I'm watching one of the German Touring Car races and they take a completely different route for body & aero. I think they are cool looking but I was thinking that if I saw one of those on the road my first impression might be "RICER!".
What say ye?
The aero is very ingenious.
Talk about box flares! It looks as if they just cut the body panels and extend the track 12" or more.
I think they are a little too far on the wild side. I prefer the BTCC to the Germans.
I think they are all the same chassis underneath the bodies. All the winglets and dive planes and whatnots make those cars look way too fragile for the sort of racing they do. Those cars have as much to do with BMWs, Mercs, and Audis as NASCAR cars have with Ford, Chevy and Toyota. The driver almost sits in the middle of the car. That being said, I have a season pass and record the DTM races and usually watch them.
Due to the underbody front tunnels we got to looking at driver position and even tho I expected them to be sitting in the middle I never saw a one that did.
There's less conformity about the aero than any other series I've seen. Some had 1 front tunnel, some 2 and some none.
I was amazed at how much of the aero survived quite a lot of banging in the rain. A close call causes F1 aero to depart, but after banging over and over most of the dive planes were still there.
I preferred the BTCC last year, but this year I'm preferring the Germans. But I still like the Aussie V8s the best!
Those are the kind of looks you can only get away with on a dedicated track car.
DTM cars are just silhouette racers, they have a common carbon tub and roll cage to which the manufacturers attach their own engines, suspension, body etc. There is/was a proposal to commonize reg's with Japanese GT and GrandAm in this country.
Overview of rules:
Engines Only V8 engines with a cylinder bank angle of 90 degrees, a maximum displacement of four litres and a maximum of four valves per cylinder are permitted in the DTM. The inlet system must be fitted with two air restrictors, each having a maximum diameter of 28 mm. Two weeks before the start of the season three engines for two registered entrants, respectively, are sealed. These engines must be used throughout the season. A DTM engine delivers roughly 500 hp.
Gearbox In the DTM only one gearbox-differential unit – from Hewland – is permitted.
Tyres The tyres are exclusively supplied by the series’ partner Hankook. At the front, “Ventus” 300/680 – 18 are used, the dimensions for the rear wheels are 320/710 – 18.
Brakes The carbon fibre brakes, brake pads and brake callipers for all teams are supplied by the same manufacturer (AP). Three sets of brake discs for the front and rear wheels, respectively, may be used during a season.
Weight The minimum weight of a DTM car including the driver with overall and helmet is 1,100 kilograms in the 2012 season.
Fuel Only the fuel specified for the respective event (ARAL Ultimate 102) may be used.
Electronics All DTM vehicles operate with identical engine control units supplied by Bosch. Data transmission while the vehicle is out on the track is prohibited.
Safety In the cockpit the driver is surrounded by an innovative combination consisting of a standard monocoque and cage. In addition, each vehicle has crash structures on both sides and at the front and rear. The “HANS” (Head and Neck Support) system has been mandatory since 2002.
In reply to Adrian_Thompson:
People really watch that crap? A field of cars that are all the same except for a body loosely shaped like a street car have nothing in common with.
Wally wrote: In reply to Adrian_Thompson: People really watch that crap? A field of cars that are all the same except for a body loosely shaped like a street car have nothing in common with.
Yep, though some actually turn left and right.
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