Mercedes may be calling it time on its DTM program after this season, but BMW is sticking around. In fact it’s just released an updated version of its challenger for the championship ahead.
Though the basic format remains the same, the new regulations for 2018 call for less downforce. So the engineers in Munich have comprehensively revised the aero package for the latest BMW M4 DTM.
The side channels have been simplified, the side plates removed, and the aero flicks have been cut down to just one smaller element on each of the front corners. The rear-end aero has been simplified as well.
There are changes underneath the bodywork too, with the third element of the front axle removed to leave just one spring per wheel. The sum total promises to put more onus on the driver, and stands to increase top speeds as well.
“I’m excited to take to the track in the 2018 version of the BMW M4 DTM,” said 2012 champ Bruno Spengler. “The less downforce a racing car has, the more challenging it is to drive it at the limit. It will be exciting for the engineers to find the perfect set-up. The mechanical grip of the car will be more important than ever.”
The Canadian driver will be joined behind the wheel of the revised M4 DTM by Philipp Eng (from Austria), Joel Eriksson (from Sweden), Augusto Farfus (Brazil), and Marco Wittmann and Timo Glock (both from Germany). They’ll have to contend with a roster of competitors driving the Audi RS5 and Mercedes-AMG C63 in what’s shaping up to be the most competitive season in the foreseeable future before Daimler shuts down its program.
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