Audi reveals new 2.0 litre t/c DTM engine

Following about two and a half years of development and some 1,000 hours of dynamometer testing Audi has released details of its new engine with which it will compete in the competitive DTM series this season and beyond. It will be racing against Aston Martin and BMW in the 18 sprint races held over nine weekends in Germany, the UK, Belgium, Italy and the Netherlands.

The Class 1 vehicles, like the Audi RS 5 DTM, are thoroughbred racecars bearing an optical resemblance to their road-going siblings. However, nestling under the bonnet  is a compact 2-litre, 4-cylinder turbo engine with gasoline direct injection (TFSI) that only weighs 85 kg and so only half as much as the naturally aspirated V8 engine that was previously used in the DTM. As a result, the dry weight of the Audi RS 5 DTM has dropped to less than 1,000 kg. Running on standard filling station fuel (RON 98), which is conducive to the technology transfer from motorsport to production, the power-to-weight ratio is now about 1.6 kg per horsepower. It delivers more than 610 horsepower, but by means of the “push-to-pass” function, the drivers can even access a short-term 30 hp power boost.

The new DTM Class  1 Regulations are geared to utmost efficiency. Just like in production, the challenge is to extract the maximum from the available fuel through high compression and very good efficiency. In the DTM, the amount of fuel is limited to 95 kg per hour.

“That may sound like a lot but, in view of more than 610 horsepower, it really isn’t,” says Ulrich Baretzky, Head of Engine Development at Audi Motorsport. “The specific consumption of the DTM engine is extremely low and now within ranges that used to be typical for diesel engines. In terms of weight and lightweight design – especially in the context of avoiding CO2  emissions – we’re pointing out a few approaches that will hopefully find  their way into future road-going vehicles – like in the case of the first TFSI for Le Mans  and the TDI.”

While all carmakers, including Audi, are expanding the electrification of their production road cars, there is still a fundamental belief that the internal combustion engine has a long way to go before it can be written off, as explained by Stefan Dreyer, Head of Powertrain Development at Audi Motorsport

“The IC engine still has a long future and complements electric mobility really well. At Audi, we’ve always been working on high-efficiency engines – most recently with diesel and now again with gasoline units. There’s still a lot of potential for further development. Also in combination with alternative fuels, an IC engine can be designed for extremely high eco-friendliness.”

Further details will be published in the next issue of Race Tech.