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The latest 2002 generation of the winning car for the ABT TT-R
How to make a winning car even better? After the 2001 season, Albert Deuring and his team were facing just this question. Last year, the Abt-Audi TT-R had won twice and the drivers from Kempten were on the podium on many other occasions. But still, Abt Sportslines chief technician did not have a quiet winter time. We have not touched the base of the car - after all, we were among the front runners all the time. But we have been working on many details, to get the full potential out of the car.
The limits, set by the regulations of the DTM (Deutsche Tourenwagen Masters), are equally clear and narrow. Wheelbase or overhang are standardised, but also the weight and the material of the components that may be used in the engine and entire car. Mandatory for all competitors is a V8-engine with a capacity of four litres and a standard air restrictor. Other components, such as gearbox, brakes, tyres and engine electronics, are control components, all contributing to most equal chances on the track. Furthermore, expensive innovations are prohibited. To sum it up, there is little playing room for the engineers - every detail counts.
For instance, the kinematics of the suspension were significantly improved at the new generation of the Abt-Audi TT-R. To reach the optimum in that area, this aspect was on top of the list during all the test sessions last year and this year. Before the start of the season already, Abt Sportsline racked up several thousand test kilometres on race tracks all over Europe. The effort has paid off. Deuring: “We have particularly focussed on this part, but we were rewarded with good results. I think, we have made a step ahead.”
Under the bonnet, an approximately 455 bhp strong engine does its duties. The new V8-engine has been overhauled for the new season and now delivers about five bhp more. The main difference of the 2002 machine is the changed cylinder interval. “According to the regulations, this has to be 102 mm from now on, instead of the previous 98 mm. Therefore, we had to develop a replacement for our proven engine”, explains Albert Deuring. Like last year, the renowned British engine builder Neil Brown is responsible for the construction.
Another focus of the team from Kempten was on the aerodynamics of the touring car. Apart from the challenge to develop an effective package for the oddly-shaped
Audi TT, there was another task lying ahead for this season: the new mandatory additional wing. Its position has - like the one of the main wing and the entire aerodynamics - to be fixed and homologated before the first race. After that, only the smaller flap may be changed. Finding the right settings as soon as possible means a lot of work for the drivers and the engineers.
The change also brought some disadvantages with it. us, the additional wing costs cw, so that we are slower on the straights. On the other hand, it has not resulted into any more downforce, says Albert Deuring. An additional aggravation for the technicians: to meet the requirements of the ITR, the wing had to be made 50 mm narrower.
The latest generation of the winning Abt-Audi TT-R is completed by various details, that have been improved since last season. For instance, Abt Sportsline has developed a new front end plate in order to increase the downforce on the front axle. “This was a deficit last year, which we quickly discovered, but were not able to improve during the course of the season, Deuring explains. Now the balance of the TT-R is significantly better, a fact that the drivers already noticed in pre-season testing.
Transmission works - like in all the DTM-cars - by means of a sequential gearbox with six speeds. Here, Abt Sportsline relies on a Hewland-unit for this season, which now is available next to the X-Trac version. The decisive point was, apart from the lower weight, the fact that with a Hewland box, the differential can be adjusted from the outside. That makes work for our crew easier, says Albert Deuring.
Only little changes were made to the cockpit of the TT-R. In the cockpit, in which details like the air outlets and the door handles remind of the production version of the race car, drivers can chose from various functions: from adjusting the brake balance to a refreshing drink by pushing a button. Gears are being changed with a lever on the central console, all the main functions can be used through control switches on the steering wheel. For the new TT-R, Abt Sportsline has adapted a Recaro bucket seat, replacing the regular foam seat. This further improves safety and the comfort for our drivers within the safety cell, Albert Deuring explains this idea.
Last but not least, the Abt-Audi TT-R got a new look: the characteristic colour accents for each driver of the Hasser-yellow cars (blue for Christian Abt, red for Laurent Aiello and yellow for Martin Tomczyk) has been made more visible and now also includes the so called flips at the front. The two TT-R in the colours of the partners Red Bull, PlayStation and Sony Walkman will also get a clear colour identification, making it easier for the fans on the stands and in front of the TV-screens to identify the Abt drivers: Mattias Ekstrs car gets black head lights, the TT-R of Karl Wendlinger is marked with white head lights. The silver Abt-logo in the grille, that all the tuning cars from Kempten have as well, refers to the provenance of the thoroughbred race cars. Thus, Abt Sportsline underlines the company’s motto From the race track to the street in a visible way as well.
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