Audi released new details of their turbocharged inline 4-cylinder engine, which will power the Audi RS5 Turbo DTM race car in the 2019 season of DTM.
DTM (Deutsche Tourenwagen Masters) is one of the most prominent touring car race series in Europe and especially in Germany where 75% of the races are being held. The series features silhouette cars which resemble production models like the Audi RS5. Yet, with wicked aerodynamics and specially regulated chassis and drivetrain components, DTM cars are barely related to their production counterparts.
For the 2019 season, DTM introduced major changes in technical regulations – most notably cutting down the engine in half – literally. The series replaced the naturally-aspirated, 4.0-liter V8 with a turbocharged, 2.0-liter inline-4.
As one of the three engine suppliers for DTM, Audi developed their own version of the heavily regulated engine. And, it’s a thing of beauty.
The 2.0-liter unit weighs just 85 kilograms (187.4 lbs) with the turbocharger. That’s a 30% reduction from the typical aluminum block inline-4 engine in a regular production car.
At the same time, the new engine develops 610 bhp and revs up to 9500 RPM. Even at half the displacement and weight, the engine marks an increase of 110 bhp and 500 RPM compared to the previous V8.
A push-to-pass system adds another 30 bhp temporarily. An ALS (anti-lag system) keeps the turbocharger spooled up even when the brakes are activated, making boost readily available as drivers go out of a turn. At the same time, the DRS mode folds the rear-wing, allowing higher speeds in the straights.
The combination of these technologies promises a lot of dramatic overturns during the 2019 DTM season.
In the video below, where Audi Sport engineers go over the new engine and how they solved some of the challenges with downsizing.