I understand it's a charity auction but 300K Euros is quite a bit of money, as a starting bid no less. Does anyone know the actual tech specs on a true DTM track car? Would this car ever be street legal? I would be interested to know if the engine is significantly upgraded/modded as opposed to slight hp/tq increases and dramatic weight loss as the drivers behind it's improved performance over a retail AMG. Can anyone shed some light? Does anyone own an actual DTM Benz?

http://www.emercedesbenz.com/Feb08/1..._Projects.html

 

I am so stunned by your question that I really don't know how to respond. Is this a joke?

A DTM car has about as much in common with a C Class Mercedes as Jeff Gordons NASCAR has in common with an Impala SS.

That car is a full tube chassis race car. I doubt that without a crew and technical team that you could even get it started.

 

I think you may have replied in hast buddy; It's definitely possible that it may not run, but for 300K Euro's I would assume that it starts, without a crew's help, and is drivable, albeit not street legal, hence my original question.

I understand that it is a 'race car' so of course it differs from it's retail counterpart, but by how much? Is there a highly tuned 55K motor in it? Tech specs? That's more of what I wanted to know.

You're not buying a 3500lb model car.

 

That's a serious collectible...whoever buys it is just going to stick it in a museum. Those probably cost somewhere around $1M apiece to build when you factor in all the R&D. 300k euros as an opening bid isn't out of line at all.

As to street legal, no way in hell. What do you expect? It doesn't even have turn signals, wipers, etc.? It's a race car.

 

Be great for shows and to mess around at the local circuit track, but 100% never would be street legal.

 

55K motor???



The DTM C has a naturally asipirated 8 that turns an 8000rpm redline and produces around 500hp. Not talking production hand-built, either, this is scratch-built. If you ever needed parts for it, someone is actually going to have to make them.

 

Ok i'll admit the question on whether it will ever be made street legal is a bit off. I have seen race cars fab'd to be street legal with makeshift blinkers and plates, which is the direction I was thinking about when I mentioned it but granted, it won't happen. I'll stand by the fact that I bet it starts though.

 

No... I did not reply in haste.

I would expect that it actually is a 2200 lb model car. These kinds of things happen all the time with race cars and since Mercedes does not have a Client Racing program like Ferrari where they take care of the F1 cars that you can buy, I would expect that this car would be for exhibition only.

You are not really buying a 300K Euro DTM car to play with, you are making a charitable donation and getting a great conversation piece. My guess is that this will be bought by some large company for far more than 300K Euro.

Your rcomments just show complete ignorance of DTM racing.

You can check it out at www.dtm.de

These are full race cars and other than a similar shape and look have nothing to do with any roadgoing car.

Here is a starting point:

Philosopy:The DTM aims to deliver spectacular, but at the same time cost-conscious touring car sport. Numerous components such as the gearbox, prop-shaft, engine electronics, rear wing and carbon-fibre brakes are identical and stipulated by the regulations to be used by all manufacturers. A DTM engine must last an entire race season.

Audi A4 DTM and AMG-Mercedes C-ClassCars: A DTM car is a no-compromise touring car with the silhouette of a four-door production car designed specifically for motorsport and is constructed around a steel space frame. The bodywork is manufactured from composite plastic. The steel roof originates from the production line. Rear wheel drive is mandatory, and electronic driver aids such as ABS or traction control are forbidden.

Engines: Only V8 engines with a cylinder bank angle of 90 degrees and a maximum displacement of four litres and a maximum of four valves per cylinder are permitted in the DTM. The induction system must be fitted with two air restrictors each of a maximum 28 mm diameter.

Gearbox: Only two different gearbox-differential units, supplied by either X-trac or Hewland, are authorised in the DTM.

Brakes: The carbon fibre brakes discs, brake pads and calipers are also supplied by a single manufacturer to all teams.

Dunlop exclusively equips all the carsAerodynamics: The aerodynamic configuration for all cars of a single manufacturer must be determined no later than eight days before the start of the season and may not be changed during the season.

Tyres: The tyres are supplied exclusively by Dunlop. There is one slick and one rain tyre version.

Weight: According to the decision of the DTM commission, the new 2006-spec cars must have a minimum weight of 1,070 kilogram the 2005-spec cars must weigh 1,060 kilogram, while the 2004-spec cars’ minimum weight was reduced to 1,020 kilogram.

 

You may as well attempt to buy and domesticate a Siberian Tiger, that's on the same level of feasability as your original question. Those things don't even have working headlights.

 

DMV worker, "Okay, I have to go out and do a visual inspection"

walk out to the car.

"Okay, let's go ahead and start it up please"

"Now keep in mind, it is a tick loud"

 

Judging by my question it's obvious I don't have the vast knowledge of mercedes DTM racing such as yourself. (hence the question) I could have searched around the net but figured someone here may have some insight.

From your summary we see that it's a 4 liter engine, and I guess N/A? Is the large power output of these rather small displacement engines due to the high revs it generates?

 

My next race car?!

 

Here's a pic

 

LOL. what wrong with that it sounds fine to me.

 

 

$300,000 is actually extremely cheap for this car, I would bet its value is closer to double that.

 

Take it from someone who has rode in one.If you tried to drive that car on a track it would beat the daylights out of you and the fumes and heat would make you nauceous.It is basically a carbon fiber tub with a complete roll cage set-up.It accelerates like a rocket and brakes like nothing you've ever been in.The only thing it has in common with the C-class is the steel roof and yes, it has wipers.PM "Chappy" - he's been in one also.

 

Where and when did you ride in a DTM car...?

 

are you sure its tube body? I thought they are trying to keep costs down and its a re werked unibody c class.(bearely a c class) and to answer how much hp they have i think its 580hp

 

depends on what kind of use you mean? as a race car its out dated so its basicaly has no value as a collecter pc who knows what some rich guy would pay?

 

First of all, try to determine the value of the car because 300K Euro is more than the car is worth, regardless of how much the car cost to build. Bugatti Veyron costs twice as much to build compared to the $2M they sell for.

Once you have established how much the car is worth. Everything else is tax deductible IF this charity is considered tax deductible in the US. You will not get this car for 300K euro as you have already predicted.

As for technical details of the car. You would have found those with a little research. You know, the kind of research you do before putting down 300K euro on anything.

http://motorsport.mercedes-benz.com/...reus.com/about

Here is a picture of the car doing it's thing http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedi...Paffet_amk.jpg

One reason you would not drive it on the road is that the brakes don't work hardly at all until they get good and hot. Oh yea, no ABS.

If someone has the money it would be killer for days out with the TrackMasters. You need a trailer and tow vehicle.

 

Wasn't that Gary Paffets car? Didn't he win a race in 07 in that car?

 

Nah, a "tin top" race car is like driving a caddy after you have driven a formula car. Those beat the **** out of you, have lots of fumes, and are amazingly hot. But you know what? You forget about all that as soon as you pull out of the pits and get on the track!

That being said, I would love to have a DTM car but the running costs would be brutal.

 

How were you able to drive a DTM car? Was it from a personal collector or an event? That would def be an experience, only bested by an F1.

It does look like Gary Paffett's car, and if it is it's only about 2 or 3 years old, not a bad buy I guess.

 

It still meets DTM spec, so it's hardly outdated as a race car.

You can't compare DTM cars to really anything else, since the rules limit the technology. All of them are "outdated" by modern standards, but it's by design...