Monday 15th October 2018

Aston Martin Vantage to race in DTM next year

Silhouette racer set to fill the void left by Mercedes' departing C-Coupe

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DTM-spec Aston Martin Vantage racers will make their competition debuts next year thanks to a new licence deal struck between the Gaydon firm and R-Motorsport. The silhouette racers will effectively fill the void left by Mercedes's soon to be retired C-Coupe, which is being taken out of DTM as the German marque focuses on Formula E. Aston Martin, on the other hand, has seen opportunity in DTM and its half German, half international calendar. It'll be the only non-German brand to race, with Audi and BMW its soon-to-be rivals.

This won't be a factory Aston effort, but company CEO Andy Palmer said fielding Vantages in DTM will be "an important extension to [the brand's] other motor sport programmes", which include the World Endurance Championship, as well as GT3 and GT4. It may also help to bolster British interest in DTM, which has UK a round at Brands Hatch.

Although the car will resemble a Vantage, its structure and chassis will be as per DTM's tightly controlled regulations. New engine specifications will also require use of turbocharged 2.0-litre engines with 620hp. The package results in cars more comparable in lap time to single seaters than conventional touring cars.

R Motorsport team principal Florian Kamelger said the car's 2019 competition debut will be a great boost to Aston because, "the DTM is one of the recognised international championships for touring and GT segment cars and the initiated extended internationalisation creates great perspectives. The DTM offers first class sport and is close to the fans and is the ideal presentation stage for us".

DTM may also represent a stepping-stone to more motorsport involvement from Aston thanks to the latest Class 1 specifications, which were introduced in 2017 to align DTM with Japan's Super GT series. Aston and R-Motorsport said the DTM deal was boosted by these shared regulations, suggesting Vantage racers could find their way into the popular Asian series in the future.

[ThomasJonField]

Not going to be a V8 though is it? Maybe have a look at the Class 1 regs...

[FourWheelDrift]

Correct it's all change next year to 2.0 turbo 4cyl engines.

[Sam Sheehan]

Oh yes, of course. I really must follow DTM more closely.

[Collaudatore]

Next thing we'll be hearing Ozzy V8s are no longer V8s

Did the American GT division drop to I4s also?

[FourWheelDrift]

Collaudatore said:

Next thing we'll be hearing Ozzy V8s are no longer V8s

Have you heard of the Gen2 rules? - https://www.thesupercarscollective.com/inside-supe... other engines are planned to be used.

[Collaudatore]

FourWheelDrift said:

Have you heard of the Gen2 rules? - https://www.thesupercarscollective.com/inside-supe... other engines are planned to be used.

Strewth

No - to be honest I haven't watched too much "other" motorsport in years, other than Formula 1. Now I spend my Sundays watching Fireman Sam and Scooby Doo.
I had been looking for another race series to replace F1. I am finally done in with it.
I always enjoyed watching the V8s in the past and the DTM but haven't been keeping up with them at all lately.

[ThomasJonField]

Collaudatore said:

FourWheelDrift said:

Have you heard of the Gen2 rules? - https://www.thesupercarscollective.com/inside-supe... other engines are planned to be used.

Strewth

No - to be honest I haven't watched too much "other" motorsport in years, other than Formula 1. Now I spend my Sundays watching Fireman Sam and Scooby Doo.
I had been looking for another race series to replace F1. I am finally done in with it.
I always enjoyed watching the V8s in the past and the DTM but haven't been keeping up with them at all lately.

They aren't looking at changing from V8s in Aus any time soon, Holden tested a turbo V6 but it was decided to stick with the V8 and given it's only Holden (GM) and Ford in the near future it isn't likely to change soon.

[Collaudatore]

ThomasJonField said:

They aren't looking at changing from V8s in Aus any time soon, Holden tested a turbo V6 but it was decided to stick with the V8 and given it's only Holden (GM) and Ford in the near future it isn't likely to change soon.

Not until someone using a TC V6 enters and whoops-ass, then the end of the world will spread down under too.

