# DTM proposed 2011 regs change: 5 liter V8s?



## chernaudi (Oct 6, 2006)

I got this rumor from a discussion on Ten-Tenths.com's forum about Super GT racing. There were rumors about a hook up between DTM and Super GT over regulations for 2011. However, engines seem to be a sticking point, with Super GT standardizing on 3.4 liter V8s similar to Formula Nippon and ALMS LMP2 cars currently use, while current DTM cars use 4 liter V8s.
But the rumor is that DTM is considering a move to 5 liter V8s, as the larger engines make more torque and have better driveablitiy and fuel economy due to reduced revs, or that's my theory on such a move. It also may encourage the use of stock block engines. Mercedes-Benz may benefit, since they have a good 5.0 V8 or engines to make one out of by increasing the bore or reducing the stroke.
But Audi doesn't have such an engine, as such an engine should be an oversquare V8 for high RPM operation(current 4.0 DTM V8s are rev limited to about 7500-8000 RPM, and V8 Supercar 5.0 V8s are rev limited to 7400 RPM) Audi does have a V8-the 4.2. But it's a fairly undersquare engine.
As I mentioned, this is just a rumor right now-it's not a solid deal that DTM will ditch the 4.0 engine formula, or that stock block engines have to be used if they go the 5.0 route. It also doesn't come out and say that V8s will be standard(though that's assumed to equalize competition), and that Audi didn't entirly build their DTM engines-the original was based off of the old BMW M3 V8 that Sudomo in France turned into a stock block LMP2 engine(4.0 is the limit for stock block LMP2 engines), and I don't know about the current Audi V8 DTM engine(though there are rumors that it's linked to the Mugen 4.0/4.5 LMP1 engine, though I have to say that it looks like it also may be a 4.0 NA version of the Audi R8's 3.6 TFSI V8).
So where does Audi's current DTM V8 derive itself from, is it related to any known engine, and where would Audi get a 5.0 V8 for DTM if they make that switch-bore and stoke the current engine, or use a modified V8 under licence(al la, Ford 5.0 Cammer)?


----------

