Abt Audi TT-R DTM '02

"Obtaining 5 victories in the new DTM; the machine of Laurent Aiello, who won the driver's championship title."


The original DTM (Deutsche Tourenwagen Meisterschaft) racing series was held between 1984 and 1996, with Audi winning with V8 Quattros in 1990 and 1991. Although the original DTM was discontinued in 1996, it was resurrected in 2000 and Audi entered once more. This time the car was the TT-R, based on the TT racing under the Team Abt Sportsline banner.

To control developments costs, the new DTM restricted drive systems to front-engine/rear-wheel-drive (FR) cars only, with engine specs limited to naturally-aspirated 4.0-liter V-8s. Tuning of the engine was largely forbidden so all cars were producing around 454 HP and 361-6 ft-lb of torque. While the Audi TT-R looked like a normal TT from the outside, inside the sheet metal things were drastically different, with a totally reworked chassis and layout.

In the 2002 DTM season, the Audi TT-Rs finished 1-2 at the opening race at Hockenheim. The Audi TT-R ended up winning five of its ten races that year, with ace driver Lauren Aiello taking home the Driver's Championship after besting rivals that included the AMG Mercedes CLKs and Opel Astra V8 Coupes.

The next year, a total of six TT-R were entered by three separate teams, but none could match the energy of the previous year. Besides Aiello's single win, Audi came away with a 2nd-place finish in manufacturer ranking.