The Vehicles Earth

On April 29, the DTM season opens at Hockenheim and Audi is starting into it as the title defender and eight-time champion. Here are 100 facts about Audi’s involvement in the most popular international touring car racing series.

1. Audi has won a total of eight DTM titles to date.

2. 2012 marks the 17th DTM season tackled by Audi.

3. The brand with the four rings has so far contested 194 DTM races and won 61 of them. 64 times an Audi racer took the pole position and 53 times the fastest race lap to date was set by an Audi driver.

4. In 1990 and 1991, Audi was the first automobile manufacturer to achieve two consecutive DTM title wins.

5. In 2007, 2008 and 2009, Audi was the first – and has so far remained the only –automobile manufacturer to win the DTM title three times in succession.

6. The Audi V8 quattro won in 1990 at its seventh race, the A4 DTM in 2004 at its third race in the DTM.

7. For eight years, Audi in the most popular international touring car series was relying on its top seller, the A4, that took a total of five DTM titles (in 2004, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2011).

8. The Audi A4 DTM clinched 34 of the 61 race wins achieved by Audi in the DTM.

9. There have been a total of seven different versions of the Audi A4 DTM: R11 (2004), R12 (2005), R12 plus (2006), R13 (2007), R13 plus (2008), R14 (2009) and R14 plus (2010).

10. From 2006 to 2011, Audi and Mercedes were battling for the DTM title between themselves. The final score: 4–2 for Audi.

11. From 2000 to 2003, the Audi brand was represented in the DTM by the customer team Abt Sportsline that privately fielded coupes based on the Audi TT,  and in 2002 won the title with Laurent Aiello.

12. The A5 DTM forms the new spearhead of the steadily growing A5 family and is based on the latest version of the coupe that can be recognized by its distinctive, wedge-shaped headlights since the most recent product upgrade in summer of 2011.

13. The A5 Coupé has been on the market since 2007, the Cabriolet and Sportback since 2009.

14. The modern engine line-up of the coupe ranges from the particularly fuel-efficient 2.0 TDI with 105 kW (143 hp) to the high-performance V8 with 331 kW (450 hp) in the exceptionally sporty RS 5 Coupé. One of the most interesting engines is the compact high-tech 1.8 TFSI gasoline unit with an average consumption of only 5.7 liters per 100 kilometers.

15. The Audi RS 5 with its 331 kW (450 hp) V8 engine is the top-end model of the A5 range and very popular with the DTM drivers as well: Timo Scheider and Adrien Tambay ordered an RS 5 prior to the start of the season.

16. After the V8, the TT and the A4, the A5 is the fourth model to be fielded by Audi in the DTM. So far, Audi has clinched at least one title with each model range for Ingolstadt and Neckarsulm.

17. Length, width, height, wheelbase and overhangs are identical for all DTM vehicles to assure maximum equality of opportunity. Models that do not fit the mold are scaled accordingly. The A5 DTM required almost no scaling versus the production model.

18. An Audi A5 DTM consists of around 4,000 parts – about 50 of them are specification parts prescribed by the DTM regulations for all manufacturers.

19. The Audi A5 DTM bears the internal project name “R17” at Audi Sport.

20. The “R17 project was launched on May 4, 2010.

21. The prototype of the Audi A5 DTM did its first kilometers on the Audi test track in Neustadt on July 29, 2011.

22. The Audi A5 DTM celebrated its world debut on September 12, 2011 as part of the Volkswagen Group Night held before the International Motor Show (IAA) in Frankfurt.

23. Since March 1, 2012 the technology of the DTM vehicles for the 2012 season has been largely frozen.  

24. Around 30,000 test kilometers were reeled off by Audi Sport with the A5 DTM prior to its first racing run.

25. The Audi A5 DTM is 5.01 meters long, 1.95 meters high and 1.15 meters low. All DTM vehicles have an identical wheelbase of 2,750 millimeters.

26. A DTM wheel weighs over 22 kilograms – the teams’ mechanics train at the gym to handle this weight.

27. The current-generation DTM vehicles are regarded as the race touring cars boasting the highest safety standards in motorsport history.

