Audi, BMW complete first 2019 DTM test at Estoril
Audi and BMW have completed their first tests of their 2019 DTM cars, the first to be powered by the new Class One regulation engines
The two manufacturers tested at Estoril in Portugal for three days, running the 2019 cars for the first time - although BMW did publicly shakedown its new M4 DTM earlier this year.
Bruno Spengler and Marco Wittmann drove for BMW during the test, with Audi's duties completed by Nico Muller, Rene Rast and Mike Rockenfeller.
The Audi RS5 DTM and the M4 DTM will have power increases of around 100bhp thanks to the new four-cylinder two-litre turbocharged engines.
Other rules changes have led to aerodynamic developments, a year after the DTM mandated a simple aerokit to reduce costs and improve the racing.
Both Audi and BMW have stated that the rear wing, underfloor, front and rear diffuser has had updates. The front end of both cars has been re-designed to fit the more compact turbo engine and its cooling requirements.
Audi's Muller said the DTM's new turbo era will bring new levels of speed.
"The new DTM car has terrific muscle and momentum," said Muller. "The turbo engine has awesome thrust.
"We're going to see speeds that the DTM has never seen before.
"The power boost is really noticeable. This is going to make even greater demands on us drivers.
"The car also looks really fast when you stand trackside. The sound is fascinating too.
"I definitely wouldn't want to swap the turbo for the old V8 aspirated engine again."
BMW's Wittmann added: "The car feels really cool when you're driving it and it is so much fun.
"You really can feel the performance and the torque of the new engine and the modified aerodynamics mean that the car behaves differently.
"I'm overwhelmingly positive after the initial test and I think that the fans really have something to look forward to.
"From the outside you can clearly tell that the cars are much faster than last year. This will definitely make for more of a spectacle.
"And I can reassure the fans: the sound remains as great as ever. Personally, I prefer it to the previous engines. It sounds a little different, but it is neither quiet nor bad. I like it and I think that the fans will as well.
"The changes to the cars for 2019 are definitely positive, and I enjoyed being in the car for the initial test and preparing the car for the season with the engineers and mechanics."
BMW has confirmed its next test will be at Jerez in Spain on December 10-11, while Audi has not outlined its testing programme.
The new DTM Aston Martin project, run in partnership with HWA and R-Motorsport, was not present as it continues to build preparations for a planned 2019 debut.
The DTM's 2019 entry list will also be boosted by the privateer WRT team, with the DTM, Audi and BMW keen to expand grid numbers through privateers.
Previous article
Augusto Farfus leaves DTM to focus on BMW GT racing
Next article
WRX's Andreas Bakkerud leads Audi DTM rookie test line-up
About this article
| Series | DTM |
| Author | Tom Errington |
The slow-burner threatening to unseat Audi's DTM king
It's taken him a while to emerge as a consistent title challenger, but in the final year of DTM's Class One rule set, Nico Muller has smoothed the rough edges and has double champion stablemate Rene Rast working harder than ever to keep up in the title race
How a DTM failure became an unlikely Nurburgring conqueror
Opel's fortunes in the DTM had taken a turn for the worst by 2003 - hardly the pedigree that suggested it could take on the toughest 24-hour race of them all. But that's exactly what it did
The season that revitalised a sleeping giant
On the 20th anniversary of the resumption of hostilities in the DTM, Autosport revisits a classic season that brought a staple of German motorsport back to life with a bang and set in motion the careers of some notable names
Does 2000 hold the answers to DTM's current crisis?
It's 20 years since the DTM roared back into life at a packed Hockenheim with a back-to-basics approach as the antidote to its high-tech past. Now it's on its knees again, so is it time to recall the lessons learned in 2000?
The last-chance saloon of Germany's forgotten tin-top champions
The Opel Vectra GTS was the last in the line of the marque's DTM challengers, but failed to hit the lofty heights of its predecessors when financial constraints hit
Ranking the 10 best Audi DTM drivers
Audi last week announced it would be exiting the DTM at the end of 2020, bringing the curtain down on 20 years of continuous participation since the series' reboot in 2000. Autosport's expert panel ranks its 10 best drivers from the period
How the DTM landed itself in crisis
Audi's announcement that it will withdraw from the DTM was the latest bodyblow for a series that has lost three manufacturers in as many years. Some major soul-searching will now be required to assess how it can survive
The FE cynic who had to accept change in his series
DTM boss Gerhard Berger was an ardent detractor of Formula E and was reluctant for his series to embrace greener engine technologies. But this cynic's tune has had to change to ensure the DTM's existence in the future of motorsport
