In 1990 and 1991 Audi entered its flagship model, the V8 quattro, for the German Touring Car Championship. The 3.6-litre engine of this luxury saloon developed 340 kW (462 bhp). Despite the car�s basic weight of 1,220 kilograms, this was sufficient in conjunction with the car�s all-wheel drive to hold off less powerful but lighter rivals. Stuck took the championship title in the first of these two seasons; in 1991 the young Frank Biela pipped him to the post after a dramatic neck-and-neck finale on the Hockenheim Ring circuit. In 1992, when the season had already started, a dispute arose regarding the legality of the engine�s new crankshaft, whereupon the team withdrew the V8 quattro from the remaining races.
Audi developed a Group A competition version of the Audi V8 for entry into the Deutsche Tourenwagen Meisterschaft (DTM) (German Touring Car Championship) auto racing series equipped with 309 kW (420 PS; 414 bhp), later 340 kW (462 PS; 456 bhp), 3.6 V8 engine and 6-speed manual transmission, and began racing with it in 1990 with Schmidt MotorSport (SMS) running the operation, and Hans-Joachim Stuck, Walter R�hrl and Frank Jelinski driving. In the 1990 DTM season all off the three teams claimed together the entire podium (1st, 2nd and 3rd places) at Hockenheimring race.[20] Stuck won the title, and the following year, Audi added a second team to the mix, Audi Zentrum Reutlingen (AZR). SMS continued with Stuck and Jelinski, while AZR raced with Frank Biela and Hubert Haupt. Biela gave Audi another crown in 1991, but was unable to defend the title in 1992.
For the 1992 season, Audi had changed their engines to use a 180� flatplane crankshaft, which they said had been re-forged and bent from the original 90� crossplane part as used in production model. The DTM organisers found this highly modified crankshaft deviated from original homologated standard crankshaft, and therefore deemed it illegal. Audi subsequently withdrew from the championship.
During its presence at DTM the Audi V8 competed with much smaller and about 300 kg (661 lb) lighter Mercedes 190, BMW M3, and slightly smaller Opel Omega 3000. None of those cars was equipped with a V8 engine or 4 wheel drive.
Interesting fact is that those DTM cars retained walnut wood trim on doors and dashboard. They are currently preserved and are exhibited in Audi Forum museums in Inglostadt and Neckarsulm, racing on occasion at special events.
20th October 2012
Audi V8 DTM - A set of No 44,45,46. Champion
