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| Audi
A4 DTM 162 |
Broadcast
date : 29th October 2006 |
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The Audi A4 DTM is named after
the German Touring Car Meister motor racing series. It’s a
factory custom special, which means it’s classy.
What always amazes us about factory body and wheel kits is how
they not only blend perfectly with the base model shape, but
seem to bring out everything that’s inherently good about
the design.
The rear boot-spoiler is perfectly integrated, and the
diffuser-look exhaust valance is finished in muted charcoal to
surround the dual exhausts.
The mix of brushed suede and leather, as well as commendably
restrained metallic highlight panels, make the DTM interior a
very pleasant place to be.
We are particularly pleased to see that Audi has continued to
offer full manual gear-changes in cars like this, because when
it comes to ultimate control, the manual clutch gear-change
system is so much more involving.
The other aspect of the full-size sports-sedan concept that we
enjoy is that they are very usable cars, with space for
four-to-five people, and in the case of the Audi, a
no-compromise boot area measuring some 400 litres.
A sports car for the family man indeed, as Vauxhall said in
its ad jingle forty years ago.
The hike from a 147 to 162 kilowatts comes with quite a steep
ramp-up onto the powerband. This is what makes the DTM serious
fun in the more potent model. It makes it feel faster than it
actually is, because it’s less refined than the RS4 V8
model.
Actually, there’s something retro about the way the DTM
behaves when you are really ON IT! The steering goes quite
light as the weight transfers under acceleration, and you tend
to lose steering feel.
This is not to say the DTM has a bad chassis. In fact it’s
very poised, especially on those lovely fifteen-spoke alloy
wheels and wide rubber. But you can get it to oversteer
if you really provoke it.
Clint was having to tippy-toe on the throttle to avoid
wheel-spin, but he liked being able to throw it around just
for fun.
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And that sports suspension, ideal for the track, is quite
comfortable on normal roads too.
And when you give it some of the old right boot on the
accelerator pedal, it delivers.
But you do have to feather the throttle at the apex of a bend
to prevent wheel-spin. Overall, an impressive piece of kit.
The DTM would feel a lot more stable with Quattro drive, but
it wouldn’t be as much fun, nor as quick.
And this car is no slouch, with a 7,3 second 0-100, and a
Sunday punch of 245 km/h.
Audi claims an overall fuel figure in the nine
litres-per-hundred region, although we believe you’d have to
use considerable self control to achieve that.
The direct fuel-injection turbo motor is an absolute gem, and
it looks like Audi knows this, the way they’ve dressed it up
with a sporty crackle-finish vanity panel.
Audi A4 DTM 162
- Engine:
Four-cylinder petrol turbo 1 984 cc
- Power: 162 kW @ 5
900 rpm
- Torque 300 Nm @2
200 rpm
- Transmission:
Six-speed manual, front-wheel-drive
- 0-100 km: 7,3
(claimed)
- Top speed: 245 km/h
(claimed)
- Fuel consumption:
9,3 litres/100 km (claimed)
- Price: R307 700
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