28. The carbon fiber monocoque of the Audi A5 DTM weighs merely 126 kilograms, the roll cage 32.5 kilograms.

29. In the mandatory crash test the side wall of the monocoque has to resist a force of 360 kN, which equates to 36 metric tons or 36 small cars.

30. The requirements specified for the – now 65-centimeter-long – crash absorbers at the front and rear ends of the vehicles have been raised. In addition, a total of four side-impact crash absorbers are installed in the cars for the first time.

31. The A5 DTM is currently using the same engine as its predecessor model, the A4: a V8 with four liters of displacement, around 340 kW (460 hp) and thus comparable performance ratings as the 4.2-liter V8 unit used in the top-of-the-line RS 5.

32. The transmission that is now operated by means of paddle shifters on the steering wheel can achieve a mileage of up to 24,000 kilometers.

33. The steering wheel of the Audi A5 DTM has a diameter of merely 28 centimeters.

34. Unlike the A4 DTM, which still had a steel roof, the Audi A5 DTM has a body made of CFRP.

35. Just like the production model, the Audi A5 DTM has headlights with LED daytime running light. Audi is a trendsetter in the field of LED technology. At the Le Mans 24 Hours, Audi has been the first automobile manufacturer to compete with full LED headlights since last year.

36. Around 200 employees work for Audi Sport at the two locations Ingolstadt and Neckarsulm.

37. Head of Audi Motorsport Dr. Wolfgang Ullrich has been at the helm of Audi Sport since November 1993. In 2004, he led Audi back into the DTM and has clinched the title six times since then.

38. For over 30 years, Audi Sport has been part of the Technical Development division of AUDI AG. This is one of the reasons why the technology transfer between motorsport and production is very intensive at Audi. Dr. Wolfgang Ullrich reports directly to Michael Dick, Member of the Board of Management of AUDI AG for Technical Development.

39. Dieter Gass has been serving in the role of “Head of Racing Commitments” at Audi Sport since January 1, 2012, reporting directly to Head of Audi Motorsport Dr. Wolfgang Ullrich.

40. In parallel to the DTM, Audi in 2012 is involved in the FIA World Endurance Championship (WEC) and the two 24-hour races at the Nürburgring and at Spa. In total, the Audi Sport squad of around 200 members with support by the partner teams is handling no less than 21 factory racing commitments in the 2012 season.  

41. For 2012, Audi Sport concurrently developed three new race cars:  the A5 DTM, the R18 ultra and the R18 e-tron quattro – the first diesel hybrid vehicle for the Le Mans 24 Hours that marks the return of quattro drive to motorsport. Audi Sport customer racing – with the R8 LMS ultra and the R8 GRAND-AM – contributed two other new customer sport race cars.

42. Audi Sport Team Abt Sportsline is fielding four vehicles in the DTM, supported by 53 employees. Audi Sport Teams Phoenix and Rosberg are each entering two Audi A5 DTM cars, with 26 employees being assigned to the DTM commitment by each team.

43. All three Audi Sport teams have been involved in the most popular international touring car racing series ever since the DTM was re-launched in 2000. ABT Sportsline relied on Audi vehicles from the outset. Phoenix Racing and Team Rosberg have been partners of Audi Sport since the 2006 season.  

44. Audi Sport Team Abt Sportsline is based in Kempten in the Allgäu region of Bavaria, Audi Sport Team Phoenix in the industrial park Meuspath near the Nürburgring and Audi Sport Team Rosberg in Neustadt an der Weinstraße.

45. With five DTM driver titles to its credit, Audi Sport Team Abt Sportsline is the so far most successful Audi DTM team.

46. With an average age of barely 27 years, Audi is competing with the youngest driver line-up of the three manufacturers in the 2012 DTM.

47. Aged 21, the Frenchman Adrien Tambay is the “junior” in Audi’s line-up, Mattias Ekström (33) the “senior.”

48. The Audi drivers in the 2012 DTM season hail from seven different nations (France, Germany, Italy, Portugal, Sweden, Switzerland, Spain). Edoardo Mortara has dual citizenship (Italy/France). Timo Scheider is German but races with an Austrian license.

