Audi
Press Release
They could hardly be any more different – the Audi RS 5 DTM and the R18
e-tron quattro. Still, there are some things which both race cars from Audi’s
factory programs in the DTM and WEC have in common. Plus, both are pursuing the
same aim – success.
There was a time when a touring car was an optimized production model. Audi often proved that it is possible to be successful in motorsport with such cars. In 1990 and 1991, the Audi V8 quattro won the DTM twice in succession. No other automobile manufacturer had achieved this feat before. The Group A race cars were created on the basis of a production Audi V8. The following years again showed that a good production touring car provides a viable base for great success in racing. The Audi 80 competition and the Audi A4 quattro, prepared according to Super Touring Car regulations, won titles for Audi worldwide.
There was a time when a touring car was an optimized production model. Audi often proved that it is possible to be successful in motorsport with such cars. In 1990 and 1991, the Audi V8 quattro won the DTM twice in succession. No other automobile manufacturer had achieved this feat before. The Group A race cars were created on the basis of a production Audi V8. The following years again showed that a good production touring car provides a viable base for great success in racing. The Audi 80 competition and the Audi A4 quattro, prepared according to Super Touring Car regulations, won titles for Audi worldwide.
In 2012, new rules were introduced yet again while the idea of a pure race car concept has been retained. A carryover-parts-principle for the three manufacturers involved in the DTM prescribes a large number of shared component assemblies. For example, the carbon fiber monocoque including the steel roll cage is identical for the Audi RS 5 DTM and its competitors.
In the Audi R18 e-tron quattro sports car, the entire one-piece monocoque is made of carbon. While the cost-optimized DTM design weighs around 130 kilograms, the performance-optimized sports car cell tips the scales at less than half of this weight. By taking the step in favor of an identical monocoque the DTM has clearly progressed in terms of passive safety.
“By the same token, we’ve got a lot of freedom with the Audi R18 e-tron quattro in terms of aerodynamics too,” says Dr. Mühlmeier. “In the DTM, the underfloor is geometrically specified, from the front to the rear diffusor. The same applies to the rear wing.”
At Audi Sport, both projects benefit from each other nonetheless. “We use the same programs for aerodynamics calculations by means of computational fluid dynamics (CFD) and in engineering design with the finite elements method (FEM),” explains the engineer. “The departments and the employees that deal with many of the various questions arising in the DTM and LMP are the same.” Special developments, though, are necessary to develop and test the hybrid system of the R18 e-tron quattro.
“Despite all the differences between the race cars, at Audi, we’ve repeatedly been able to use synergies benefiting both projects for years,” stresses Dr. Martin Mühlmeier.
Photo credit: Audi Sport Communication / Media