BMW DTM Tests Car To Car

BMW M3 DTM car-to-car.
Various camera shots of the BMW M3 DTM on the track.

The countdown is on: BMW Motorsport completes its final test before the DTM season-opener in Hockenheim.

Munich, 5th April 2012. With three weeks to go until the first race of the 2012 DTM season, BMW Motorsport has officially completed its test programme. From Monday to Thursday the three teams and their six drivers were hard at work at the Hockenheimring (DE), traditionally the venue of the opening round, which this year will get underway on 29th April 2012. This will be BMW's first DTM race since 11th October 1992.

Over the last few days, all the BMW DTM drivers were in action. On Monday and Tuesday Martin Tomczyk (DE), Dirk Werner (DE) and Augusto Farfus (BR) took to the 4.574-kilometre track. Their respective team-mates, Joey Hand (US), Bruno Spengler (CA) and Andy Priaulx (GB), continued the test programme on Wednesday and Thursday.

On the morning of the third day Spengler had an accident. While the circuit was drying out he hit the wet kerb on the exit of the final corner, spun and clipped the wall with the rear of the car. Following repair work to the rear, he was able to re-join the action.

The BMW M3 DTM was given its roll-out at BMW's own test site in Aschheim (DE) on 4th July 2011. A good nine months later, the newly developed car is ready for its first race in Hockenheim.

Jens Marquardt (BMW Motorsport Director): "The four-day test in Hockenheim saw us complete an important part of our intense preparations ahead of our DTM comeback. Since last summer, our teams have spent a lot of time on the track with the BMW M3 DTM, in order to gradually bring the car up to the level required to be competitive in the DTM. We are happy with the result and have achieved all the goals we set ourselves. However, we are well aware that our experienced DTM rivals have also been working hard. That is why I am excited about discovering the balance of power when we return to Hockenheim in three