49. Switzerland is clearly the preferred residence of the Audi drivers. Four of the eight DTM racers live there.

50. With 17 wins under his belt, Mattias Ekström is the brand’s most successful DTM racer in front of Hans-Joachim Stuck (11).

51. Mattias Ekström, Timo Scheider and Mike Rockenfeller have achieved all of their previous 24 victories in the DTM at the wheel of Audi vehicles.

52. Six of the eight 2012 Audi DTM drivers have been on the DTM podium at least once.

53. Audi most recently provided the best DTM rookie – Miguel Molina (2010) and Edoardo Mortara (2011) – twice in succession.

54. Mattias Ekström was pleased about the allocation of number “3” to his car. It was the number of the car in which the Swede won his second DTM title in 2007.

55. Filipe Albuquerque and Miguel Molina took German lessons at the Audi Academy in Ingolstadt during the winter.  

56. Tipping the scales at 50 kilograms, Rahel Frey – as could be expected – is the flyweight in the 2012 Audi driver line-up, Mattias Ekström – with 77 kilograms – the heaviest Audi racer.

57. Audi’s 2012 Le Mans driver line-up includes four former DTM racers – Dindo Capello, Oliver Jarvis, Tom Kristensen and Allan McNish – and one from the current season, Mike Rockenfeller.

58. Audi Sport was able to secure the support of a total of 21 partners for its involvement in the 2012 DTM.

59. “Audi Sport performance cars” stands for all high-performance cars from AUDI AG, such as the Audi R8 or the RS models from quattro GmbH.

60. Service plays a crucial role in customer loyalty and retention – the brand with the four rings calls it “Audi Top Service”.

61. Youngster Adrien Tambay advertises “Audi ultra” on his car, referring to the company’s ultra-lightweight design expertise.

62. AUTO TEST is the number one of the monthly car magazines.

63. Computer Bild Spiele is Europe’s leading games magazine.

64. E-POSTBRIEF by the Deutsche Post (German Postal Service) makes convenient and secure online mailing and receipt of letters possible.

65. Cloud computing specialist EMC provides technologies and solutions that support companies in maximizing the use of their existing information.

66. kicker – founded all the way back in 1920 – is the most tradition-steeped German sports magazine. It is published twice a week, on Mondays and Thursdays.

67. Nintendo is acclaimed for the development of video games and game consoles. Any gamer is arguably familiar with the current consoles, Nintendo 3DS or Wii.

68. Playboy is a men’s and lifestyle magazine with practically worldwide circulation. Currently, there are 28 national issues.

69. By creating the Red Bull energy drink, the Austrian entrepreneur Dietrich Mateschitz invented a completely new product category. Red Bull is now available in more than 160 countries.

70. The Schaeffler Group owns the three product brands INA, FAG and LuK. In the strikingly brilliant yellow-green livery of the Schaeffler Group Audi Sport Team Phoenix clinched the DTM driver title for Audi last year.

71. TV Movie is a biweekly program guide published by the Hamburg-based Bauer Media Group.

72. The supra-regional daily “DIE WELT” ranks among the leading European newspapers.

73. Other renowned brands partnering with Audi in the 2012 DTM are Alpinestars, the world’s leading company for high-performance motorsport apparel, spring manufacturer Eibach, beverage suppliers Gerolsteiner and Hofmühl, wheel expert O.Z., watchmaker TAG Heuer and the Würth Group.

74. For the first time since 2005, the DTM includes a manufacturers classification again, which Audi 2004 decided in its favor once before. The six best vehicles of a manufacturer, respectively, are classified.

75. In the 2012 DTM, points are awarded for the first time according to the system used in Formula 1: 25-18-15-12-10-8-6-4-2-1 for positions one to ten.

76. Refueling during DTM races is no longer permitted. The Audi A5 DTM has a 120-liter fuel tank.

77. Each race has two mandatory pit stops for tire changes. A quick pit stop in the DTM takes less than three seconds, the same time it takes the Audi A5 DTM to accelerate from rest to 100 km/h.

