2016 season, and now the German brand intends to defend its title with this fellow here, the RS5 DTM.
Presented concomitantly with the production version of the RS5, the racecar premieres the next-generation RS design language, as well as a suite of modifications requited by DTM regulations for the 2017 season. Even more extreme as far as aerodynamics are concerned, the 2017 RS5 DTM also boasts a rear wing that integrates two flaps.
Similar to how the Drag Reduction System works in Formula 1, the top flap flattens at the push of a button to allow higher speeds and easier overtaking maneuvers. On the other hand, downforce of all DTM cars, be them Audi, BMW, or Mercedes-Benz, was reduced this year to put a greater emphasis on the drivers’ talent and guts.
Under the hood, the 2017 Audi RS5 DTM features a 4.0-liter naturally aspirated V8 producing more than 500 PS. That makes for a striking contrast compared to the street model, not just from an aural standpoint. Audi uses a 2.9-liter twin-turbo V6 with 450 PS for the second-generation RS5, translating into a 3.9-second stint to 100 km/h (62 mph).
The dry-sump powerplant of the racing car is mated to a semi-automatic six-speed transmission with paddle shifters, sending power to the rear wheels via an adjustable limited-slip diff. It’s a thoroughly different setup from the road-going model, but then again, the second-generation RS5 and RS5 DTM were built for thoroughly different purposes.
“These are exciting times for the DTM,” said Dieter Gass, the head of Audi Motorsport. “We have more power, softer tires and less downforce. Combined with the best drivers, we expect to see even more thrilling racing.”
Similar to how the Drag Reduction System works in Formula 1, the top flap flattens at the push of a button to allow higher speeds and easier overtaking maneuvers. On the other hand, downforce of all DTM cars, be them Audi, BMW, or Mercedes-Benz, was reduced this year to put a greater emphasis on the drivers’ talent and guts.
Under the hood, the 2017 Audi RS5 DTM features a 4.0-liter naturally aspirated V8 producing more than 500 PS. That makes for a striking contrast compared to the street model, not just from an aural standpoint. Audi uses a 2.9-liter twin-turbo V6 with 450 PS for the second-generation RS5, translating into a 3.9-second stint to 100 km/h (62 mph).
The dry-sump powerplant of the racing car is mated to a semi-automatic six-speed transmission with paddle shifters, sending power to the rear wheels via an adjustable limited-slip diff. It’s a thoroughly different setup from the road-going model, but then again, the second-generation RS5 and RS5 DTM were built for thoroughly different purposes.
“These are exciting times for the DTM,” said Dieter Gass, the head of Audi Motorsport. “We have more power, softer tires and less downforce. Combined with the best drivers, we expect to see even more thrilling racing.”
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