Long live the V8

[thegreenhell]

So an independent team will put an Aston-shaped body on a DTM spec chassis. Not much actual Aston in this really, is there?

[ZX10R NIN]

Collaudatore said:

Strewth

No - to be honest I haven't watched too much "other" motorsport in years, other than Formula 1. Now I spend my Sundays watching Fireman Sam and Scooby Doo.
I had been looking for another race series to replace F1. I am finally done in with it.
I always enjoyed watching the V8s in the past and the DTM but haven't been keeping up with them at all lately.

All change on the V8 Supercars front, whilst you can run a V8 N/A/V8 TT/V6TT or a 2.0T no one is going to use a Turbo lump in fact it'll be Camaro's & Mustangs with rumours of Lexus joining with their RC-F in fact the Aston would be a great fit.

[HighwayStar]

thegreenhell said:

So an independent team will put an Aston-shaped body on a DTM spec chassis. Not much actual Aston in this really, is there?

Exactly how the same as per the Audi, BMW and out going Merc.

[FourWheelDrift]

HighwayStar said:

thegreenhell said:

So an independent team will put an Aston-shaped body on a DTM spec chassis. Not much actual Aston in this really, is there?

Exactly how the same as per the Audi, BMW and out going Merc.

The DTM Vantage will be just like the road going Vantage, with a Mercedes engine powering it.

[DanielSan]

ZX10R NIN said:

All change on the V8 Supercars front, whilst you can run a V8 N/A/V8 TT/V6TT or a 2.0T no one is going to use a Turbo lump in fact it'll be Camaro's & Mustangs with rumours of Lexus joining with their RC-F in fact the Aston would be a great fit.

Walkinshaw won't be bringing the Camaro until 2020, Lexus haven't confirmed anything either way yet. It's an 18 month old rumour but nothing really seems to be happening unless they're keeping it stealth and the car just appears.

[TegTypeR]

Surely this is more of an advertising campaign, than a demonstration of what the road car can do on the track.

I'm sure you can argue this is what the DTM is anyway with the way the regulations are set out but I still find it somewhat sad this is what racing has become now-a-days.

[thegreenhell]

FourWheelDrift said:

The DTM Vantage will be just like the road going Vantage, with a Mercedes engine powering it.

Will there be a 2 litre, 4 cylinder Vantage road car, just like the DTM car, then?

[rodericb]

This is Aston Martin buttering the market up in readiness for a Vantage propelled by the 2 litre turbo donk out of the A45 spun around ninety degrees

[Cold]

You'll just have to watch WEC if you want to see a whole Vantage going racing.

[HighwayStar]

FourWheelDrift said:

HighwayStar said:

thegreenhell said:

So an independent team will put an Aston-shaped body on a DTM spec chassis. Not much actual Aston in this really, is there?

Exactly how the same as per the Audi, BMW and out going Merc.

The DTM Vantage will be just like the road going Vantage, with a Mercedes engine powering it.

no it won't... All the teams, along with other things, run the same DTM spec chassis, control suspension parts etc

Not the latest for the 2.0l series but you'll get the idea
https://www.dtm.com/en/regulations/technical-regul...

[FourWheelDrift]

HighwayStar said:

no it won't... All the teams, along with other things, run the same DTM spec chassis, control suspension parts etc

Not the latest for the 2.0l series but you'll get the idea
https://www.dtm.com/en/regulations/technical-regul...

I was just talking about the engine, sarcastically.

[FourWheelDrift]

Nanook said:

Collaudatore said:

ThomasJonField said:

They aren't looking at changing from V8s in Aus any time soon, Holden tested a turbo V6 but it was decided to stick with the V8 and given it's only Holden (GM) and Ford in the near future it isn't likely to change soon.

Not until someone using a TC V6 enters and whoops-ass, then the end of the world will spread down under too.

Long live the V8

Or they'll be banned, like they did with the Skyline in the early 90s.

Here's Greg Murphy in a Holden V6 Twin Turbo at Bathurst. https://youtu.be/UTdU5y35-FQ?t=17 not exactly quiet is it.