78. 14 mechanics perform a DTM pit stop – three per wheel, plus one man with the wand that supplies compressed air to the air jack system in the car and the famous “lollipop man” who directs the A5 to the right position in the pit lane with a sign that looks like an oversized lollipop.

79. The minimum weight of a DTM vehicle was specified at 1,100 kilograms for the 2012 season – including 85 kilograms for the driver. Drivers who weigh less than that have to take appropriate ballast on board.

80. Per race weekend, a driver may use a maximum of 28 unused slicks (14 front and 14 rear tires). 40 tires are permitted for the first weekend.

81. For all DTM events – from the beginning of the first DTM event to the end of the last classification race – a maximum of three engines are permitted per two registered drivers. No mechanical component inside the sealed engines may be worked on, removed or exchanged.

82. Two drivers combined may use a maximum of six sets of brake discs.

83. The length of the free practice sessions was increased to 100 minutes (per each of two sessions) in the 2012 season.

84. In addition to the national flag and the driver’s last name, the so-called “three letter code” that clearly identifies each driver must be displayed on the rear side windows this year. The codes at Audi are: ALB (Albuquerque), EKS (Ekström), FRE (Frey), MOL (Molina), MOR (Mortara), ROC (Rockenfeller), TAM (Tambay), TSC (Scheider).

85. Since the past season, Hankook has been the DTM’s exclusive tire supplier. Compared with last year, the wheels have larger dimensions (12 x 18 instead of 10 x 18 inches at the front and 13 x 18 instead of 11 x 18 inches at the rear axle).

86. For the third consecutive time, the official season presentation is held in Wiesbaden, the capital of the state of Hesse.

87. The DTM season opener is taking place at the Hockenheimring for the 16th time. Since 1995, the circuit in Baden-Württemberg has been the traditional venue of the first DTM race of the year.

88. At a total of ten classification races, points are awarded in the 2012 season. In addition, like last year, there is a show event at the Munich Olympic Stadium at which two drivers per run compete against each other in a knock-out format.

89. Seven DTM events are held in Germany in 2012; in addition, there are visits to Great Britain, Austria, the Netherlands and Spain.

90. All DTM qualifying sessions and races are broadcast by ARD live on “Das Erste”.

91. According to calculations by Audi Sport the top speed (around 260 km/h) in the 2012 DTM season is reached at the end of the Parabolika at the Hockenheimring. The slowest corner – at around 50 km/h – is turn 1 at the Norisring in Nuremberg.

92. 62,000 spectators on average attended the DTM events last year. On its debut, the show event at the Munich Olympic Stadium immediately attracted 54,000 spectators.

93. On a total of five of the nine DTM tracks, Audi is holding the qualifying record (Hockenheim, Spielberg, Zandvoort, Oschersleben and Valencia).

94. On the Spanish circuit at Valencia, Audi has remained unbeaten in the DTM so far – the same applies to Audi factory driver Mattias Ekström.

95. Audi was most successful in recent years at Zandvoort and Oschersleben with five victories since its return to the DTM with a factory commitment in the 2004 season.

96. “DTM” was originally an abbreviation for “Deutsche Tourenwagen-Meisterschaft.” The three letters subsequently stood for “Deutsche Tourenwagen Masters.” “DTM” has meanwhile become an independent trade mark.

97. 2012 marks the 26th season for the DTM – including its international offspring, the “ITC”, in 1996. 269 DTM events with 379 classified races have been held so far in total.

98. The narrowest finishing gap at a DTM race was 0.089 seconds (Norisring 1996), the largest lead 51.96 seconds (Mainz-Finthen 1985).

99. The most commanding victory in the DTM since its re-launch in 2000 was achieved by Mattias Ekström in the Audi A4 DTM 2011 at Oschersleben. After a memorable wet race the Swede crossed the finish line with a 42.167-second advantage.

100. Audi, BMW and Mercedes-Benz last competed against each other at a DTM race on June 18, 1992 at the Nürburgring Nordschleife.