Mika in the lead, locked his wheels all the way into the first corner and still held it :buttrock

Looks like a bunch of Grand-Am Prep 2 tube frame cars running around out there...

Looks like a bunch of Grand-Am Prep 2 tube frame cars running around out there...

They sure don't look like them.

Tube frame chassis running motors that were never offered in the cars...hmm. You're right though, DTM cars look less like the cars they are supposed to mimic as compared to Grand-Am due to all of the crazy little winglets.

The cars are supposed to be fast and spectacular, while still rather cheap to build and run. All DTM race cars have RWD and 4.0 L V8 engines which are air-restricted to 470 hp, no matter if similar layouts or engines are available in the road cars. Instead of the road car bodies, unrelated purpose-built chassis (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chassis) are used, which are closer to prototype racing. Many drivers have in fact described the handling of the cars as closer to single seater racing cars than road cars. Only the roof sections of the road cars are put on top of the roll cages, and lights and other distinctive design features are used in order to provide a resemblance to the road cars. Also, in order to save money and provide close racing, many common parts from third party specialist are used, like transmission (from Hewland (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hewland) and Xtrac (http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Xtrac&action=edit)), brakes and Dunlop Tires (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dunlop_Tires). The all-important aerodynamic configurations are tested in wind tunnels (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wind_tunnel) before the season, brought to an equal level, and kept that way throughout the season.

Sure sounds a lot like the NASCAR/Grand-Am model of racing to me.

Looks like a bunch of Grand-Am Prep 2 tube frame cars running around out there...

Aesthetically way, way, way cooler than a Grand Am RX8 or GXPR.:cool

Aesthetically way, way, way cooler than a Grand Am RX8 or GXPR.:cool

That's all I'm saying. :)

So Julius...is DTM the NASCAR of Touring Car racing?

It's just always interesting to point out to some of the GrandAm haters around here that a series they drool over is made up of cars built around rules that are similar to what they call "lame" about GrandAm.

If Grand Am cars looked like or were built like DTM cars, they would suck less.

But there will always be that NASCAB factor. A Chevy Cobalt on pole? Give me a break.

I have to agree on that one, even with the sly mockery being attempted lol DTM cars are extremely advanced.

Grand Am Prep 2 cars are old tube frame designs, with old technology, with off the shelf modified engines.

DTM has advanced aerodynamics, advanced chassis dynamics, way more "one off" engine program, and of course MUCH better drivers than Grand Am ;)

If you had a DTM race a RX8/GXPR/M6 from Prep2, DTM would destroy. Plus DTM is in europe, so they get to race on nicer tracks lol

Plus DTM is in europe, so they get to race on nicer tracks lol

Define nicer...the wide, smooth F1 tracks are considered boring and lame by most sports car drivers. I'd rather drive a track that requires a track walk to pick up the tiny nuances and that doesn't have so much width that you're wasting time by tracking all of the way out in an average sports car.

IDTM has advanced aerodynamics, advanced chassis dynamics, way more "one off" engine program, and of course MUCH better drivers than Grand Am ;)

Agreed...I think DTM cars are cool as hell. However, I find it funny when certain folks hammer Grand-Am for using tube chassis and non-production engines and then consider it a positive in DTM. It's rather silly. It's just always fun to poke holes in someones argument who really just wants to hate on Grand-Am because it seems like the cool thing to do.

Agreed...I think DTM cars are cool as hell. However, I find it funny when certain folks hammer Grand-Am for using tube chassis and non-production engines and then consider it a positive in DTM. It's rather silly. It's just always fun to poke holes in someones argument who really just wants to hate on Grand-Am because it seems like the cool thing to do.

What holes? :rofl


I hate on Grand Am because the cars suck. Being cool is just a happy coincidence. :)

It's not just the tube chasis and non-production engines, that's all I have to say.

It's a shame that they can't put this on at 5pm on weekday timeslots in the place of Monster Truck racing....

It's too bad that Monster Trucks use non production body, chassis, engine combinations it makes the racing really boring.