Frankfurt 2015: Mercedes-Benz Reveals All-New DTM Racer For 2016 Season
Auto NewsDisplayed alongside its GT3 cousin and Formula 1 World Championship-winning racer, Mercedes-Benz has taken the covers off its all-new DTM challenger for the 2016 season.
With the latest-gen Mercedes-Benz C-Class as its base, this particular Mercedes-AMG C 63 DTM will be brought to competition by the Pascal Wehrlein racing team in next year’s DTM race series.
Yes, it all looks monumentally aggressive against the regular, road-going C 63, but at the heart of this DTM racer beats the same AMG 4.0-litre V8 that delivers 490 PS and 500 Nm of torque – a much lower power output compared to the road-going version, which in its highest state of tune, can dish out up to 510 PS and 650Nm of torque. The reduced power output in the DTM racer is of course in compliance with the race series’ regulations.
There’s a lot else that makes this car unique for the road-going C 63 cars is that you’ll also find a racing six-speed manual transmission, lots of carbon fibre body panels and bits, a stripped out cabin, and a proper steel cage.
Needless to say, the exterior of car is viciously striking with loads of aerodynamic improvements over not only the road-going C 63, but also the brand’s current DTM racer in competition for the 2015 season.
At the front, only the headlamps and AMG twin-bar front grille look familiar, while the rest of the bumper is completely displaced. There’s a huge front splitter that runs across the length of the car’s front end, while down the side, we challenge you to count the amount of aerodynamic flics used here. There is also of course a very wide DTM-ready body kit all around, and you can’t deny the sheer size of that rear wing.
All of the updates and changes bring the Mercedes-AMG C 63 DTM up to race regulations and specifications for the coming 2016 season.